[7][12], Benson issued a statement on the Saints' Website saying, "I have been made aware of the NFLs findings relative to the Bounty Rule and how it relates to our club. Rumors are circulating that Payton's retirement may be short-lived and that he may return to the game after sitting out for one year. [68], Goodell denied the appeals on April 9, meaning that Payton's suspension began as of April 16. . Payton was suspended for the entire 2012 season, effective April 1. "Everybody was sworn in under oath in front of a judge with the risk of perjury and jail time if we were lying, and categorically denied there was a bounty," Vilma said in a text message to ESPN's Ed Werder. Matt George @ MattGeorgeSAC. Stroud, Rick. Jonathan Vilma placed a $10,000 bounty on Brett Favre in the 2009 NFC title game. "[91] Fox Sports' Mark Kriegel argued that the tape proved Williams was "woefully underpunished," especially since he made the speech after being alerted that the NFL had reopened its investigation. An estimated 22-27 total New Orleans Saints players participated in the bounty program, though. Later in the game, offensive tackle Frank Omiyale yanked a Saints defender off Cutler when he saw what he later called "some dirty stuff. Payton was asked about the possible misdeed; he was suspended for the entire 2012 season for his involvement in the Saints' "Bountygate" scheme in which players were paid for injuring opponents. Actions like this are what makes Goodell sick. Preparations for Saints games included warnings to offensive players to keep their knees protected, especially on plays near the sidelines. The player suspensions were vacated on technical grounds by an arbitration panel on Sept. 7, 2012, just two days before the Saints' season-opener. In his weekly "Monday Morning Quarterback" column on March 5, SI's Peter King wrote that he believed Williams faced at least an eight-game suspension, and that Payton and Loomis would almost certainly be suspended as well. It added to my interest in the WBC for sure. Sports without Gleason's approval. All was forgiven and he was back in the league the next year. With New Orleans coach Sean Payton appealing his year-long suspension to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, a hearing that will occur Tuesday, there are other worries for those who were involved with the Saints bounty program.True legal worries, perhaps. All four players can appeal the suspensions and would be entitled to a hearing and representation by counsel, the statement said. Four past or present New Orleans Saints players were suspended Wednesday by the National Football League for their roles in the "bountygate" scandal involving bonuses for trying to hurt. Williams is most notably known for being the Defensive Coordinator in New Orleans during the BountyGate scandal, where defensive players were given cash if they successfully injured the offensive . 1997-2000: Tennessee Oilers/Titans - Defensive Coordinator Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma is suspended for the entire 2012 season after offering $10,000 in cash to any player who knocked Arizona quarterback Kurt Warner out of the 2009 Divisional playoff . Home Team focuses on Sean Payton and his too-good-to-be-true story before he was brought back onto the Saints in the 2013 season. [85] (Seau would commit suicide less than two months after the interview was published; it was discovered after his death that he suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) as a result of the numerous head injuries Seau suffered during his 20-year NFL career. "They are on the field, so I don't think they are absolved from any responsibility because of that," he said. [10] Favre took such a severe beating that Vikings punter Chris Kluwe and placekicker Ryan Longwell wondered during the game if someone had put a bounty on him. [75] However, a league source told CBSSports.com's Judge that it also gives Goodell the power to rule on in-game conduct if he feels that it runs counter to the integrity of the game. [13], In the 2010 offseason, an anonymous player told NFL officials that the Saints had targeted Favre and Warner as part of a bounty program administered by Williams; the NFL's security department found the allegations credible enough to open an investigation. [8] According to these players, such bounty programs were usually informal and often between players only, more with intent at locker-room braggadocio than systemic malice. However, depending on the Saints' cooperation and that of the individuals involved, Goodell could restore the Saints' second-round pick in 2013 (though the Saints would still lose a lower-round pick), as well as reduce the fine on the Saints and restore Payton, Vitt and Loomis' lost pay. On March 2, 2012, the NFL announced the findings of its investigation, saying that the players and defensive coordinator Gregg Williams pooled their money to pay out the bonuses over three seasons. Vilma played the final 11 games of the 2012 season for the Saints; Smith played all 16. [18] The investigation continued during the 201112 playoffs and continued through the 2012 offseason. "It was a terrible mistake, andwe knew it was wrong while we were doing it. [49] Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Steve Young, who has a law degree from BYU, suggested that anyone who had been injured during a Saints game during the scheme's existence has grounds for a lawsuit. 