NFL May Be a Violent Place, but "Kill Shot Bounties" Have No Place in Football

The idea that bounties are or should be acceptable because the NFL is a violent place is one of the most asinine concepts ever.

Since news broke about a bounty system that operated within the New Orleans Saints organization, lines have been drawn in the sand concerning what level of moral outrage sports fans should (or shouldn't) be experiencing. 

One of the most disconcerting notions is that the NFL is already a violent place and that we, as fans, should expect any level of violence that the NFL presents us. 

Even worse—considering the current backdrop of player safety concerns in the NFL—is the idea that NFL players "knew what they were getting into" when they signed on the dotted line of their first contract.

Injuries are part of the game, right? Shouldn't any player that steps on the NFL football field be prepared to be carted off of it?

Yes, but just because cars can hit people crossing the road, doesn't mean society would fail to prosecute anyone who swerved across the yellow line to hit a couple of pedestrians.

I mean, they're on the road right? Shouldn't they be prepared for a little vehicular homicide?

"Just Win, Baby!"

For the most part, I've noticed a pretty clear difference in how former players talk about this story.

Former quarterback Kurt Warner, who likely owes the end of his career to the bounty system, was characterized as "disappointed, not surprised" in comments he made to USA Today. Former lineman, LeCharles Bentley, added that there is "no need" for bounties.

On the other side of the fence, ESPN analyst and former defensive lineman, Marcellus Wiley, pointed out that bounties have always been a part of the NFL, saying that Goodell shouldn't punish anyone for this matter.

Perhaps the most prevalent voice to stand up for the bounty system is Matt Bowen, a former Washington Redskins safety and special teamer, who played under Gregg Williams. Bowen is a current contributor to both the National Football Post and the Chicago Tribune.

Bowen wrote: "[Bounties] might not be right or ethical, but if winning means crossing a line, you do it."

With all due respect to Mr. Bowen, I could not disagree more.

The irony of that "Just win, baby!" attitude, popularized by Al Davis, is that the attitude rarely leads to actual winning. Under Gregg Williams' defensive tutelage, the Redskins never won the NFC East and only won one playoff game in four years. On defense, the 'Skins were only top 10 in defense twice during that span.

Just like Al Davis, who kept the phrase alive long after the Oakland Raiders' winning days were over, the end can't justify the means when the end result is ineptitude.

The fact remains that Gregg Williams not only failed miserably as a head coach in Buffalo, but was never anything more than slightly above average as a defensive coordinator. Sure, Williams always seemed to have a job, but being decent at all costs isn't the same as winning at all costs.

Violence? Yes! Intent to Harm? Never!

In a culture that praises violence, we should've seen this coming.

As much as Roger Goodell, the NFLPA and the media talk about the importance of player safety, we all rise out of our seats just a little bit when someone gets truly jacked up.

It's a bit of a juxtaposition, but an honest one.

Is it not possible to look back and love watching Muhammad Ali during his heyday, taking shot after shot from George Foreman and Joe Frazier, and still cringe when we see Ali today—nearly crippled from the effects of his dangerous career. 

In the same way, we can celebrate the beauty of a player like Ray Lewis, who seems to treat every tackle as if it were game-saving moment, while also pointing out that James Harrison could aim his own kill shots just a little bit lower.

As fans, lines are drawn by us and for us all the time.

Brian Dawkins was the last true in-the-box, make-you-pay safety before the onslaught of the spread offenses created the need for more pass coverage in the defensive backfield. Dawkins hit every ball-carrier like a ton of bricks and sent more than a few receivers to the trainer's table.

Cortland Finnegan plays with the exact same demeanor as Dawkins did in his prime, yet Finnegan doesn't seem able to shut it off. After the whistle, Finnegan has just as many violent tendencies as during actual plays. That line separates Finnegan and Dawkins, regardless of how similar they may be.

The same can be said for former Tampa Bay Buccaneers lineman, Warren Sapp, and current Detroit Lions tackle, Ndamukong Suh. Both are tremendous athletes, but Sapp learned to channel his emotions over time. Suh has not yet gained that ability.

NFL fans have always drawn a clear line between aggressive and dirty—it's crazy to blur those lines now.

Williams' Bounty System May Be A Logical End, But Certainly Not the Desired Outcome

Since the goal is winning games and the opposing team's superstars seem to not be playing along, there is always a sigh of relief when an elite skill position player on the other team goes down. Sure, the players on the field take a knee when someone is seriously injured, but in the stands and at home, the fans thump their chest and hope it doesn't happen to someone in a jersey of their color.

Yet, for every player that stays down, hundreds more get back up and go back into the huddle. For years, that mettle was prized and true manliness meant playing through pain.

Then, Chris Henry died.

The wide receiver we all thought was a bonehead wasn't boneheaded at all. In fact, he was quite the opposite. Shot after shot on the football field led to Henry's brain not being hard at all. It was mushy and fully of little pockmarks from years of swelling and damage.

Doctors found the same thing when Dave Duerson was autopsied. Duerson always assumed brain damage was at the cause of his depression and it took suicide for him to prove it to the world.

It's a sad story, and one often repeated, like in the case of Andre Waters.

As one follower said on Twitter, violence may be an outcome of football, but it doesn't have to be the goal. If violence is the goal of football, the stories of Henry, Duerson, Waters and countless others prove that it should be shut down for good.

What Williams did was follow the culture of football to its logical end, but his logic wasn't couched by any sense of decorum or decency. Williams made violence the goal of his defenses rather than a byproduct. His system of bounties preached loud and clear that the best way to stop an offense wasn't to outwit them, but to put them in the hospital.

Looking back, it seems that this system of paying for "kill shots" was nothing more than a crutch leaned on by a man who realized that he wasn't smart enough to outduel opposing quarterbacks.

So, while Violence will always be a part of the NFL and injuries will always be a byproduct of it, Gregg Williams' particular brand of merciless intent to harm has no place anywhere near the game of football.

Michael Schottey is an NFL Associate Editor for Bleacher Report and an award-winning member of the Pro Football Writers of America. He has professionally covered both the Minnesota Vikings and the Detroit Lions, as well as NFL events like the scouting combine and the Senior Bowl. Follow him on Twitter.