Meting out unprecedented punishment for a crush-for-cash bounty system that targeted key opposing players, the NFL suspended New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton without pay for next season and indefinitely banned the team's former defensive coordinator, Gregg Williams.
Some of what happens in the NFL can seem so lawless, wanton even, that you almost forget the game has rules. But Roger Goodell keeps on trying to remind everybody — with his fines, suspensions and admonishments — that there really are limits, that you really can go too far.
Meting out unprecedented punishment for a crush-for-cash bounty system that targeted key opposing players, the NFL suspended New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton without pay for next season and indefinitely banned the team's former defensive coordinator, Gregg Williams.
Rams defensive coordinator Gregg Williams is apologizing to the NFL, to St. Louis coach Jeff Fisher, the Rams organization and football fans in general for running a bounty pool while he was in New Orleans.
Commissioner Roger Goodell has ordered the owners of all 32 NFL teams to make sure their clubs are not offering bounties like the New Orleans Saints did from 2009-11.
The NFL handed down sweeping and unprecedented punishment Wednesday for bounties paid out on big hits, suspending New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton without pay for next season and indefinitely banning the team's former defensive coordinator, Gregg Williams, who now works for the St. Louis Rams.
The players' union wants the NFL to delay announcing any punishment to the New Orleans Saints for their bounty program until it can conduct its own investigation.
New Orleans Saints owner Tom Benson and coach Sean Payton have met with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, who will decide the team's punishment for its bounty program from 2009-11.
Drew Brees says he has never participated in and was never aware of a "real" bounty program, and there would be no place for players being provided incentives to intentionally injure one another in any sport.
