Politics Enters "The Bounty Program"

[The Cobra]

Cobra......Well you had to know that some loud mouth, attention seeking politician would soon ante up his views on the New Orleans Saints newsmaking mess. I just hate it beyond words when these guys get on their soapbox and start spewing forth their garbage tainted towards those that they think will get them votes. Few of them know the difference between a hockey puck and a basketball to begin with....but every one of them knows exactly what a microphone looks like. Just what have any of their "panels" actually done re the baseball scandals etc etc...NOTHING!!

POLITICIANS.... STAY OUT OF SPORTS !!!!!


as per TSN

WASHINGTON -- Sen. Dick Durbin is setting up a Judiciary Committee hearing about bounties in the NFL and other major sports in the wake of news that New Orleans Saints players received extra cash for hits that hurt particular opponents.

The assistant Senate majority leader, an Illinois Democrat, says he wants to examine whether federal law should make such bounty systems a crime.

Durbin's announcement Thursday comes a day after the NFL took a harsh stand on bounties, suspending Saints head coach Sean Payton for all of next season, and indefinitely banning their former defensive co-ordinator, Gregg Williams.

Durbin calls the Saints' bounties a "disturbing practice." He plans to ask representatives of the NFL, Major League Baseball, NBA, NHL and NCAA to testify at the hearing.

[TLG]

Cobra......Well you had to know that some loud mouth, attention seeking politician would soon ante up his views on the New Orleans Saints newsmaking mess. I just hate it beyond words when these guys get on their soapbox and start spewing forth their garbage tainted towards those that they think will get them votes. Few of them know the difference between a hockey puck and a basketball to begin with....but every one of them knows exactly what a microphone looks like. Just what have any of their "panels" actually done re the baseball scandals etc etc...NOTHING!!

POLITICIANS.... STAY OUT OF SPORTS !!!!!


here hear !!! Let me be the first to second that !!!!!!
well said Cobra ,, I couldn't have said it better myself

[The Cobra]

Well terisagirl it took this clown Durbin all of 1 day to set this all up.....notice the "assistant" State Prosecutor next to his name...do you think he has any political aspirations or hidden motives in pursing his agenda? And he`ll do it all with tax payer money too! I got $100 says he doesn`t know if Rawlings or Wilson makes NFL footballs nor would he know the difference between a clip and an offside.

TSN

WASHINGTON -- The Senate wants to grill the NFL about bounties. And the NBA, NHL, NCAA and Major League Baseball are invited, too.

Sen. Dick Durbin is setting up a Judiciary Committee hearing about bounties in professional football and other major sports in the wake of news that New Orleans Saints players received extra cash for hits that hurt particular opponents.

The assistant Senate majority leader, an Illinois Democrat, said Thursday he wants to examine whether federal law should make such bounty systems a crime.

"Let's be real basic about it here. If this activity were taking place off of a sporting field, away from a court, nobody would have a second thought (about whether it's wrong). 'You mean, someone paid you to go out and hurt someone?"' Durbin said in a telephone interview before raising the issue on the floor of the Senate.

"It goes way beyond the rules of any sporting contest, at least team contest, to intentionally inflict harm on another person for a financial reward," he said.

His announcement came a day after the NFL took a harsh stand on bounties, suspending Saints head coach Sean Payton for all of next season, and indefinitely banning their former defensive co-ordinator, Gregg Williams. Saints general manager Mickey Loomis was barred for half of 2012, an assistant coach got a six-game ban, and the team also was docked two second-round draft picks and $500,000.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell still needs to decide what penalties to give players who were involved in the Saints' scheme from 2009-11.

"I am encouraged by what the National Football League did. What they came down with as a penalty on the New Orleans Saints was decisive and historic," Durbin said, adding that he thought the league was "taking this very seriously."

But moving forward, the NFL and other leagues must "come up with standards to make sure this isn't going to happen again," he said. Otherwise, lawmakers will need to "at least explore whether it is necessary to have federal legislation in this area."

One possibility, Durbin explained, would be to extend federal sports bribery laws to cover bounties, so that "if someone offers in a team sports situation some sort of value, money or otherwise, to intentionally hurt another player, that, in fact, would be a crime."

In an email to the AP, NFL spokesman Greg Aiello wrote: "Commissioner Goodell has taken strong action to ensure that bounties are eliminated from the NFL. We have not heard from Senator Durbin but would be pleased to discuss the matter with him."

Under the bounty system overseen in New Orleans by Williams -- who was hired in January by the St. Louis Rams -- the targeted players included quarterbacks Aaron Rodgers, Cam Newton, Brett Favre and Kurt Warner. "Knockouts" were worth $1,500 and "cart-offs" $1,000, with payments doubled or tripled for the playoffs.

According to the league, Saints defensive captain Jonathan Vilma offered $10,000 to any player who knocked then-Vikings QB Favre out of the 2010 NFC championship game.

