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21
Mar
2012
Goodell drops the hammer on Saints; suspends Sean Payton for 1 year
The NFL finally handed down its punishment for the Saints bounty program today, and it’s about as severe as you’d expect from a commissioner trying to clean up the league’s violent image. Head coach Sean Payton has been suspended for one year without pay, and former defensive coordinator Gregg Williams (now with the Rams) has been suspended indefinitely for their part in a system that gave out cash rewards to players for injuring opponents from 2009-2011.
Payton was reportedly "stunned" by the news (Photo: SBNation.com)
As if that weren’t enough bad news for New Orleans fans, the Saints were also fined $500,000, and will forfeit their 2nd round picks in 2012 and 2013. Furthermore, Saints general manager Mickey Loomis has been suspended for eight games, assistant head coach Joe Vitt has been suspended 6 games without pay, and individual player punishments are still forthcoming. All of the suspensions begin on April 1st except for Williams, whose suspension starts immediately.
You can read the complete release from the NFL here, but we’ll go ahead and highlight the most relevant sections:
“We are all accountable and responsible for player health and safety and the integrity of the game,” Commissioner Goodell said. “We will not tolerate conduct or a culture that undermines those priorities. No one is above the game or the rules that govern it. Respect for the game and the people who participate in it will not be compromised.”
20
Mar
2012
Colorado Dreamin’: A Broncos fan’s take on the Manning/Elway/Tebow Triangle
John Elway dangled a tasty carrot and the former Colt bit.
Peyton Manning, arguably the greatest free agent of all time, has chosen the Denver Broncos as team he will ride into the Hall of Fame. The Broncos will now be the hottest team in the league this offseason, and billions of eyeballs will be glued to Mile High Manning this autumn. Elway lured Manning by promising to build players around him, and by letting him run his own offense in Denver, which should easily make the Broncos the team to beat in the AFC West. And with a 5-year, $96 million dollar contract, it seems clear that the Broncos and their team of doctors believe Manning is healthy, ready to play, and capable of making a run at the Super Bowl for the next half-decade.
(Photo: DenverPost.com)
As a lifelong Broncos fan, I can’t help but be excited about adding an all-world player to the squad. Especially a cerebral quarterback like Manning who is one of smartest to ever play the position. But immediately after the shock of the ‘Manning to Denver’ news set in, many of us in Bronco Country asked the obvious question … what about Tim Tebow? What about last season? Timmy’s magical run, winning 7 of 8 games and leading the Broncos to a thrilling OT playoff win at home against the Steelers. Tebow’s 80 yard “Tebomb” to Demaryius Thomas was by far the most exciting play by any Bronco since Elway’s “helicopter” in Super Bowl XXXII. Every single Broncos fan enjoyed that season, whether they approved of Tebow or not, and Denver seemed to be headed towards next season with notable momentum. It was truly spectacular, and many fans thought we had something special.
But now – almost unthinkably after you grasp what he did last season – the Broncos will show Tebow the door and welcome 36-year-old Manning to the team. Some Broncos fans and all of Tebow’s faithful feel betrayed, but the fact of the matter is simple: John Elway was never sold on Tim Tebow. He didn’t draft him, didn’t want him as the future of the team, and frankly, he didn’t believe in him. The ironic part for Elway was that Tebow went out last season and made A LOT of other people a believer. Not just Broncos fans, but sports fans all over the planet (as we witnessed with Tebow-mania) were hailing Tebow as the savior of the franchise. But Elway still wouldn’t publically give him the loving security fans thought he had earned. Now it makes since why Elway never backed him, because deep down he knew that Tim wasn’t his guy. He didn’t want to commit. Yet Tebow’s surprising success meant Elway was stuck with him, at least for this upcoming season, if not more if Tim kept winning. There was nothing Elway could do but wait it out and see if Tebow succeeded or failed.
Lucky for Elway, the QB Gods work in strange ways, and they sent Manning into free agency this off season… and it didn’t take long for the Broncos VP to connect the dots. Manning is only QB on the market that Elway can immediately swap for Tebow without disgruntling the Denver fanbase. This is the only logical way Elway can divorce the Broncos from Tebow in a way that looks like he’s making the right move, the smart move. He is choosing proven over potential, and you can’t really argue with that. Tebow did wonderful things for the Broncos last year, but Elway saw a way to get rid of him without being the villain and jumped at the opportunity.
