New Orleans Saints Football: Saints Reputation Tainted by Bounty System

With the recent revelation of a long standing bounty system apparently set up with the knowledge of former defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, the New Orleans Saints just took a major hit to their reputation.

There is nothing wrong with playing tough, physical football. That is part of the sport, in fact it is what makes football unique. Defensive players are taught to hit hard, put the offensive players on the ground and if possible to destroy the quarterback whenever possible. That is how football should be played.

Tough, physical and with controlled violence.

But when players and coaches conspire to injure opponents, and offer cash incentives for doing so that goes well beyond what is acceptable in the sport. Paying out a bonus for an interception or a fumble recovery is fine, as those are plays that have to be made through execution. They are game changing plays that can swing momentum from one team to another. I have no problem rewarding players for making big plays.

But when that morphs into a system where players are targeting others for "cart offs" and "knockouts" it has gone beyond the pale. It is troubling to think that players and coaches, knowing the limited career spans of NFL players, would actively pursue injuring an opponent. And I seriously doubt that the Saints would be okay with teams paying out money for a "cart off" of Drew Brees or a "knockout" of Marques Colston.

If this was confined to the players it would be bad enough. But when it is was revealed that former defensive coordinator Williams was a driving force behind the system—having instituted a similar system in Washington— that head coach Sean Payton knew of it and turned a blind eye and that the general manager was informed of it three years ago and did nothing is where the organization takes a hit. If this were the NCAA it would be a perfect example of a lack of institutional control.

Like so many situations, the Saints are going to face punishment, not so much for what they did but for what came next. The NFL warned Saints management about the system, told them to stop the practice and believed them when they said it was being taken care of. By lying to the league the Saints have opened themselves to serious penalties and will likely face them from a commissioner who doesn't take kindly to this type of activity. It reflects badly on the shield, and that is something the commissioner has shown in the past he will not tolerate.

By their own actions the Saints have tainted their reputation as the media darlings of the NFL and have taken off some of the luster from their Super Bowl win of 2009. And they have no one to blame but themselves.