Art II weighs in on the bountygate penalties

[BlitzburghRockCity]

Q. What is your view of the discipline handed out by Commissioner Roger Goodell?

A. I can’t comment exactly on the penalties themselves, other than the fact that they are severe penalties. I think the Commissioner wants to send a message that we are not going to stand for this kind of thing. So in general, I think it was the right approach. We don’t need this in our game. People talk about that (bounties have) been around for many years. This sounds like something that is a little more over the line than anything I’ve ever heard of before. I think the Commissioner is sending a very loud and clear message here. Hopefully, the effect is going to be that we will get these kinds of things out of the game.

Q. In explaining his decision, Goodell also made references to being misled and lied to during the investigation. That lying seems to be a big part of the severity of the crime in his mind?

A. It’s hard for me to comment on that part of it, simply because I am not privy to the investigation, or who said what to whom. It’s clear that the Commissioner is upset about the way this was handled, and he has really come down with probably the most severe punishment I believe that a Commissioner has ever really administered that I am familiar with in the history of the league. It’s a major decision by the Commissioner. Again, I think it’s something that should not be a part of our game. I think he is taking steps to making sure it’s not going to be part of the game.

Rooney also said the Steelers will comply with the league’s directive to have the principal owner of every club meet with the head coach and confirm that the club does not operate a similar pay-for-performance or bounty program. The league’s order also requires the owner to instruct his coach that no such program is permissible and that if such a program exists, it must be terminated immediately. Each principal owner and head coach must certify this in writing to the commissioner by March 30.

Steelers.com

[jpele]

Does this void the contracts of players that have incentives for sacking the QB ? The Saints should have just cheated , the penalty is a slap on the wrist.

[Real Deal Steel]

I think this whole bounty thing is a witch hunt.

Saints didn't do anything wrong. The reward program the Saints have is the same that all teams have and have had since the 1970's. What noone is saying is that the Saints under Williams years had no more illegal hits then the other teams in the league. What they ran was an incentive program rewarding LEGAL hits on offensive players and if you put certain offensive players out the game, there was a little something extra in your locker.

That's football. All this really is, is just further proof of how Hitler Goodall is further watering down the game by trying to take the violence out of a violent game. Goodall's soul mission is to make NFL football like Arena football.

[Real Deal Steel]

There was no bounty on Mendenhall when Ray Lewis broke his collar bone. But there was a little something extra in Lewis's locker after the game. Point being, defensive players are trying to hit you hard to put you out REGARDLESS OF WEATHER THERE IS A BOUNTY OR NOT! That's their mentality and that's the way the game has always been played.