19
Mar
2012
All Colts grow up to be Broncos … Peyton picks Denver (PIC)
And there you have it. After several weeks of furious speculation, Peyton Manning has chosen the Denver Broncos as his next team, and is finalizing his contract - reported to be worth $95 million over 5 years – with the team as we speak.
(Photo: Panini America via NFL.com)
This of course means that Peyton-mania will quickly replace Tebow-mania in the Rocky Mountain state, and that John Elway has pulled off the coup of the century by figuring out the only way he could shed Tebow from his roster without sending Broncos fans everywhere into revolt. Word on the street is that Denver will shop Tebow around for trade offers, and hope to get something fair in return from someone like Jacksonville or Miami. And while the jury is still out on the status of Manning’s neck injury, the Broncos medical staff apparently saw enough progress to make it worth the risk.
The addition of Manning immediately makes Denver Super Bowl contenders, improves their already-stellar defense, and makes the Broncos more attractive to potential free agents. And in just a year and a half as VP of football operations, Elway has managed to reverse the mess left behind by Josh McDaniels and right the ship for the Broncos franchise. It’s quite impressive, really.
And yeah, we’re guessing Demaryius Thomas is probably a pretty happy camper right now.
14
Mar
2012
Calvin Johnson: No one man should have all that power … or money (VIDEO)
(Photo: NFLGridironGab.com)
The Detroit Lions just made Calvin Johnson the richest wide receiver in the NFL, signing him to an new eight-year contract worth up to $132 million, including $60 million guaranteed. It’s one of the biggest deals in league history, surpassing the contract Arizona gave Larry Fitzgerald last year (8-year, $120 million), and ensures fans in Detroit will have the Johnson-Stafford connection to look forward to for the foreseeable future.
In case you were wondering why the Lions were willing to break the bank for Johnson (and were curious why we chose the headline we did for this post), this Megatron highlight video should give you an idea:
VIDEO AFTER THE JUMP
11
Mar
2012
Redskins mortgage their future for RGIII
As Peyton Manning narrows his choices between Denver and Arizona, and the Jets elect to extend Mark Sanchez, the importance of having a franchise quarterback – and the difference between the haves and have-nots – is as apparent as ever in the NFL.
So on Friday, the Washington Redskins pulled off a trade that rocked the league, acquiring the #2 selection in April’s draft from the St. Louis Rams, so that they can choose Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III with the pick.
(Image: KissingSuzyKolber.com)
In order to move up just four spots in the draft, the Redskins gave up their first and second round picks in 2012, as well as their first round picks in 2013 AND 2014. It’s one of the more expensive trades in league history, and Washington GM Bruce Allen and owner Dan Snyder are clearly betting the house that Griffin is the guy to turn the franchise around. And the Rams have to be feeling good about stockpiling draft picks for the next three years, while still having the #6 pick in this year’s draft.
People everywhere are saying Washington overpaid, and it’s certainly easy to have that knee-jerk reaction, and point to Snyder’s historic foolishness as a reason the deal won’t work out for the ‘Skins. But Snyder likely had little to do with this move, with Allen and head coach Mike Shannahan driving the train after becoming enamored with the Baylor QB at the recent combine.
8
Mar
2012
Did Peyton Manning’s neck issues start with a Gregg Williams bounty back in 2006? (VIDEO)
Was this the moment that changed Manning's career forever?
The two biggest stories in the NFL right now are Peyton Manning’s release from the Colts, and the bounty system run by Defensive Coordinator Gregg Williams while with the Saints and Redskins before them. And now it seems that those two stories might intersect in a most interesting way, as former colts head coach Tony Dungy has suggested that Manning’s neck issues could be traced back to an injury sustained while facing a Williams-coached Redskins defense in 2006. And if that’s the case, Williams’ little bounty program will have made a far bigger impact across the league than anyone could have imagined.
