Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank takes pot shots at New Orleans Saints bounty program – NFL News
Which rival can stand back and not gloat at the misery of their enemies and it seems that Atlanta Falcons are reprising that role exceptionally well with owner Arthur Blank taking pot shots at National Football Conference (NFC) South rivals New Orleans Saints.
The Saints are currently reeling from the hefty punishments they received as a result of their defensive roster running an illegal bounty program.
Blank was not going to let this opportunity pass him by and talking to the media on the sidelines of the National Football League’s (NFL) annual meeting he praised the league’s decision on the matter.
Speaking to a press conference Blank said.
"I think the league has handled it well and appropriately. My view is that everything the commissioner has stood for since 2006, which has to do with the shield, the trust, the fans and player safety, etc. really that goes completely in the opposite direction
based on the New Orleans experience.”
He added further that.
“Obviously, it's going to be a hard hit on the Saints, but they'll recover and time will move on and it will be fine."
The Saints were handed some of the severest punishments in the history of the league. The franchise was fined $ 500,000 plus all of their second round draft picks for two seasons.
That was not all as the commissioner, Roger Goodell, made an example out of the Saints by suspending head coach Sean Payton for an entire year, the first time that the league has suspended a team’s head coach for such a long period. General manager Mickey
Loomis and assistant coach Joe Vitt received eight-game and six-game suspensions respectively.
All the suspensions will come into effect from April 1st, leaving New Orleans without its head coach and leader for the entirety of the 2012-13 season.
The Saints defensive roster placed bounties on opposition players for three years ranging from $ 1,000 to $ 1,500 that sought to injure the players and take them out of the game.
Blank went on to pan the Saints bounty program and said that there was no room in today’s league for such activities.
"There's just not a place for that in the game. You're supposed to be physical, etc. but there's a line there. It's not even a fine line. It's a bright line that you just can't cross."
Blank should hope that his team can take advantage of their rivals problems this year and regain the South division title.
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