Former New Orleans Saints Darren Sharper: no strong evidence to punish players on bounty scandal
The National Football League (NFL) is yet to announce punishments for the 22 to 27 players involved in the New Orleans Saints bounty scandal.
The Saints were revealed to have run a pay-for-injury program under the guidance of former defensive coordinator Gregg Williams in early March and the NFL has come down hard slapping long-term suspensions on head coach, Sean Payton, general manager, Mickey
Loomis and assistant coach, Joe Vitt.
The League also fined the franchise $ 500,000 and took away their second round draft picks for two seasons.
Commissioner, Roger Goodell has vowed stern action and is currently mulling over the exact involvement of all players in the bounty program so as to deliver appropriate punishments.
However, there is one former Saints player who believes that punishing the players is unwarranted.
That ex-player is former Saints safety Darren Sharper who had earlier called the NFL’s revelation of the bounty program ridiculous and had claimed that no such program existed during the two seasons he spent in New Orleans.
Sharper in a radio interview said.
"I don't think that, first of all, suspensions and fines are warranted. I still don't feel as though there is proof that guys received certain benefits from making dirty plays or making plays during the game."
That is baffling.
How much proof does someone need with the bounty scandal revealed in all its detail in the 50,000 page report released by the league?
Also both Payton and Williams have apologised profusely for the bounty scandal which in itself is proof that players were paid for injuring opponents during games.
Sharper went on to add.
"You are kind of tinkering on thin ice there by saying you are going to take a guy away from the game and have him lose money when you don't necessarily have material or bullet proof that guys did that."
“It’s tough for me to kind of sit here and say what guys are going to be picked out of the group and what is going to be the penalty. I don’t feel as though any penalties are warranted at all.”
No timeline has been given on when the decision will be announced by the league as it continues to discuss with the players union NFL Players Association over the appropriate punishments.
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