Saints players: "We're being railroaded by the NFL."

[jonathanlambert33]

For the past several weeks, some Saints players have contacted me, saying those accused in the bounty case, as well as the team itself, have been treated unfairly by the media (including by me). They spoke on the condition their identities were protected, fearing retribution from the NFL (in fact, Saints players said repeatedly that it can't be overstated just how much people in that locker room right now fear the NFL).

Nonetheless, players expressed these concerns:

• Players say they have seen the discipline letters from the NFL to the Saints' Sean Payton, Gregg Williams, Joe Vitt and Mickey Loomis. They claim those letters don't simply state the allegations and the imposed punishment. They claim the letters tell the four men, in general terms, that if they stay mostly quiet, the league will let them back into the sport after a certain number of games. (The NFL denied this, but wouldn't address other claims by Saints players.)

Implied in that, Saints players say, is that if the coaches do talk, their suspensions could go longer. This is why Payton and especially Williams have said almost nothing.

• They say the banned assistant, Williams, didn't admit to a pay-to-injure scheme in his statement, that he didn't actually write the statement (the NFL did), and he agreed to whatever the NFL wanted so he could one day coach again.

• They say the players are being punished more because of Williams' ugly words caught on tape than any specific actions on the field related to bounties.

• The Saints believe they were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time in NFL history. Williams' vitriol, along with the NFL's desire to eradicate bounties and protect itself from lawsuits, meant the league was going to make examples of the Saints whether there was real proof or not, the players maintain.

"It's been well-documented that [Williams] had a similar pay-for-performance system at other places he's coached," said one player close to the investigation, "... so now players are being punished for just the dumb luck of being in New Orleans at a time when such a culture was present, and also at a time when the league needs to take a hard stance on such behavior for perception and liability reasons. There might be anecdotal evidence of a few players saying some over-the-top sh-- to mirror their coach. I've heard players threaten rape and sodomy in pregame speeches. Immature? Yes. But actually paying and accepting money to injure? Nope."

• They claim the NFL is manipulating what little evidence it has. Players point to how the league released a statement saying former Saints lineman Anthony Hargrove "submitted a signed declaration to the league that established not only the existence of the program at the Saints, but also that he knew about and participated in it."

Later, Hargrove's actual statement was leaked to the media, and Hargrove himself said the league "grossly mischaracterized" his words. Hargrove maintains he didn't actually confirm the existence of a bounty program but told the NFL Saints coaches instructed him to deny one existed. These are two different things, Saints players say, are an example of the NFL's duplicity.

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/story/19113436/some-saints-remain-fighting-mad-railroaded-by-nfl

 

[Elite]

Boo hoo, you engaged in shit against the rules and got punished for it. Stop making a big fucking deal about it

 

[jonathanlambert33]

Why wouldn't the NFL reportedly manipulating evidence and rewording people's statements be a big deal? Don't you think if the players were 100% responsible for what they've reportedly done they wouldn't be doing things like this, and suing the commish, etc.

Accusing the NFL of throwing away coaches statements and rewriting them to their liking, "grossly mischaracterizing" other players words, refusing to reveal any of the evidence to anyone including the NFLPA. The entire situation is shady.

But my question is, where does Benson stand on this? Something was fishy because after the league making these allegations, and noone gets fired? Benson would have brought the hammer to somebody. SOMEONE would have gotten fired. But he stood by them 100%. Shoot, he pretty much gave Loomis a promotion, expanding his duties to include the Hornets (and I am sure a pay increase).

 

[Elite]

Because the NFL has no reason to falsify any documents or anything like that

 

[jonathanlambert33]

Then why not release the evidence to the NFLPA? If the NFL and Goodell have so much evidence, enough evidence to suspend two men for a year each, suspend another man indefinetly, and suspend how many, five others (I think), for a number of games, why is the NFLPA saying they have still not received any evidence of this ever taking place?

and why are the two people who know what those documents say, saying the NFL did change words around to fit their case better? This is all fishy, but I wouldn't expect you to admit that.

 

[Elite]

mike freeman ‏@realfreemancbs
It's interesting how journalists who would never, ever release their sources are now asking the NFL to do the same.

 

[jonathanlambert33]

Lol, nobody is asking the NFL to reveal their sources, I could careless who the "sources" were.

 

[Elite]

Well if you don't know who said it, who are you going to verify with that they didn't manipulate the statements?

 

[jonathanlambert33]

Well if you don't know who said it, who are you going to verify with that they didn't manipulate the statements?

The actual people who wrote the statements, neither who are with the Saints any longer, and could potentially face backlash from the NFL for saying they manipulated the statements? What does Gregg Williams or Anthony Hargrove have to gain from lieing and saying their statements aren't true and were manipulated by the NFL? Why would either say the NFL manipulated their statements when they didnt?

It's really incredible how little you know about the subject, but seem to care so much.

 

[Elite]

I don't care at all about this, and I do know little to nothing about it because I haven't read any of the stupid conspiracy theories because they hold no merit.

The NFL has no reason to make all this shit up against the Saints and Saints fans, players, and people in the organization acting like the NFL is out to get them are fucking stupid.

 

[jonathanlambert33]

To take this one step further, after the NFLPA chose not to make a recommendation for punishment, the NFL took several weeks trying to determine a punishment for the players. No one could figure out why the league was taking SO LONG to suspend the players, if you remember, most thought it would occur prior to the draft and it did not.

And so I remember Rich Eisen asking Goodell about "when" the suspensions would finally come down. And Goodell said that the league was still "reviewing" evidence and collecting statements. Wait, you suspended the coaches AND denied their appeals but you were still looking at evidence DURING DRAFT WEEK?!?! Bullshit. Then to worsen matters, he goes out and hires Mary White in April. Why? Because once the NFLPA did not go along with Goodell's plan, he needed someone else who could make the league's case against the Saints appear legitimate. So he hires this former federal prosecutor as a last ditch effort to counter the NFLPA's decision not to just take Roger's word for it without showing them the actual evidence.