New Orleans Saints Bounty Scandal: Why Severe Suspensions Were Justified

The NFL came out on Wednesday and annihilated the New Orleans Saints and anyone involved with a bounty program that was covered up, because they simply had no other option. 

ESPN reported on Wednesday that the NFL had passed a sweeping blanket of fines and suspensions—among them, Saints head coach Sean Payton would miss a full year; current-Rams defensive coordinator Gregg Williams would be suspended indefinitely. 

Fans went from stunned to completely incensed that the league would destroy the Saints with what seemed to be a frivolous use of power. 

Roger Goodell became the biggest villain of the moment and the vitriol will only grow through a season of presumed futility from the Saints. 

New Orleans is not the only team to have ever run a bounty program, but they are the one that was caught. More importantly, they are the team and the group of staff, players and personnel that allegedly covered it up. 

Goodell released a statement along with the suspensions, via ESPN:

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We are all accountable and responsible for player health and safety and the integrity of the game. We will not tolerate conduct or a culture that undermines those priorities. No one is above the game or the rules that govern it.

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The NFL is beleaguered by concussions and the stigma of a sport that has tremendous health repercussions to those who commit their lives to it. 

This is no way to continue growing the league long term and Goodell understands the plight of head injuries and the like can only harm the league and the players that make up this great sport. 

This was more than a message to other teams thinking of continuing a bounty program or anything remotely resembling one. 

This was about punishing a team that took in the advice of the league and then ignored it. This left the NFL with no choice but to make it quite clear: This will not be tolerated. 

The same report goes on to state the following: 

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According to the league, Payton ignored instructions from the NFL and Saints ownership to make sure bounties weren't being paid. The league also chastised him for choosing to "falsely deny that the program existed," and for attempting to "encourage the false denials by instructing assistants to 'make sure our ducks are in a row.' "

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This does not all fall on Payton, as Williams and general manager Mickey Loomis were all aptly punished, but the head coach is the face and on-the-field leader of the organization. 

The Saints had been asked about the bounty program back in 2010 and played dumb. They brushed it under the carpet and continued on with life as usual. 

There is no way the NFL could come back with a slap on the wrist after such nonchalance amid some very real allegations. 

The league has made it perfectly clear that they are shifting the image of the NFL, and there is no way these suspensions should come as a surprise. 

They are severe and franchise altering, but they were simply necessary. 

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