Bountygate Punishment for the Saints

Originally Posted by sportscurmudgeon

The NFL position on this has been that this is an ongoing investigation - - and it has been that way since the story on the Saints broke.

The league is not likely to "make stuff up"; there is no "stuff that has been made up" about the Saints; Gregg Williams and Sean Payton have pretty much admitted that what the NFL alleged to be the case was in fact the case.

And there are so many threads in this story/investigation/whatever that lead to the conclusion that Gregg Williams has done this before in other venues that the NFL HAS to do an investigation to learn whatever it might. Remember, the US Senate is going to hold hearings on this matter and that could put a lot of people under oath while they tell their stories.

Imagine Gregg Williams under oath sitting next to all the owners he has worked for and head coaches he has been the DC under and all of them are under oath too. The NFL would not like that to happen...

You really should not speculate on what might or might not happen to teams where Gregg Williams had been DC in the past. It is comforting to speculate that the worst that could happen to the Redskins would be a fine but you do not know - - and neither do I - - where an investigation might lead. The odds favor an investigation of the Redskins turning up some kind of "bounty system" but with no links to current management. But might there be links to the owner(s)? I have no idea...

I would say the same thing is true of an investgation of the years that Williams was in Tennessee, Jax and Buffalo and what links might be made within those teams to folks still associated with those teams.

And remember, the NFL has incentivized Gregg Williams to "spill the beans" on what went on in previous incarnations in the league. The commish's letter to him says that a major factor in the commish deciding whether to lift his indefinite suspension is the degree to which Williams cooparates with and furthers the ongoing investigation.

MAYBE you can be worried that Williams might start to "make stuff up". It is less likely that the NFL would find it beneficial to do the same.

Originally Posted by Ruhskins

Just opinions. In the end, many of us know that nothing will prob come out of this. But given the BS from the league in the whole cap-gate situation, I can see where people are concerned.

Originally Posted by NC_Skins

Opinions are one thing, overreacting is another. I think capgate and bountygate are two separate issues all together. Also, our (and the bills) situation with Gregg Williams and the Saints are two different animals. They aren't even comparable. One, we(or Bills) were never notified or investigated by the league and told to stop such bounty numerous times. Secondly, we never lied to any investigators repeatedly. Lying is what caused this harsh punishment, not the actual bounty program.

So to continue with the "THERE GOING TO TAKE OUR #1 PICK AWAY" is a bit silly to be honest with you.

Originally Posted by Mattyk

And so is the thought the league is looking to retaliate against the Skins for challenging the cap penalty.

Originally Posted by Mattyk

And so is the thought the league is looking to retaliate against the Skins for challenging the cap penalty.

Originally Posted by FRPLG

Not sure I agree here. I think the cap penalty issue sorta indicates that the owners and the league office think they can do whatever they want. I'm not saying it is reasonable or even likely but it isn't crazy nuts far fetched. My intuition says the league in general has some type of rationale (in its own "head") for the cap thing and isn't really acting out of malevolence. That leads me to believe they won't just suddenly turn on the evil genius stuff as retaliation but I am not so sure there aren't at least some owners who'd feel inclined to do so. Obviously they are a superior bunch who like getting their way almost in a "by any means possible" type of approach.

Originally Posted by NC_Skins

A 8 game minimum suspension from the looks of it.