SO Glad We Did Not Get Jeff Fisher (Bounty Related)!

You are assuming how much the bounties were aren't you? Do we really know for sure how much was paid out, or is that just been a bunch of guesses?

 

I believe it was reported that Vilma put a $10k bounty on knocking Favre out of the game.

 

Same reason people play the squares game for the Super Bowl.

I mean why would they put bounties on INTs??? Is a player not going to try his hardest to get an INT without a bounty???

 

That makes no sense. Zero.

How in the hell does paying them for something they already do build camaraderie/engagement? What's next, a coach tells his players that whoever wears shoulderpads gets $2000?

 

So let me get this straight, bounties put on players heads is the same thing as...bingo?

 

Exactly. Its a game of chance strictly for entertainment value.

 

You tell me. Whats the point of a bounty for an INT??? The fact that bounties existed on things outside of knocking people out should tell you enough about this "bounty program".

 

Easy, the same reason players are paid for touchdowns and interceptions.

Players are going out to get interceptions. They are also paid bounties for interceptions.

Also that is much more proof

Oh yea, Marcellis Wiley(however you spell his name). When he was on special teams went out to hit a guy to knock him out of the game, and then his teammates told him if he did it again they would pay him $500. He wasn't able to collect.

 

Are you serious?

 

You could even take this a step further. How does Vilma benefit by paying someone $10k to knock Favre out of the game? Does the same benefit Vilma receives from that apply to other players???

 

Getting a monetary reward for an INT would not be a bounty, under the definition of the word that is most common.

IMO, just be using the word bounty to describe what they did, it infers the purpose wasn't for just hard hits, the bounty was paid for knocking opposing players out of the game by whatever means available.
The fact that Hargrove got fined for the hit that messed up Favre's ankle indicates he crossed the line from just physical football to the intent to add the extra needed to get Favre out of the game.

 

Wait. They aren't trying to further encourage the players to get an INT by making a bounty for one...right?

 

So they player doesn't want to get an INT without the bounty?

 

THey also use the word "War."

 

For INTs?

 

No. I don't think it had any effect. Certainly not for $2,000, and certainly not in an NFC championship game.

This really IMO is just a case of guys throwing out a few thousand dollars to look like big shots.

 

Yes, and Hargrove was wrong. But do you think he wouldn't have wanted Favre out of the NFCCG without a bounty in place?

 

The offering of a bounty put extra emphasis on it IMO. Williams, Vilma, et al, were openly discussing the desire to knock Favre out of the game, and along with the bounty comes bragging rights with his teammates. Without his illegal hit, there is a good chance a healthier Favre leads Minny to a win in that game.

We can discuss what is, was or wasn't, vis-à-vis the bounty system and as it was administered by Williams, till the cows come home. Since it is largely all a bunch of diverse opinions it is doubtful anyone's mind will be changed. The bottom line is what will Roger Goodell think about it.

 

This is really my entire point. The motivation was so great without the bounty (going to the Super Bowl), that I don't think the bounty had any real effect.

This is all true. And as I said before, I think the Saints should be punished. I just don't buy the argument that it created any more injuries or players being hurt. As it stands, the NFL has a huge lawsuit problem, and making it appear that the damage done to players' brains is done essentially by rogue players/coaches is just one piece of their litigation strategy.

 

As fans we really don't have access to the info, but I'm sure the league can reference how many players suffered injuries vs the Saints D that knocked them out of at least that game, if not longer, compared to players getting knocked out vs all the other team's Ds. If there is a noticeable disparity that shows since Williams was in NO that more players suffered game ending injuries against them than against any other defenses, that would indicate IMO that extra emphasis in causing injury was successfully being carried out by Williams' defense. It would not bode well for Williams anyway in Goodell's final decision.

 

Why wouldn't fans have access to that information?

 

Well we don't really know which teams have employed this type of system.

 

That part is true.

We do know the saints, bills and redskins did during the time of Greg Williams.

If we were to calculate the amount of injuries before his tenure, during his tenure and after his tenure then we will have at least an idea.

Of course only the redskins have gone on record as to stopping the program after Greg Williams left and we do not know if there was a program before.

So maybe MrClean is right, we don't have that information as fans.

 

There are just so many variables. Williams also could have been coaching different tackling technique that was likely to cause more injury. I think that has a much greater effect than any type of reward program.

 

That is a possiblity, however coaches rarely change in teaching technique.

 

Ok Mister, since you think we have access, find a list of the players knocked out of every game by injury by every team.

 

This list can be created by a fan.

 

Any volunteers? It would be a labor intensive Google search......

 

http://footballoutsiders.com/extra-points/2012/gregg-williams-penalty-record