2004-2023 CBS Interactive. ESPN NFL analyst and former Dallas Cowboys safety Darren Woodson said that much of Williams' speech was standard pregame rhetoric. While most will remember Sean Payton for his success with the Saints, his involvement with Bountygate won't be forgotten anytime soon either. There is already speculation that Cowboys owner Jerry Jones wants Payton to be his next head coach, if not this year, then next year, which means Mike McCarthy may be on the clock, if the Cowboys don't make it to the NFC Championship game next year. [78], On October 27, 2012, former league commissioner Paul Tagliabue postponed the bounty appeals hearing,[79] expecting to set a new schedule on October 29, 2012. Of course, almost every detail of Bountygate is quickly dispensed or ignored, including the fact that it was reportedly taking place during that 2010 season. According to the NFL's findings, Williams and players pooled their money, and awarded cash prizes to players who injured select members of the opposing team. Please logout and login again. Everybody got out there and pushed their information one way or the other and I didnt. The New Orleans Saints bounty scandal, better known as "Bountygate" was a major incident in the NFL that resulted in members of the team being paid off for deliberately injuring opposing team . Judges only have limited jurisdiction over arbitration issues. I have learned a hard lesson and I guarantee that I will never participate in or allow this kind of activity to happen again.. In addition, the Saints franchise was fined $500,000 and docked second-round picks in the 2012 and 2013 drafts. Head coach Sean Payton was suspended for one year without pay, effective April 1. He also claimed that NFL Network yanked its planned replay of the 2009 NFC Championship Game due to concern that fans might look more closely for late hits that should have been called. [29], In June 2012, the league revealed that it possessed a ledger detailing the weekly earnings of the players, which are earned for cart-offs ($1000) and "whacks" ($400) and deducted for "mental errors. It's not rather or not bountygate happened. [19] Later that day, the NFL announced it had obtained irrefutable proof of a bounty pool dating back to the 2009 season, based on a review of 18,000 documents. Had the suspensions of Vilma and Hargrove been upheld, they would have been the longest for an on-field incident in modern NFL history, topping the previous record set in 2006, when then-Titans defensive end Albert Haynesworth was given a five-game suspension for stomping on the head of Dallas Cowboys offensive lineman Andre Gurode. [7][20], The NFL found that Payton and Loomis' misfeasance amounted to "conduct detrimental" to the league. We can joke about the recruiting-Ohtani part of Suzuki not being on Team Japan anymore, but in all seriousness, I just thought it was gonna be cool to watch Seiya playing on such a loaded team. In a profanity-laced speech, Williams instructed his players to deliberately try to injure several 49ers players. "Bountygate" came up again this week because Beckham claimed Williams told defenders to take him "out of the game" in a 2017 preseason contest. [82] Hargrove, signed as a free agent by the Green Bay Packers in March 2012,[83] did not play during the 2012 season. Such practices are forbidden and strictly punishable. "Josh Freeman says Tampa Bay Buccaneers were warned about New Orleans Saints' 'cheap shots'". Williams, coach Sean Payton, general manager Mickey Loomis and several Saints players were suspended by the league for their role in Bountygate, and hours after those punishments were announced. The players were vindicated, but from a league or coaching standpoint, there's no union, there's no representation. Two of those players were reportedly Kurt Warner and Brett Favre. According to Woodson, when Williams called for his men to "attack the head" of running back Frank Gore, he was saying that the 49ers' offense would be rendered ineffective if they managed to shut Gore down. Fujita and Hargrove had left the Saints by the time the suspensions were handed down. [36], Several former Bills players subsequently told The Buffalo News of a similar system during Williams' tenure as Bills' head coach from 2001 to 2003. I have offered and the NFL has received our full cooperation in their investigation. Pamphilon, who was doing a documentary on Steve Gleason and his fight against Lou Gehrig's Disease, released the audio to Yahoo! Former Redskins defensive coordinator Gregg Williams ran a bounty system that paid out cash bonuses for big hits during his time in Washington and most recently with the New Orleans Saints. After the program was reported on, Payton and Loomis said they took full responsibility for the practice, which they said happened under our watch.. 