What New Orleans Saints Bounty Scandal Means for Future of NFL

According to the LA Times, the league office is set to hand down a decision on how the New Orleans Saints, Coach Sean Payton, General Manager Mickey Loomis and  former Defensive Coordinator Gregg Williams will be punished. We'll finally be able to put this "bounty" nonsense behind us once and for all.

Or will we?

With the debate about safer football, what is and what isn't a 'legal" or "safe" hit and the multiple lawsuits by former players seeking damages for claims that the NFL hid important information about head injuries, the truth is that the decision may have multiple far reaching implications for the League and players both current and former (via the Huffington Post).

Let's start with the basics.

No matter what the punishment is, we know it happened. Players were given bounties for not just hitting other players, but hurting them as well. According to Sam Farmer of the LA Times, the bounties "included rewards of $1,000 for a 'cart-off' and $1,500 for a knockout."

There's a huge difference between the two. One is something defensive players already do. It's a collision sport, after all, and if you don't like being hit or hitting, you're in the wrong sport. Players hammering other players is just business as usual.

Actively trying to hurt other players? In my opinion, there's no place for it in the game. Getting paid for it? Even less.

However you view it, though, the truth is that we're in an era of football where injuries—especially head injuries—are the subject of tremendous concern. Player safety is a big issue and an event like this will only fuel the overall fire.

I wonder if it will slow down the effort to improve equipment? Or change how sideline neurologists are used, or whether they are run by the teams or are independent?

After all, if the players are actively trying to hurt each other, how much money will the owners spend on keeping them safe?

Moving on to the lawsuits from former NFL players—this could hurt their case.

After all, will a judge look favorably upon players who may now be painted with the same brush as the Saints? These lawsuits say that the NFL didn't do enough to protect the players but were the players themselves not doing enough to protect each other?

If that happens, we'll be looking down the barrel of another long and ugly fight between the former players—already brushed aside all too often—and the NFL as well as perhaps the NFLPA.

What about more recent veterans? The ones former quarterback and current analyst (and non-practicing lawyer) Steve Young says should sue the Saints for injuries incurred during the three years Williams had his bounties? (via NBC Sports)

Young feels there is a good case to be made, since the coaches and staff were the ones who instituted the bounties.

"

It’s institutionalized by the coaches, and it’s institutionalized to pay them for actually injuring somebody, Young said. The problem is that they institutionalized paying somebody for actually hurting them. To me that goes to the integrity of the game. The fact that they institutionalized it tells me that this is a big issue.

"

I'm no lawyer, but that makes some sense to me. Sure, a good defense attorney might argue that it's a violent game and people get hurt. You can't blame the Saints for all the injuries.

Then again, since the Saints were paying for injuries, how far a stretch is it for an equally good attorney for a plaintiff?

Forget for a second the utter disaster this would be for the Saints, both from a public relations standpoint and a financial one if they lost. The League itself would get quite the black eye for this.

On top of that, Fox Sports reported there were bounties from other teams. If those allegations are proven, and there was precedent, then how many franchises would find themselves in court?

That, is ultimately why everyone expects Commissioner Goodell to hammer the Saints and everyone else involved. They have to make an example of them if just to stem the tide of outrage and "protect the shield."

All of the above just makes me even more convinced that we will continue to see a very consistent flow of fines and penalties for launching at a "defenseless" player, late hits and helmet to helmet blows.

The NFL is very aware of the high public and media interest in player safety right now. They have to act to make sure the public knows how concerned they are with safety.

In fact, don't be shocked if the League uses this to bang the "look at us" drum loudly in the coming weeks.

If there's one thing we know, it's that the NFL has a penchant for taking lemons and turning them into lemonade.