More woes for New Orleans Saints as league delivers player punishments over bounty scandal
National Football League (NFL) commissioner, Roger Goodell on Wednesday, finally announced hard hitting punishments for New Orleans Saints players involved in the bounty scandal.
Four players who were part of the Saints roster from 2009-11 faced were suspended without pay for varying time lengths.
Saints linebacker and defensive line captain, Jonathan Vilma who was named in the initial report which revealed the existence of the bounty program to the public faced the harshest punishment.
Vilma has been suspended without pay for the entirety of the new 2012-13 season.
Former Saints and now Green Bay Packers defensive lineman, Anthony Hargrove received an eight-game suspension, Saints defensive end, Will Smith was banned for four games and linebacker Scott Fujita received a three-game suspension.
The Saints already faced severe punishments and these new suspensions will greatly hurt the franchise even further.
The NFL has already suspended head coach, Sean Payton for the entire 2012-13 season while general manager, Mickey Loomis and assistant coach, Joe Vitt face eight and six-game suspensions respectively.
In a statement released to the press, the NFL commissioner said about the suspensions.
"In assessing player discipline. I focused on 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."
New Orleans Saints were found to have run an illegal bounty program for three years in their defensive roster.
The entire bounty pool allegedly ran up to $ 50,000 and players were paid to make hits on targeted opponents with $ 1,000-1,500 given to players who injured the opposition players.
Goodell also added in his statement.
"The evidence clearly showed that the players being held accountable today willingly and enthusiastically embraced the bounty program.”
It was expected that the NFL will lay down the hammer on Saints players and the decision made by the commissioner will significantly impact the Saints preparations for the new 2012-13 season.
The punishments will go a long way to curtail any future culture of bounties from taking root.
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