17 Feb 2023 00:46:36 For many players on that post-Bountygate team, that meant reminiscing about past successes (tight end David Thomas, for one . It also asserted that head coach Sean Payton tried to cover up the scheme, and that he and general manager Mickey Loomis failed to shut it down when ordered to do so by team owner Tom Benson. On March 2, 2012, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that the NFL had indeed found evidence of a bounty program. 2023 Cable News Network. He also believed that Goodell was going to use the scandal to "end the practice of bounty football forever," much like the penalties imposed against the Patriots after "Spygate" effectively ended the longstanding practice of illicit videotaping. No penalty was called on the play, though NFL vice president of officiating Mike Pereira said one should have been called, saying it was "the type of hit we don't want." Linebacker Jonathan Vilma was suspended for the entire 2012 season, DL Anthony Hargrove was suspended for eight games, Will Smith for four and Scott Fujita for three. [16] Cerullo is currently director of football operations at Princeton University.[17]. He led them to their first and only Super Bowl win in 2009 and took the Saints to 9 playoff appearances, more than any coach in Saints history. However, all appeals were denied. 1:11 PM EDT, Wed May 2, 2012. The Saints won the Super Bowl XLIV in 2009. In 2012, ESPN reported that former New Orleans Saints defensive assistant Mike Cerullo contacted the NFL regarding a bounty program after the 2009 postseason. The NFL said payoffs went to 22 to 27 defensive players for inflicting game-ending injuries on targeted opponents, including quarterbacks Brett Favre and Kurt Warner. I gave you facts that you can report if so choose. "I. Speaking of significant injuries, Joe Musgrove dropped a weight on his left big toe, causing a fracture. Williams was suspended indefinitely, and was banned from applying for reinstatement until the end of the 2012 season at the earliest. [18][22][24][25], When Benson was informed of the league's findings, he called in Payton and Loomis and ordered the program shut down immediately. After that meeting, Vitt's lawyer, David Cornwell, said that Payton and Loomis met with Williams before the divisional playoff game and ordered him to shut down the bounty program immediately. These typically involve incentivizing fouling, knocking out, and injuring opposition players. 2:34 pm ET, would vacate the suspensions of those Saints' players on appeal, Agent's Take: Rodgers' trade value, logistics, best fit, McCarthy discusses taking over Cowboys' play-calling, Brett Favre welfare funds scandal explained, Reich says Carr 'checks a lot of boxes' after meeting, Gregg Williams on Bountygate: It was 'nothing that hadn't been done before', Mock: Carter falls amid warrant, Ravens take QB, Rodgers' trade value, logistics and best fit, Best team fits for top FAs at each position, Ex-NFL GM on ramifications of Carter's legal issue, NFLPA issues team report cards: Commanders fail, 49ers GM says he contacted Brady as team seeks QB help, Jalen Carter issues statement amid charges. At the same time there's a chance a guy's going to hit you, injuries happen, that's part of the game, that's why people are interested in it. [18] After the story broke, Williams issued a statement calling his involvement "a terrible mistake." He also believes that Williams put a bounty on Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning during Super Bowl XLIV, and targeted Manning on several occasions while with the Titans. Throughout the majority of the 2000s, Kevin James had viewers in stitches portraying the lovable, energetic loud mouth Doug Heffernan in the hit sitcom King of Queens. Cornwell contended that Williams was a "rogue coach," and the recently released audio of his meeting with the defense only proved it. Loomis was suspended for the first eight games of the 2012 season. In announcing the suspensions, Goodell said that while a large number of players took part in the program, he chose to suspend those players who "were in leadership positions at the Saints; contributed a particularly large sum of money toward the program; specifically contributed to a bounty on an opposing player; demonstrated a clear intent to participate in a program that potentially injured opposing players; sought rewards for doing so; and/or obstructed the 2010 investigation." In an editorial, New Orleans' local paper The Times-Picayune called the revelations "an embarrassment for one of the most successful and beloved sports organizations of recent years," and that they were "particularly hard to take for (Saints') fans" in light of the Saints' rebound after Hurricane Katrina. [12] Goodell said in a statement that he found it "particularly disturbing" that the Saints were deliberately trying to injure other