NFLPA asks league to ensure suspended coaches are also present during Bounty Scandal appeals
With the appeals over the bounty scandal player punishments handed down by National Football League (NFL) commissioner, Roger Goodell set to take place on Monday, the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) has also requested the attendance of coaches involved in
the programme.
According to the New Orleans Times-Picayune the NFLPA sent a letter to Goodell requesting that suspended Saints head coach, Sean Payton, general manager, Mickey Loomis and assistant coach, Joe Vitt who also have received varying suspensions from
Goodell as well as other coaches should also be asked to come to the appeals on Monday.
Included in the names of those the NFLPA requested to attend was also former Saints defensive coordinator, and the brains behind the bounty scandal, Gregg Williams, who has been suspended indefinitely from coaching.
According to the newspaper, the union made the request to help it gather further data and information regarding the bounty scandal.
The names of those people the union has asked to attend the appeals are, Sean Payton, Gregg Williams, Joe Vitt, Mickey Loomis, Gregg Williams son and former Saints coach, Blake Williams, Former Saints coach Michael Cerullo, and NFL security experts Joe Hummel
and Jeff Miller.
Goodell and the NFL will also have to release the evidence it plans to use to argue its case at the hearings by Friday, according to the rules laid out in the new collective bargaining agreement (CBA).
All four players who have been suspended by Goodell in early May will have their appeals heard by the commissioner and are expected to challenge the evidence used against them.
Saints defensive captain and linebacker, Jonathan Vilma was suspended for one year, while defensive end, Will Smith was suspended for four games.
In addition to them, former Saints players Anthony Hargrove and Scott Fujita were also suspended for eight and three games respectively by Goodell in May.
Saints head coach, Sean Payton remains suspended for the entire 2012-13 season while Loomis and Vitt face suspensions of eight and six games respectively.
The NFL is yet to respond to this request and it remains to be seen whether the coaches will show up at the appeals on Monday.
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