New Orleans Saints Bounty Suspensions: Take That, Bandwagon Fans!

It was supposed to be the day that all of Who Dat Nation feared. With coaches' suspensions being so severe, how bad were the players' suspensions going to be if they were found to be a part of the team's bounty program?

For months, it was thought that players such as Jonathan Vilma, Will Smith, Roman Harper and Malcolm Jenkins could be facing half- to full-season suspensions for their involvement. And, in the end, Vilma got hit hardest with a full season's suspension.

But Smith, the only other player from this current Saints squad to be suspended, was only handed a four-game ban.

Oh, I'm sorry. Was that just two from the current regime, including one that's already been "replaced" in free agency? Good call on the 27 or so players that were supposedly going to be punished as a part of this.

Ever since the news came out, the Saints bandwagon, that was packed to the brim just two short years ago, now contains only real members of the Who Dat Nation.

Now, I know it was trendy, America, to put the logo on and "Be a Saint," but you have to earn that right. This fanbase has gone through horrible lows with the team, on the field and off. If there is a team you don't want to count out, it's the team that currently has a chip the size of the Superdome itself on its shoulders.

Detractors and doubters will point to Sean Payton's absence, also suspended for a year, as what will be the team's real undoing. Why is that?

Coach Payton's leg injury last year might have been a blessing in disguise. When he went down, offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael, Jr. called the offense the rest of the way, and the Saints' only loss was a hiccup in St. Louis to current defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, who was the Rams head coach at the time.

His play-calling helped lead New Orleans to just about owning the entire NFL offensive record book.

Some would say that it wasn't Carmichael. It was all Brees, and he's still in a contract dispute.

Yes, you are right, detractors. The Saints have the best quarterback in the NFL, and his contract will be done before Memorial Day, but don't discount Carmichael or Brees in anything they do.

At this point in his career, Brees can afford to relax a bit in the offseason. He needs to stay 100 percent at the end of the season, not in the preseason.

You'll notice that I failed to mention anything about Will Smith missing games. That's because he has served a four-game suspension before, and could use this one to be better at the end of the season anyway.

All in all, New Orleans has lost its coach for the season, its best pass-rusher in Smith (for four games) and a whole bunch of fair-weather fans.

But it will never lose the true Who Dat Nation.

It will always have the Saints' back, especially when February comes and there's a "home" game in the Superdome for the Super Bowl.

At that point, I hope there is one sign hanging over the city, "Take That, Bandwagon Fans!"