players. [77] Two days after the fifth game of the season, on October 9, 2012, the league re-issued the suspensions without any changes or reductions; the players' appeals continued. Several other stars, including quarterback Kurt Warner, were on the Saints' radar during a 'Bountygate' scandal between 2009-2011. PFF reports that former Indianapolis coach Tony Dungy has zeroed in on the play that he believes caused the injury, and it involves a matchup against a defense led by Gregg Williams. League commissioner Roger Goodell responded with some of the most severe sanctions in the league's 92-year history, and among the most severe punishments for in-game misconduct in North American professional sports history. "[41], Former NFL coach Tony Dungy later told Profootballtalk.com he was certain that Williams operated a similar bounty system while he was defensive coordinator of the Oilers/Titans from 1997 to 2000. Freeman's sources also said that Payton's sanctions were likely to dwarf those handed down to the New England Patriots' Bill Belichick in the wake of the 2007 "Spygate" affair. This provision is normally used to sanction off-field conduct. [84] ESPN columnist Gregg Easterbrook claimed that the Saints' behavior threatened the very integrity of the sport since high school and youth players have long emulated what they see in the NFL. [67] Payton, Vitt and Loomis met with Goodell on April 5. The New Orleans Saints bounty scandal, colloquially known as "Bountygate,"[1][2][3][4] was an incident in which members of the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL) were accused of paying out bonuses, or "bounties," for injuring players on opposing teams. With an early 7-3 lead in their week 2 matchup against the St. Louis Rams, two Giants players both fell to the ground with injuries at nearly the exact same time. He crippled them to the point that . In football, a player is running the risk of being injured regardless of any bounty scheme in effect. The league also found that Vitt, whom Payton had assigned to monitor Williams (the two reportedly didn't get along very well), also knew about the broader lines of the scheme and even witnessed Williams handing out payments to players. Photo Credit: Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images Who is Sean Payton? The Rams were driving inside. Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Devin White said that Bucs players bet on which player will have the biggest game, which reminded Saints fans of BountyGate. [23], The league found that Payton not only knew about the scheme, but tried to cover it up during both league investigations. Advertisement Bountygate Evidence and Audio DeMaurice Smith, executive director of the NFL Players Association, said the organization would help the players fight the suspensions. Brett Favre was a target of the New Orleans Saints in 2010. Get breaking NFL Football News, our in-depth expert analysis, latest rumors and follow your favorite sports, leagues and teams with our live updates. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has reduced the bounty-related suspensions of two New Orleans Saints players while upholding the punishments of two others. The league has had a poor track record in recent appeals hearings. NEW: The NFL Players Association challenges the suspensions, Two of the suspended players are now with different teams, The suspensions are the latest by the NFL in the scandal over bounties, The league previously suspended a coach and a former defensive coordinator. In May 2012, four current and former Saints players were suspended after being named as ringleaders in the scandal, with linebacker Jonathan Vilma also being suspended for the entire 2012 season. or hearsay. Before Monday's appeals hearings on the Saints bounty punishments, the NFL was required to provide the NFLPA and the suspended players ( Jonathan Vilma, Will Smith, Scott Fujita and Anthony. The only difference in Seifert's mind was that he no longer believed the Saints were out of control. The Saints appealed the suspensions of Payton, Loomis and Vitt, but the NFL upheld the suspensions. The Saints organization was penalized with a $500,000 fine and forced to forfeit their second-round draft selections in 2012 and 2013. The NFL has long frowned upon bounties, or "non-contract bonuses" as it officially calls them; but an underground culture of bounties is alleged to exist, with teams, it is claimed, turning a blind eye to the practice. We have spoken with our players and their representatives and we will vigorously protect and pursue all options on their behalf.. The Saints appear to have injured far fewer players over the 2009, 2010 and 2011 seasons. We have made it clear that punishment without evidence is not fair. He cited a 1977 case in which Denver Broncos defensive back Dale Hackbart sued the Cincinnati Bengals for a late hit to the back by running back Boobie Clark that fractured three vertebrae four years earlier and ended his career. [66], Hours after the sanctions were announced, Kluwe went on