Breaking New: Saints bounty suspensions have been Vacated.

[oldunclemark]

At the end of the day Goodell screwed it up by not releasing any real concrete evidence but insisting that he had some

At the end of the day...The Saints were guilty to all who read the evidence...

many fans simply wont..

[ColtsBlueFL]

At the end of the day Goodell screwed it up by not releasing any real concrete evidence but insisting that he had some

Maybe he's holding it because of an active defamation suit filed by Vilma. Makes them get the evidence via discovery, not CNN / ESPN.

Paul Tagliabue got it all, and says between 22-27 Saints defenders participated, but Not (in any serious degree) Scott Fujita.

Going to be hard for Vilma to win, he has to prove-

1. Someone made a statement;
   
2. that statement was published;
   
3. the statement caused you injury;
   
4. the statement was false; and
   
5. the statement did not fall into a privileged category.
   

Goodell already has a second party backing up what his original statement was. RE: #4. Only difference was Goodell wanted to suspend / fine a few of the alleged, whereas the seconding party does not.

[oldunclemark]

The comment and link weren't the same point.

The link was released today stating that they would go after "the next" qb which was Peyton. I posted that in response to your saying " They didn't go after Peyton in the super bowl. Wouldn't you think that would have been the case."

The fact that the nature of the bounty program needs spelled out every time it's brought up is why the notion that the Saints weren't doing anything is being propagated.

I'm sure the NFL is wrong as well, but there was indeed a bounty program. It's not my opinion.

Saints coaches swore on the record that there WAS a bounty programs as far back at 2010..

Tagliabue just commuted the sentences for the guilty

Tagliabue said the Saints were guilty as sin...he just blamed the coaches and not the players.

Read what he said

[ColtsBlueFL]

Saints coaches swore on the record that there WAS a bounty programs as far back at 2010..

At first, all the coached denied, through gritted teeth. Only later did they fess up.

Tagliabue just commuted the sentences for the guilty

True, but he also stated they participated in activity that was indeed conduct detrimental...

Tagliabue said the Saints were guilty as sin...he just blamed the coaches and not the players.

Nah, not really. He really does blame all, but only allows coaches/FO punishments. He eliminates player sentences, but doesn't condone their actions in doing so.

[southwest1]

OKay, if I'm way off base here just tell me.

 

Basically, Gregg Williams & Sean Payton admitted some level of guilt in either the participation in or turning a blind eye to the creation of a bounty system, but NFL Commissioner wasn't able to prove that players like Jonathan Vilma, Scott Fujita, & Anthony Hargrove directly put money in or took my out of the actual bounty ledger correct?

 

Is that the lay of the land in a nutshell? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ColtsBlueFL]

OKay, if I'm way off base here just tell me.

 

Basically, Gregg Williams & Sean Payton admitted some level of guilt in either the participation in or turning a blind eye to the creation of a bounty system, but NFL Commissioner wasn't able to prove that players like Jonathan Vilma, Scott Fujita, & Anthony Hargrove directly put money in or took my out of the actual bounty ledger correct?

 

Is that the lay of the land in a nutshell? 

 

How about adding in sponsoring it, and not ceasing it when the league found out and asked them stop? And destroying evidence about it so league couldn't tell if they had cleaned up their act or not?

 

And I am pretty certain they have some physical evidence, and evidence of other evidence being and/or having been destroyed.  That which remains has not been let out publicly AFAIK, but was reviewed by Paul Tagliabue.  He is the one saying that (remaining) evidence shows between 22 - 27 Saints defensive players could have been punished by Goodell.  I don't think any of us will see any of this evidence in the public domain, especially while Jonathan Vilma has an active defamation lawsuit in the court system.  And maybe ever.  They just want to wrap this up and it all to go away and not happen again.

 

And my take on it?  Possibly, if Goodell would have punished all 22 or so players their evidence shows participated, and with the same amount in fines / suspension days, Tagliabue may not have overturned those either and just let the courts handle it.  He pretty much said Yes, the players did it, it's definitely "conduct detrimental to the league".  But he feels Goodell's singling a few out and vast disparity in punishment was improper, and thus vacated those punishments.

 

And Tagliabue's rendering has also strengthened Goodell's position against Vilma's defamation case.