New Orleans Saints' Super Bowl Victory Forever Tarnished by Bountygate

The 2009 NFL season brought fans one of the best feel-good stories in the history of football. A city devastated by Hurricane Katrina and home to one of the longest-suffering fan bases ever watched in awe as Drew Brees, Sean Payton and Gregg Williams brought home the Lombardi Trophy in one of the best storybook endings ever.

Or so the world thought.

The NFL announced Friday that the New Orleans Saints ran a program to pay players a "bounty" for injuring opponents over the last three years. Administered by Williams during his tenure in New Orleans, the Saints put out a price for knocking players unconscious or causing them to be "carted" off the field.

Make no mistake:  the people hurt most by this are the players targeted by New Orleans' defense. The investigation started after the Saints defense was accused of trying to injure Kurt Warner and Brett Favre in 2009. In an era where awareness of the long-term health risks of football is at an all-time high, this type of action isn't just irresponsible. It's vicious and inexcusable.

But that's also what makes it hurt Saints fans all the more. After the horror that struck New Orleans in the days that followed 2005's devastation, the city didn't just need to rebuild buildings and streets. It needed to rebuild its soul. Winning the Super Bowl gave New Orleans renewed life when it needed it most.

Today's announcement took a bit of that away. Sure, the NFL won't strike the Saints' name from the record books. New Orleans won't return its Lombardi Trophy like Reggie Bush did with his Heisman. No one will place an asterisk next to New Orleans' 31-17 victory over the Indianapolis Colts.

But when people talk about that 2009 season now, this will always be a part of it. Just like Barry Bonds' home run record, or New England's Super Bowl wins, the Saints victory will always carry the stigma of being won outside the rules and spirit of the game.