Will The Saints Face Criminal Charges? Bruce’s Thought Of The Day

No this is not my suggestion nor my idea. This is one of many stupid comments and false indignation you will see fall out from this doozy of a story circling the New Orleans Saints.

In case you missed it the Saints are being investigated by the NFL for "running a bounty program". A bounty program is paying cash to players to be extra physical and rewarding hard hits, even sometimes cheap shots and after the whistle hits and if injuries result so be it.

Reports which are scrambled now as the information flows in say that former Saints Defensive Co-ordinator Gregg Williams ran the program and that head coach Sean Payton knew about it but never tried to stop it.

The headline is because as 1 weepy reporter asked will criminal charges be filed. How sickening is that? Newsflash this isn't anything new and this is rampant I am betting in Football as well as other sports.

However in the sissified world we live in which sadly is  moving into sports this is the kind of thinking and attitude that is pervasive.

As I commented on my program after the news broke get ready for the false outrage and indignation that is sure to follow. On my drive home in the 15 minutes the "indignation" was already starting. No not from fans but from the talking heads. On ESPN radio Linda Cohn whose work I really like made the dumb observation that this is akin to kids being given the right by the teacher to cut class. Wait get ready for more dumb analogies. It has just started.

Now if you are still with this column you will get the feeling that I am ok with hurting people and targeting people for injury. Not 1 bit! As I said never go for the head.EVER and never target knees with the intent to injure. However if you can drive a guy a little harder to the ground well so be it. If you have played contact sport this is common. Contact sport is about intimidation partly and I am fine with that. The weak go by the wayside.

I am betting this type of thing goes on in all sports that involve contact and some that involve limited contact. You don't think in car racing the drivers don't purposely try and "tap" a fellow driver? of course they do... In Baseball a pitcher will throw a good fastball at you if you are hogging the plate, and they should. Repeat NEVER the head! I know it happens in hockey and in hoop any coach will tell his team no easy buckets and if you foul foul hard. That's life in sports. Don't like it go dress up dolls or hang shades.

Toughness and intimidation are part of sport. Show me a soft team and I will show you a loser!

Back to the Saints. If reports are true Jonathan Vilma put up big cash for the players to go after Brett Favre and possibly Kurt Warner. In their Super Bowl run the Saints knocked Warner out and really blasted  Favre several times. Warner said on ESPN radio with Burns and Gambo in Phoenix that the hit that knocked him out was hard but not dirty and it was hard but not dirty by Bobby McCray. He hit him picture perfect and drove him to the ground like you are taught. The hit concussed Warner who returned briefly but then left the game. The Saints smashed the Cards and Warner later retired.

I lived in AZ for 18 years and watched and or followed the Cards for those 18 years, and Warner was going to retire regardless and that was well known. However the lazy reporter and the fake indignation probably won't mention that, better to make it that McCray ended Warner's career. 1000% false!

The headline sadly is the world we live in, soft and getting softer. Kids get medals for losing, score isn't kept so the losing kids aren't distressed, men having to play with woman etc etc etc. All part of the sissifying of America. Again so I am clear never target the head and never ever try to injure. If the NFL investigation can prove that was the intent I would expect those that caused it or promoted it should be punished. No not with criminal charges. That's absurd. Already lawyers are talking lawsuit. This is sadly part of the sissification. Lawyers are destroying this country as many prefer to litigate instead of work hard for their money even if said litigation is frivilous and absurd.

The before mentioned DC Williams has admitted his part and apologized for it. That won't be good enough. The Saints face suspensions, fines, and possible loss of draft picks. I would expect Commish Goodell who in my view is ruining the league to make a statement with this. He is facing a lot of heat as a result of concussions and lawsuits by former players  who claim they weren't made aware of possible serious injury by playing. I say bunk! I also say how many players with all the awareness now on concussions have walked away from the game? The answer is none. Players know it is a dangerous game and bad things can and do happen. NONE WALKED AWAY. NONE!

Prediction-Not only will we get phony indignation but Goodell is going to come down hard on the Saints. I mean HARD. He wants lawyers and the like to think he is serious.Yeah thats why he wanted to extend the season longer. Fake indignation folks. No one wants any player to get hurt unless you are just a fool but fans and players realize it is a dangerous occupation. That's why the players get paid big money, at least 1 reason why. They accept the risk and they get rewarded for it. Goodell is already making the game soft as I and many have chronicled. Defensive players almost have no chance. That's another story for another day.

This story is about the bogus outrage that will flow in the next few days. When it blows over guess what it will be business as usual. I even took a few phone calls from guys who played high school ball years ago and guess what-they claimed they were rewarded for blasting the opponent. Buddy Ryan ran a bounty program giving players cash to go after former Cowboys QB Troy Aikman. This isn't new folks so after the dust settles it will be back to normal.

My big question or 2 actually is this- 1) who was the rat or rats who blew the whistle on this and this is amazing to me apparently the league has written and documented proof of the Saints bounty program-who in their right mind would leave a paper trail of this????? if it were Williams who in my view is over rated anyway he shouldn't get a job again based simply on the fact that he is a damn fool and not bright. A paper trail. WHY????

Ok to recap. No targeted head shots should not go unpunished if that took place. Be ready for fake outrage and in a few weeks when it all goes a way cause we are an outrage for a few minutes society the boys will be back to their antics!