Cutting NFL Bounties Won't Bring Back Favre or Manning

"What's ten grand to me? Ain't shit."

So said Randy Moss after his Green Bay mooning incident and fine. 

What is ten grand to Jonathan Vilma or Darren Sharper? Especially when whatever bounties are likely exceeded by fines.

The minimum NFL salary in 2011 was $375,000. Bounties might have monetary value to Miami kids, but to NFL players the benefit is all psychological. 

Ten grand is a cheap way to say that guys who lay big hits will get recognized by their peers and coaches. 

It's no different from a coach handing out a game ball or mentioning players' efforts to the media. 

If anything, the bounty story tells us that NFL players are vain. Anti-Kobe Bryants who need something extra to get them to play at their highest level every game.

Enforcing rules against bounties won't make football any safer. Coaches will just find other creative ways to motivate players by recognizing violent hits. 

Or by attacking players who don't make violent hits.

Bill Romanowski describes his violent play as stemming from something Ronnie Lott told him as a rookie.

Romo had not retaliated after being pushed in the back at the end of the play and during film review, Lott told him that if it ever happened again, he'd go after him himself. 

And in this copycat league, what works in one place to motivate will be picked up elsewhere.