Somewhat sheepishly returning to the ol' pigskin...

[pmcd9]

Being in Minnesota and without internet service I was spared the wailing and gnashing of teeth on Facebook when the Texans lost.  Also, we took a break from sight seeing on Sunday and found ourselves in a dive bar watching the Packers vs. Giants.

In Minneapolis, as I discovered, the Packers are like the Cowboys are here.  The allegiance in the bar was split.  Half were rooting for the Packers because and the rest were, not exactly rooting for New York so much as rooting against the Packers. 

I watched about half of the game while Abby and Kendra drank beers and chatted.  That was a lot of fun.

[Nabubrush]

Bwahahahahahaha! Yeah,it is hard to pull for Eli Manning, but that was fuck*ng delicious. Also:

Giselle Bundchen tosses Welker, Hernandez under a nearby bus.

[Nabubrush]

The Saints get it right in the sack. Damn.

[pmcd9]

The Saints get it right in the sack. Damn.

No shit, that was rough, but they deserved it.

[jaydub]

They deserve it if someone can prove that no other teams have done it (tough, proving a negative).  Otherwise this is just ass-covering by the league. 

[Asherdan]

Right in the sack, indeed.

I betcha the twenty odd players, especially Vilma, are now officially shitting bricks.

I wonder how this is going to work out for the "ex-players' who snitched? They better hope their involvement remains a deep dark secret.

[pmcd9]

They deserve it if someone can prove that no other teams have done it (tough, proving a negative).  Otherwise this is just ass-covering by the league. 

If other teams have done this they should be punished harshly too. Why is this ass covering?  Do you think the league privately condones this behavior?  It seems to me that every season the league comes out with a new set of rules designed to better protect the players.  Given that, I would think the league is extremely upset by this.

[jaydub]

I believe they did it.  I believe other teams did it.  I believe it is very, very wrong and at the heart of a major problem in amateur and pro sports (lack of respect for oneself and ones opponents).  I believe it should be punished.  As an organization, I think the league is serious about player safety.  However, I think this particular sanctioning action is far out of proportion to the offense that Payton actually was party to, and its being done to "send a message".  That is, I believe, unfair to the Saints and their fans.  If hard nosed investigations of similar practices on other teams result in similar penalties, then fine - this is the first one of many to follow.  If the league hopes that the problem goes away, is making an example of this particular incident and ignores the probable truth that other teams are doing similar things, then the Saints are being penalized for getting caught - in which case the lesson isn't "don't do this" it is "don't get caught" and "don't rat out the program".

[pmcd9]

I'm glad the league has done this and I hope it does send a message.  I don't know what else the league can do in the absence of evidence. You can't punish a team for doing something if you can't prove they are doing it.  But if there are other teams out there doing what the Saints were doing, you can bet they are reconsidering it right now.

[Asherdan]

I think bounties are bullshit, really. They look from the outside like absolute walls of ass and need to not happen.

But they really don't matter to what happens on the field.

These guys are already full of incentive to make the absolute purest goddam kill shot every chance they get. It brings them fame on SportsCenter, praise and respect from their coaches and team mates. Being a guy who can make a play and "square a dude up" is how you go from the end of the roster to a dude making millions guaranteed.

You want to tell me that $1500 pocket money does shit?

It isn't about the slushfund pay outs or the bonus money. The pissant amount of money means jack diddly in this case.

What does matter, what really gets guys jacked up, is the chance to collect in front  of your coaches and team mates, to get the respect and recognition.

The 'hit bonus' pools aren't about the money. They're actually an exercise in motivation and team building.

Last thought: dudes are already going 100% out there (compare this years pro bowl to any regular season game) because if you don't, you are soooo gone. A little pocket money can't make a dude break the immutable laws of the math gods and give you 103%. Regardles of all those awesome athlete quotes where they imply it is possible to do so.

[jaydub]

I'm glad the league has done this and I hope it does send a message.  I don't know what else the league can do in the absence of evidence.

You can keep looking and not just hope the stink blows away with the next news cycle.

[pmcd9]

You can keep looking and not just hope the stink blows away with the next news cycle.

I really don't know where you're coming from with this.  Is there some measure that should be taken that is being purposefully overlooked?  Admittedly I am not following this story very closely.

[Nabubrush]

This has been one of the most enjoyable off-seasons I can remember, other than us losing V-Jax. Well, and overpaying to get Clipboard Jesus back.

[pmcd9]

So the Broncos dumped Tebow, huh?  God will not be pleased.

[Nabubrush]

So the Broncos dumped Tebow, huh?  God will not be pleased.

Yeah, if I were given the job of finding the best head coach for Tim Tebow . . .