Goodell Slaps Suspensions Back On Four Present and Former Saints Players For Role In Bounty Scandal
On Tuesday, NFL Commission Roger Goodell upheld Will Smith and Jonathan Vilma’s suspensions and decreased the penalties for both Anthony Hargrove and Scott Fujita for their roles in the bounty scandal that rocked the New Orleans Saints.
Vilma, the Saints linebacker, will remain out of the game for the whole season and Smith, defensive end with the Saints, will stay out for four games. Fujita, who is now with Cleveland Browns, will miss just one game instead of the three initially imposed. Hargrove, who is a free agent defensive lineman, faces a two-game suspension once a team picks him up. He was initially hit with an eight game suspension, which was reduced to seven. However, he has served five of them already.
According to the NFL Players Association, it would look at its options after getting a closer look at the punishments handed down by the league. It said for six months the league has disregarded facts, abused the process that’s outlined in the collective bargaining agreement and have yet to substantiate the four players actually planned to cause injuries. According to the NFLPA, the only evidence is the NFL’s blatant disregard of fair due process, neutrality and transparency. The league refuses to admit its mistake, it said.
According to the NFL, the players violated Article 46 and were a part of a bounty pool that Gregg Williams, the Saints former defensive coordinator, had started. They were allegedly paid cash bonuses for hits that would injure players from the opposing team. The players said yes, there was a pool; but no, they did not mean to injure anybody.
Williams was also suspended but indefinitely. Sean Payton, the Saints head coach, is presently serving a one season suspension. Mickey Loomis, general manager, has an eight-game suspension and the assistant head coach Joe Vitt has a six-game suspension.
Goodell’s initial suspensions were overturned last month on appeal, which instantly reinstated the players’ admissibility for the 2012 football season. Due to the NFL’s labor agreement, an appeal panel was formed. The panel vacated the suspensions in the first week of the regular season, demanding Goodell show proof of the accusations.
Smith said he denied being involved with a pay-to-injure program and is frustrated with the commissioner’s continuous unilateral rulings and disregard of the facts.
Vilma said the news isn’t surprising to him because pride won’t let Goodell to admit he is wrong.
Every player can delay their latest suspensions with another appeal using their labor contract. They could also ask a New Orleans federal judge to look back at their earlier request for an injunction to stop the suspensions.
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