Durbin isn't sure when the hearing will happen, but he said it could be two to three weeks from now.

[rokko]

these guys have no idea whats goin on in this country--this guys a publicity hound

[The Cobra]

these guys have no idea whats goin on in this country--this guys a publicity hound

That little title and them colors look good on you rokko.

[The Cobra]

Now he`s invited MLB and the NHL into the fray...better watch out...this guy will make it an assault to shoot a frozen piece of rubber 100 MPH at another guy.

[TLG]

Roger Goodell may have opened a can of worms .. now every questionable hit may be viewed as an intent to injure ?
Video replay would have to be used to establish intent .. an enforcer of punishment may have to be appointed to deal
with every hit that opposing teams send in for review .. penalties may be stiff ,, and players may ease up on a hit ..
as a game ,,, football may be changed as we know it .

Sounds like hitting in Hockey ... (shots to the head)

as far as politicians sticking thier heads in sports .. my comment to that is ,, does anyone remember which politicians
ran the baseball steroid which hunt ? I don't and who cares !! it will be a short lived escapade for some publicity seeking
vote seeking public official ,,, just another (ambulance chasing) loser

[rokko]

That little title and them colors look good on you rokko.thanks for your support cobra-man

[The Cobra]

Roger Goodell may have opened a can of worms .. now every questionable hit may be viewed as an intent to injure ?
Video replay would have to be used to establish intent .. an enforcer of punishment may have to be appointed to deal
with every hit that opposing teams send in for review .. penalties may be stiff ,, and players may ease up on a hit ..
as a game ,,, football may be changed as we know it .

Sounds like hitting in Hockey ... (shots to the head)

as far as politicians sticking thier heads in sports .. my comment to that is ,, does anyone remember which politicians
ran the baseball steroid which hunt ? I don't and who cares !! it will be a short lived escapade for some publicity seeking
vote seeking public official ,,, just another (ambulance chasing) loser


As far as Goodell goes he really didn`t have a choice in the matter once it hit the public forums. The thing that at least gives a little comfort to the Saints staff and players is that NO WHERE is there any mention of illegal hits to accomplish their bounty. It shouldn`t effect football in the least..it`s the "bounty program" that is being investigated not the severity or number of hit on a given player. HOWEVER...we must remember this is not a court of law, this is a Senate investigation so these pompous jackasses on the panel can and will take the proceedings anywhere they want.
Nobody remembers the Senators doing the witch hunt in MLB....they accomplished one big fat 0 as far as MLB was concerned....their only indictments were challenging the ones who lied to the Grand Jury. If no one had lied and admitted steroid use there was no inquiry. But look at all the harm they did to the personal lives of those involved...let`s remember steriods/HGH were NOT illegal in MLB at the time.
So all these guys proved at the cost of millions of dollars to the taxpayer was that certain people were liars and others tried to protect them....none of which was punishable nor a crime. These Senators waltz away with a little publicity, a few votes, a paycheck while they left some very deserved great athletes trying to salvage their tarnished reputations.

[Condor]

Also one of my favorite teams.. They did them wrong..Really wrong... Anyone remember what punishment they gave Bellecheck or whatever his name is??????????...Nothing.........

[The Cobra]

Also one of my favorite teams.. They did them wrong..Really wrong... Anyone remember what punishment they gave Bellecheck or whatever his name is??????????...Nothing.........

Yup......the only crime committed was that they got caught re their stupidity.

[TLG]

The Saints are one of my favorite teams as well
plus a feel good story rising from the fall of Katrina !!
This is surely going to hit the New Orleans fans like another Hurricane

I wonder if the act of transfrering money was actually proven through paper trail?
or was this a case of a snitch and a confession ? because unless there was an
investigation and proven to be as reported ,, maybe the Saints can retract their
confession and appeal the findings and penalties ... (innocent until proven guilty)

but ,, Ohhh , if it were that easy ,,

h**p://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7402847n

[The Cobra]

The Saints are one of my favorite teams as well
plus a feel good story rising from the fall of Katrina !!
This is surely going to hit the New Orleans fans like another Hurricane

I wonder if the act of transfrering money was actually proven through paper trail?
or was this a case of a snitch and a confession ? because unless there was an
investigation and proven to be as reported ,, maybe the Saints can retract their
confession and appeal the findings and penalties ... (innocent until proven guilty)

but ,, Ohhh , if it were that easy ,,

h**p://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7402847n

It`s never "that easy" LMAO....these dummies left a paper trail all right...to and fro e-mails etc. They haven`t named names yet but they will...this mess is far from over because like I mentioned when these blowhard senators get their turn on the microphone they will philibuster their way to self proclaimed 15 mins of fame. Once again...let`s remind ourselves...this won`t be a court of law, it`ll be an investigative panel that can pretty much go where it wants regardless of the issue at hand. More often than not each senator will invent his own issue around the proceedings. It`ll end up like terisagirl mentioned re MLB...a witch hunt.