…this is a bad day for the Saints.
This is going to be well covered elsewhere, short version:
- Coach Sean Payton is suspended for a year without pay.
- Gregg Williams, the former defensive coordinator who moved over to the Rams in the off-season, is out “indefinitely” without pay. Goodell will review Williams’ status at the end of the 2012 season
- General manager Mickey Loomis is out for the first eight games of the season without pay.
- Joe Vitt, assistant head coach, is out without pay for the first six games.
- The Saints will lose second round draft picks in 2012 and 2013.
- The team will be fined $500,000.
- “The Saints, individuals disciplined are expected to participate in efforts to develop programs that will instruct on:
— Respect for game and those who participate in it
— Principles of fair play, safety and sportsmanship
— Ensure bounties will not be part of football at any level. “
I may have more thoughts on this later.
Edited to add: Now that I have a little more time to write about this:
- I was expecting a larger team fine, something like $1 million. $500,000 is still twice what the Patriots were fined, though.
- A year on the bench for Payton seems right. Reports indicate that will cost him $8 million.
- If Payton gets a year, though, why does Loomis only get eight games? He disobeyed both the NFL and his owner: I think he’s more culpable than Payton, and should have gotten at least a year. (I called for a lifetime suspension initially. And I still do not think that was out of line.)
- Why second round picks? Why not first round? Or a first in 2012 and a second in 2013?
- I would have preferred an outright lifetime ban for Williams, but I think it is too early to complain about the “indefinite” suspension. For me, much depends on what the commissioner does with Williams at the end of the season.
