Bountygate is really Lawsuitgate

I will say right from the start that the New Orleans Saints should be punished for bountygate, only because they were told to stop and didn’t. Now that I got that out of the way, I also think the punishment is way over the top and there is a reason for that. The NFL is trying to avoid future lawsuits by showing that it is an advocate for player safety and trying to look good for the current lawsuits against them.

Roger Goodell works for the owners not for the players. Therefore, he is going to punish people who aren’t owners with great severity. Many former players and current players have said that bounties have been going on for years. All of a sudden its a big deal? Yeah, because players are suing the NFL for not taking proper precautions against concussions and other head injuries.  Being an employee of the owners, Goodell needs to protect the owners money from these lawsuits.

Have you noticed that with all previous suspensions the crime and punishment are released swiftly and at the same time. Take the fines for coaches and teams in the past. If a coach rips the referees on Sunday, he is fined Monday and everyone is told why he was fined. Now, look how long this fining and suspending took. First, the NFL says the Saints are in trouble. Then, a couple weeks later the suspensions and fines are handed out to the owner and staff. We are still waiting on the players to receive fines and suspensions. I know there is the NFLPA to go through but, this could have all been done behind the scenes and release all at once, just like they normally do. Instead, Goodell is keeping it in the news as much as possible. The more publicity that is given to bountygate, the better the NFL looks.

I think think the whole thing is ridiculous. If the Saints are going to have players suspended, suspend them and let the Saints move on with their season. The NFL needs to stop going over the top to protect themselves and dragging this process out for their own self interest. The NFL should just do what it has to do and get on with the season.