Cameron Conaway thinks the New Orleans Saints’ paying for injuries to opponents raises some deep, unsettling questions.
From this article on CNN: “The New Orleans Saints’ defense had a bounty program that paid players for injuring opponents and for making interceptions and fumble recoveries, the National Football League said Friday.
The program involved as many as 27 defensive players, at least one assistant coach, and was active during the 2009, 2010 and 2011 seasons, said the league.”
Players were allegedly paid for knockouts and for “cart-offs,” when an opposing player had to be carried off the field. A team source tells Sports Illustrated’s Peter King that before the 2009 NFC Championship Game, Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma was offered $10,000 to take out Brett Favre. Brett’s response was, “I’m not pissed. It’s football. I don’t think anything less of those guys.”
This all leaves us with a host of questions including but not limited to:
(1) What is an appropriate penalty and will it in any way deter other teams from engaging in similar practices? The Patriots had already reaped the benefits of their well-publicized spying scandal and were penalized not only well after the fact and financially, but also with a first-round draft pick in order to “make up” for unfair advantages they may have garnered.
(2) How might this differ from other sports? The Ultimate Fighting Championship, for example, offers fighters a hefty “Knockout of the Night” bonus award to encourage exciting and brutal fights. Though the UFC is a sport, it is fighting and one way to win is through knockout. A game of football does not come to a conclusion after a knockout or when a player is carted off.
(3) When considering what these guys already make the payout money was insubstantial—$1,500 for a knockout and $1,000 for a cart-off—but packed with meaning. It was obviously an honor to win said award. Locker room high-fives all around. How much did this encourage players to enter the often-blurry line of legal vs. illegal play? To forge their energy forward at the last second or to go below the knees at an angle sure to cause injury? Impossible questions to answer, I suppose.
(4) Were any of the players outspoken against the majority? It seems that in football culture they would have been damn-near castrated if so.
(5) What to make of Favre’s response? He doesn’t think any less of the players.
Photo: AP
last i checked this is football if they dont want to get hit go play golf if you ask any of the players from long ago about this they would laugh if you call it dirty
Dear Dylon, You are right. It’s called “football.” If it were called “ACL tearing” then it’d be totally appropriate to have the causing of injuries at the forefront. As for the players of yesteryear – they are often valued for their toughness but I think at the core of this was their ability to keep playing despite injuries or exhaustion, to “suck it up” and to bust their ass. I don’t think their toughness was defined because they were actively seeking to cause as many human injuries as possible. I’d like to believe that they hit hard to invoke fear… Read more »
Sounds like compensating for a lack of talent on defense. If you’re the best in the game, you should be able to defeat the best when the best is in peak condition. If you can only defeat back-up quarterbacks, so you have to try to get rid of every starter, then you’re clearly not a very good defense.
This focus on injuring someone will backfire in so many cases that it’s likely to hurt your team as much as help it. I can see turnovers being called back because of roughing the passer, or someone going for a hard hit instead of wrapping up on a tackle, thus missing the tackle and allowing a game-winning play. We’ve also seen what can happen to a defensive player who tries to spear someone – do you get the same bonus if you paralyze yourself?
wellokaythen,
Great points here! The huge hits that cause injury often injure the player trying to dish them out (Polamalu and others). Plus, as you said, it’s often not the proper tackling mechanics and can lead to missed tackles. How many times have we also watched a player trying to strip the ball for a fumble only to totally blow the tackle? You’ve got me thinking!
~Cameron
(1) What is an appropriate penalty and will it in any way deter other teams from engaging in similar practices? Yes. There are grounds here to bring criminal charges. I believe there is an investigation underway and charges will be announced within 3-4 weeks. (2) How might this differ from other sports? This will have no impact on sports such as UFC where the agreed-upon intent is to harm. There is no conspiracy. Unlike football, participants all sign up to participate in a sport where the objective is to do harm. (3) How much did this encourage players to enter… Read more »
This is the modern day Roman circus. The intent of the game is to hurt people. The rules up to now are designed to keep people from being killed. Every team and player pushes the limits of the rules. If the rules are violated punishment is given out. Until the nature of NFL fans becomes more “civilized”, this will continue as the most popular American sport.
Dear PursuitAce,
I agree that every team pushes the limits of rules, but I don’t think this is the modern day Roman circus. The NFL is a violent game but it is not a game of violence. I think that’s an important distinction. We cheer for game-winning field goals…I don’t think that can be compared to six dogs against a bear or freak-show activities of torture.
~Cameron
OK. You don’t like my analogy. I don’t get your distinction. A bunch of guys running around giving themselves concussions is just a violent game and not a game of violence? The hits on the field have been described as low speed car accidents. I don’t need to tell you why players in good health, still take painkillers before the game starts. “For the pain we are about to receive (and watch) may we be truly thankful”. If the game were all a series of field goals no one would watch it…except maybe kickers. Denying the baser nature of humans… Read more »