Saints players off the hook for bountygate
By Mike Dyce
Coming from the Twitter account of Greg Aiello, spokesman for the NFL, is a statement seemingly from Paul Tagliabue regarding the Saints’ players implicated in the ongoing bounty gate scandal.
“Tagliabue affirms factual findings of Commissioner Goodell concludes Hargrove, Smith, Vilma “engaged in conduct detrimental” and vacates all player discipline,” Aiello tweets.
“Unlike Saints’ broad organizational misconduct, player appeals involve sharply focused issues of alleged individual player misconduct in several different aspects. My affirmation of Commissioner Goodell’s findings could certainly justify the issuance of fines. However, this entire case has been contaminated by the coaches and others in the Saints’ organization.”
“Having reviewed the testimony very carefully, including documentary evidence that is at the center of the conflict, and having assessed the credibility of the four central witnesses on these matters, I find there is more than enough evidence to support Commissioner Goodell’s findings that Mr. Vilma offered such a bounty (on Brett Favre).”
Basically to sum up Paul Tagliabue’s statement he says that there is no grounds on which to punish the Saints’ players even though it is clear that they did something wrong. And with that the suspensions of Jonathan Vilma, Will Smith, Scott Fujita, and Anthony Hargrove have been overturned.
He then issues the NFL’s response via twitter.
“We respect Mr. Tagliabue’s decision, which underscores the due process afforded players in NFL disciplinary matters. This matter has now been reviewed by Commissioner Goodell, two CBA grievance arbitrators, the CBA Appeals Panel, and Mr. Tag as Commissioner Goodell’s designated appeals officer. The decisions have made clear that the Saints operated a bounty program in violation of league rules for three years, that the program endangered player safety, and that the commissioner has the authority under the CBA to impose discipline for those actions as conduct detrimental to the league. Strong action was taken in this matter to protect player safety and ensure that bounties would be eliminated from football.”
It seems as if the players have won.