There have been a lot of talks coming out of the city of New Orleans about “Bountygate” as recently their former Defensive Coordinator Gregg Williams just came out with an apology. He stated that
“I want to express my sincere regret and apology to the NFL, Mr. Benson, and the New Orleans Saints fans for my participation in the ‘pay for performance’ program while I was with the Saints. It was a terrible mistake, and we knew it was wrong while we were doing it. Instead of getting caught up in it, I should have stopped it. I take full responsibility for my role. I am truly sorry. I have learned a hard lesson and I guarantee that I will never participate in or allow this kind of activity to happen again.”
Williams and the New Orleans Saints players kept a pool for up to $50,000 the last three seasons to reward game-ending injuries on opposing players. A quote from a movie comes to mind when looking at this and it is “you know you messed up don’t you?” (Menace to Society).
He has taken the initiative to go ahead and apologize for what he has done but there isn’t any punishment that warrants that. Roger Goodell, the judge and jury as I like to call him, looks as if he will be making a decision on what the consequences are going to be.
Goodell has had to deal with serious issues before when he had to render a decision on the whole spygate ordeal with Bill Bellichick and the New England Patriots. The punishment was pretty severe because Bellichick had to pay 500,000, the team was fined 250,000 and they had to forfeit their first round draft pick in the 2008 draft. The thing that bothered me was that Goodell ordered that the tapes be destroyed leaving questions to be asked about the investigation.
It reminds me of a criminal committing a crime and his friend coming behind him cleaning it up for him and telling him now don’t you do that again all the while Bellichick was sitting there saying yes sir with 3 Super Bowl trophies in his lap. Goodell has some serious decisions to make with Gregg Williams because in actuality the players were given incentives to do their jobs and seems to have worked well winning a Super Bowl in 2009.
They played opportunistic defense that year being that they were in the top half of the league in forcing turnovers. Williams used money as a motivating tool to maximize his players’ abilities and the benefits were reaped like another particular coach in New England. Williams is now in St. Louis awaiting trial, I mean a decision from Goodell on what his punishment is going to be thinking I still got my ring. Goodell will do his due diligence to gather all the facts but he is going to have his broom ready and that billion dollar rug to sweep this Bountygate under.
Follow me on twitter @JarvisD_JMC90 and Facebook Jarvis Davis