Sean Payton's Suspension Appeal: Ruling on Saints Coach Could Come Friday

Members of the New Orleans Saints who have appealed their suspensions could find out their fates as early as today,—Friday, April 6—according to Nakia Hogan of The Times-Picayune.

Coach Sean Payton, GM Mickey Loomis and assistant coach Joe Vitt all met separately with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell on Thursday to discuss their punishment for alleged involvement in the "bounty program" scandal that rocked the organization.

The quick ruling would be in line with what Goodell promised last week, when he stated that, "If [coach Payton] decides to appeal, I probably will allow him to continue [coaching], and I would expedite the hearing, and I would expedite my decision."

However, the swift judgment could also backfire and prove that the appeal process is little more than a farce if the suspensions aren't reduced. Detractors of the commissioner and league office would easily be able to say the Saints weren't given a fair shake and a proper investigation was not conducted.

The one thing that Goodell has on his side is the damning audiotape of Gregg Williams telling his Saints defenders to blatantly injure San Francisco 49ers players and attack weak parts of their bodies. That has rallied support around the punishments and proven to the public just how gruesome the program could be at times.

If the league office decides to quickly uphold the suspensions in light of the tapes being released, it would make sense from a public relations standpoint. It also would be tough for supporters of Payton, Loomis and Vitt to get their voices heard over Williams' creepy calls to tear ACLs and attack opposing players' heads.