KSTP in the Twin Cities and demanded that any players involved in the scheme be severely punished, and that the NFLPA let it be known that "there's no place in the league for that kind of behavior." The New Orleans Saints were found to have operated a bounty system in which players were paid bonuses for, among other things, hard hits and deliberately injuring opposing players. However, they didn't agree on whether there were rewards for intentionally injuring players. "Thank you for giving me this opportunity to be your head coach for 16 years," - Sean Payton to. On March 30, Payton, Vitt and Loomis appealed their suspensions, and the Saints also appealed the fine and loss of draft picks. On Tuesday, Sean Payton decided to step down as the New Orleans Saints head coach. The system was in place from 2009 -- the season the Saints won the Super Bowl -- to 2011, and between 22 and 27 Saints players participated in the program. The plotline begins in 2012, when Payton is suspended for the season by commissioner Roger Goodell for the Saints' bounty scandal, which gives Payton the chance to re-assess his life and put it in . After seeing the NFLs decision letters, the NFLPA has still not received any detailed or specific evidence from the league of these specific players involvement in an alleged pay-to-injure program, Smith said in a statement. It also contended that since the alleged conduct took place before the most recent CBA was signed in August, Goodell should have deferred to NFL special master Stephen Burbank in ruling on the players' actions. However, according to many former players, bounty systems of some sort have been around the NFL for decades, with the percentage of players participating speculated to be between 30 and 40 percent. [7][18][20], The NFL sent a confidential and detailed memo to all 32 teams detailing its findings. [50] Louisiana State University law professor William Corbett told Fox Sports that any legal action by players has a chance of succeeding. After re-starting the disciplinary process, Goodell upheld the suspensions for Vilma and Smith and reduced the suspensions for Fujita and Hargrove to one and seven games respectively. [9] Vikings owner Zygi Wilf even went as far as to complain to the league about what happened to Favre, though no action was taken at the time. [89], The revelation of Williams' pregame speech was also greeted with revulsion. An @NFL player is injured let's start off by asking Sean Payton, who quite literally had a bounty system to Injure opposing teams players #BountyGate ask me how I know this to be True . He called for Goodell to ban him from the league for life. [5] However, former commissioner Paul Tagliabue overturned all sanctions against the players in December 2012 after finding that despite the players being "very much involved," the coaches and the Saints organization were primarily responsible for the scandal.[6]. Given what he did for the Saints, Sean Payton may be worth the wait for the Cowboys. He recalled that Goodell was always upset when officials didn't penalize hits on defenseless players. Audio of Williams' meeting with Saints defense, Last edited on 15 February 2023, at 09:07, 2007 National Football League videotaping controversy, "NFL needs to start cleaning up 'BountyGate' by going after Sean Payton and Gregg Williams for role in Saints' bounty system", "Did Rex's former team put out bounties? Before the start of the 2011 season, Payton received an email from Ornstein detailing the broader lines of the scheme. Fujita, who left the team for the Browns immediately after the Saints won Super Bowl XLIV, pledged "a significant amount of money" into the bounty program. However, they did not do so. [7] Williams and the players pooled their own money to pay out performance bonuses. It was known as the New Orleans Saints bounty scandal or simply "Bountygate.". He also told at least one other player that the Saints had put a bounty on Favre in the 2009 NFC title game. The Saints also lied to the NFL over the past two years when an investigation was being conducted, so the punishment does seem to fit the crime. General manager Mickey Loomis was suspended for the first eight games of the 2012 season. "[20] He was particularly upset that those involved had lied about the scheme on two separate investigations, and had denied that there was ever a bounty program in place. When the game clock hit 00:00 last night in Broncos' victory over the Jets, head coach Vic Fangio sprinted across the field yelling at players to head "right to the f***ing locker room . He said that players and coaches involved in the scheme could face fines or suspensions, and the Saints could be docked picks in the 2012 NFL Draft and future drafts. For instance, a special teamer who downed a kick returner inside the receiving team's 20-yard-line earned $100. Tuesday, 29 January 2013 By Griffin Finan. Hargrove actively participated in the program as a Saint and obstructed the leagues investigation by being untruthful, the statement said, while Fujita pledged a