Bountygate and the 3 Scandals That Threatened the Integrity of the Game

"Bountygate" as it has come to be known, seems somehow to strike a little deeper than many of the previous scandals the NFL has experienced.

The malicious intent inherent in the practices of former Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams is distasteful enough.

Yet it is also joined by what feels like a attack on true competition and the spirit of the game itself. Paying players cash to hurt fellow athletes disrespects the art of defensive football and threatens the game's integrity.

The league has seen many scandals involving individual players, some extremely distasteful. Yet those that directly tarnish the credibility of the game itself, seem to often strike a particular note. 

No fans want to believe that the game they love and respect is anything less than ultimately decent and genuine, even if reality consistently threatens this view.

With this in mind, here are the three scandals that have done the most to threaten the integrity and spirit of the game.

4. New York Giants Feigning Injuries Against the St. Louis Rams, 2011

As scandals go, accusations by the St. Louis Rams that the New York Giants faked injuries in a Week 2 Monday Night Football matchup, may be deemed mild. Indeed, the league found no ground to admonish the Giants.

However, at its core the incident still reveals a lack of respect for other professionals. Sadly, taking this kind of shortcut is all too prevalent in modern sports. It is the kind of tactic that is excused under the umbrella term of "gamesmanship."

Yet that is merely a semantic distinction. Exaggerating ailments and feigning injury may slow down a no-huddle offense, but when it used in place of heroic defensive effort or nuanced scheme, it cheapens competition.

When it becomes a widespread and accepted practice, this kind of deception breaks the bonds of trust and respect between players and fans. Spectators find it increasingly difficult to look positively on athletes who consistently engage in embellishment.

3. The 1963 Betting Scandal Involving Paul Hornung and Alex Karras

The league was rocked in the early sixties when two of its leading stars were implicated in a betting scandal. Pro Bowlers Paul Hornung and Alex Karras were punished for betting on the outcome of NFL games.

The pair were suspended for the entire 1963 season. They were reinstated a year layer by then commissioner Pete Rozelle.

The idea of players betting on the outcome of games makes fans of any game very uncomfortable. Legitimacy of competition is the No. 1 currency of any sport.

The fact that two of the NFL's most prominent and popular players could be engaged in the activity must've been particularly unnerving. Top echelon stars are afforded almost hero status by fans and if that trust is broken, belief in the finer values of the game often goes with it.

2. Spying Allegations Against the New England Patriots, 2007

"Spygate," as it became known, was one of the most disturbing attacks on the spirit of the game in recent memory.

Allegations, made in 2007, that the New England Patriots had been taping the defensive hand signals of opponents tainted the awesome success Bill Belichick had achieved. The Patriots were deemed as cheats in many circles and doubts were cast over the veracity of how they had managed to dominate the league.

The idea that any team has the advantage of advanced knowledge of what the opposition is going to do cheapens the war of minds that determines the great coaches from the mediocre. Anticipation and timing can hardly be credited if the play calling is based on certainty, rather than instinct.

The subtlety of the "Xs and Os" is something all fans enjoy. Yet how can coaches and players be justifiably praised for their design and execution of schemes if the process is a merely reaction to something a team knows is going to happen?

Spygate damaged the credibility not only of those who were accused. It threatened the integrity of the whole game planning process.

Bountygate Revelations Regarding the New Orleans Saints, 2012

The practice of now ex-Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams of offering fiscal incentives to "take out" opposing players is perhaps the most disturbing attack ever on the integrity of football.

Providing monetary reward for vicious hits demonstrates a contempt for the values the game is supposed to represent at its best.

The desire to play hard and the love of competition is what brings the best out of players. These are the qualities that inspire the kind of effort and great plays fans respond to.

To pay to hurt and to have to hurt to win takes away the worth inherent in that victory. What do division titles, Pro Bowl honors and championships mean when each play is limited to purely and only being a means to the next wad of cash?

One of the more difficult to aspects of Bountygate for an outsider to comprehend is how players could be willing to potentially end the career of a fellow athlete.

Offering fees to "take out" a player is more than saying a defense will be rewarded for hitting hard. It is a call to action to get a player off the field. Incapacitating a competitor threatens to take away that player's livelihood.

As many have been fond of pointing out since Bountygate hit the news, football is a highly physical, contact sport. That means every player risks potentially career and life-threatening injury every time they take the field.

That being the case, it is deeply disturbing to think of any group of players engaging in a process against fellow competitors, that only increases those risks.

For the Love of the Game

The spirit and legitimacy of competition are at the heart of everything good about the NFL. They are the basis for the displays of courage, determination and pure athleticism that make the NFL a joy to watch.

The issues at the root of the scandals on this list have done more to the threaten the game's integrity than any other. Personal scandals involving individual athletes have tarnished the image and reputation of the sport.

Yet whether or not fans choose to forgive, ignore or despise individual athletes based on particular transgressions, is a matter of individual choice. The underlying principles about how the playing of the game should be conducted and respected are more unifying principles.