Originally posted by SundayTicket:
Originally posted by 49ersalldaway126:
Originally posted by sfout:
The NFL says it has fined Bill Belichick the NFL maximum of $500,000, the Patriots $250,000 and ordered the team to give up next year's first-round draft choice (if it reaches the playoffs) because New England spied on the Jets defensive signals. If the Patriots don't make the playoffs they have to give up second- and third-round picks in April. Read more: http://www.fannation.com/si_blogs/staff/posts/2310-the-patriots-penalty-for-spy-gate#ixzz1o0FEvTMG
There is talk that Williams and Payton could be suspended for a large chunk of the season, if not barred for an entire year, both of them will be fined the maximum allowable amount, a similar punishment will be handed to GM Mickey Loomis and their was even more talking head chatter that they could lose the ability to franchise tag a player so X amount of years, plus multiple draft picks(I'd argue every 1st, 2nd, 3rd round choice for the next 3 years. Same duration as the violation). This will be the NFL equivalent of the Death Penalty, especially with the overemphasis on head injuries and overall player safety. Don Banks on SI said that if this was the NCAA the saints would lose their super bowl title as well.
dont we play the saints next year?
lets hope its early in the season
screw the saints, serves them right. they win 1 superbowl and they think they are the hottest sh*t ever.
Oh this entire punishment will crush their 2012 season and probably have far reaching effects into the next 2 or 3. This will be front page news, lawsuits and legal issues galore.
Originally posted by smithc28:
Sweet we've probably just jumped up a pick or two in the draft. BOOM it's all coming up Niners
In all seriousness it makes you wonder what will happen to that pick they traded to the Patriots, will the Patriots be compensated for it? Maybe receive an other future 1st or 2nd rounder since they traded one away so the saints could get Mark Ingram. This is going to get really complex but whatever happens the Saints will be obliterated by the punishment. The NFL will have to make an example of them, purely from a PR standpoint(over emphasis on player safety) let alone the fact that they were violating massive amounts of league rules with this program.
EDIT:
Not surprisingly the Twitterverse is showing us that many players are saying it is just a violent sport and people need to remember that (They are ignoring the CBA violations and legal ramifications of a violation in this nature OR possibly deflecting attention because their own team runs a bounty program and dont necessarily feel bad about the issue).
On the opposite end of the spectrum other players are condemning the "malicious nature" of the program while acknowledging the physicality of the sport.
[ Edited by sfout on Mar 2, 2012 at 3:14 PM ]