significant amount of money to the program. Fujita played the first four games of the season for the Browns before suffering a season-ending (and ultimately, career-ending) neck injury;[81] he would sign a ceremonial one-day contract with the Saints in the offseason and retire with the team. [69], The NFLPA requested that the league should hold off on any punishments for the players until it conducts its own investigation. [44] The Steelers released a statement on their official web site mentioning that the team does not condone any sort of bounty program. )[86] Seau's sentiments were echoed by Hall of Fame quarterback Fran Tarkenton. He initially denied any involvement, but recanted and admitted everything in a meeting with Goodell. [16] Cerullo testified that he kept track of payments and pledges made. [11], Favre's agent, Bus Cook, later said that he also felt the Saints were deliberately trying to knock Favre out of the game, and claimed that several hits on Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner in the divisional round a week earlier crossed the line as well. Assistant head coach Joe Vitt was suspended for the first six games of the 2012 season. Players regularly contributed cash to a pool, which may have topped $50,000 at its peak. Williams, coach Sean Payton, general manager Mickey Loomis and several Saints players were suspended by the league for their role in Bountygate, and hours after those punishments were announced Williams, who had moved on to the Rams, issued this statement: I want to express my sincere regret and apology to the NFL, Mr. Benson, and the New Orleans Saints fans for my participation in the 'pay for performance' program while I was with the Saints,"Williams said in March 2012. [80] On December 11, with three games left in the regular season, Tagliabue vacated the players' suspensions, saying in his ruling, "I affirm Commissioner Goodell's factual findings as to the four players. On May 2, 2012, four current and former Saints players were suspended after being named as ringleaders in the scandal, with linebacker Jonathan Vilma being suspended for the entire 2012 seasonthe longest suspension for an on-field incident in modern NFL history. Smith, a captain of the defensive unit, helped Williams with the program and pledged money for it, according to the statement. Back in 2012, Payton was suspended from the NFL for a year. An @NFL player is injured let's start off by asking Sean Payton, who quite literally had a bounty system to Injure opposing teams players #BountyGate ask me how I know this to be True " Bold strategy by fox. Payton and Loomis also apologized to Benson and the Saints fans, and promised that such behavior would never happen again. It may take Jerry Jones stepping away from the general manager's position for this to take place, but who's to say he won't do that in order for his team to win a Super Bowl? I ask that you and ESPN report the facts. Vitt, who had been tabbed as a possible candidate to serve as interim coach in Payton's absence, was suspended for the first six games of the 2012 season. Weeks ago, after the NFL first released its Bountygate findings, there was a rumor floating around the sport that Jeremy Shockey, former tight end for the Saints, was the source for the NFL. Did you encounter any technical issues? The NFL's retort is that with all due deference, you don't get to second guess (Goodell). Bountygate was alleged to have taken place from 2009 to 2011. "After a grand slam by Moses and injury, SEU . NFLPA files suit in Bountygate case July 5, 2012 foxsports The NFL Players Association filed a lawsuit against the NFL on behalf of three players suspended in connection with the bounty. "Seven people testified, 2 sworn affidavits all saying the same thing. Kevin James is going to play Sean Payton in a Bountygate movie and we have so many questions Charles Curtis April 12, 2021 12:58 pm ET Kevin James yes, yes, I hear your Paul Blart, Mall Cop. Players also received "bounties" for "cart-offs" (plays in which an opponent was removed from the field on a stretcher or cart) and "knockouts" (plays that resulted in a player being unable to return for the rest of the game). Judges only have limited jurisdiction over arbitration issues. "[33], All four players appealed their suspensions. Yes, Bountygate is a real scandal that emerged in 2012. Allen's decision to return to school for his senior season was a stroke of genius given his ridiculous production in 2018: 17 sacks, 21 tackles for loss and five forced fumbles. . Hargrove lied to league officials during the 2010 investigation, but later signed a letter to the NFL admitting that he was an active participant in the scheme. [20][25] He also gave the league's clubs until March 30, 2012 to certify in writing that they do not have bounty programs. April 15 - Payton holds his first team meeting at . [76], On July 26, 2012, Jonathan Vilma and seven witnesses from the Saints testified in front of a federal judge in New Orleans that Goodell got his facts wrong in the bounty scandal.