On the play in question [VIDEO HERE and below], Manning was hit by Redskins defenders Andre Carter and Phillip Daniels in a high-low combo, with Daniels holding on to Peyton’s helmet all the way to the ground, thus twisting the QB’s neck and body into an extremely awkward position. Manning’s helmet eventually popped right off of his head, and he immediately showed signs of being injured, shaking his right arm ”as if trying to get the feeling back in it.” The Colts called a timeout and Manning was able to return on the next play without any immediate ill-effects, but many believe that this was the beginning of the nerve damage that led to four neck surgeries and his current free agent status.
“The guy wouldn’t let go of my head,” Manning said after the game of Daniels, who was fined $5,000 by the NFL for the hit. “I looked at my helmet to see if my head was in it.”
VIDEO OF MANNING’S INJURY AFTER THE JUMP
7
Mar
2012
Peyton Manning bids farewell to Indianapolis; let the bidding wars commence!
The final Indy Manningface (AP photo via SI.com)
Today marked the end of an era in Indianapolis as the Colts and owner Jim Irsay held an emotional press conference to officially announce the release of quarterback Peyton Manning, after 14 years with the team.
The move was an expected one, as the Colts came up on the deadline to pay Manning a $28 million dollar roster bonus that would have been due to him tomorrow, had the injured QB still been on the team’s roster. And with the status of Manning’s health uncertain, and the Colts holding the #1 pick in the upcoming draft – thereby ensuring that Andrew Luck could give them another franchise quarterback for the next 10+ years – it was the prudent business move by Irsay to turn the page on Manning. If he ends up coming back and leading a team to the Super Bowl, Irsay could end up looking like a fool, but given the information available right now, it’s really the only call he could make.
But that doesn’t make it any easier on any of the players involved, as evidenced by the genuine heartfelt emotion during today’s press conference. In it, Irsay announced that the Colts would retire Manning’s #18, and Peyton said that no matter where he ends up next, ”I’ll always be a Colt.” It was about as harmonious a divorce as you’ll see in today’s professional landscape, which is about what you’d expect from a Manning, and especially considering how mutually beneficial their relationship has always been.
And so now begins the Petyon Manning sweepstakes, which is all we’re going to hear about for the next few weeks. As he officially hits the free agent market, teams have already begun lining up to woo the 11x Pro Bowler to save their franchises. Teams like the Dolphins, Jets, Redskins and Cardinals have started building their best case to lure Manning to their cities, with others like the Broncos, Seahawks and 49ers hoping to emerge as dark horse candidates for Peyton’s services.
It should be fascinating to watch the bidding wars play out, especially considering it’s all for a 36-year-old with highly questionable health. I just hope there will be enough media coverage of the proceedings.
6
Mar
2012
Remember the 1989 “Bounty Bowl”? It seems things haven’t changed all that much in the NFL (VIDEO)
Mike Golic might have a unique perspective on all this bounty talk
Here’s a fun little trip down memory lane! Back in 1989, the Buddy Ryan-led Philadelphia Eagles played their rival Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving Day, in a nationally televised game that would forever come to be known as the “Bounty Bowl“.
In it, Ryan was accused by Dallas head coach Jimmy Johnson of placing a $200 bounty on kicker Luis Zendejas, and a $500 bounty on quarterback Troy Aikman. On the Cowboys’ only kickoff of the game, which Philadelphia won 27-0, Eagles linebacker Jesse Small sprinted straight at Zendejas (who had previously played for Ryan and the Eagles) in an obvious attempt to take him out. Zendejas dove to avoid the hit, but took a knee to the head resulting in a concussion, and setting off a firestorm of controversy.
Despite Johnson’s attempts to challenge Ryan to a fight in an alley, it was all fun and games in the media as Johnson made fun of Ryan’s “big, fat rear end”, who in turn deflected the controversy by making light of his own weight. Ryan also claimed that Zendejas was the one trying to injure Smalls, and wondered aloud “Why would we want to knock out that kicker? He wasn’t making any kicks at the time. We wanted him out there.”
On Monday, Mike Golic – who played for the Eagles in both games - said on ESPN that “there were bounties in that game”. But at the time, commissioner Paul Tagliabue turned the other cheek and exonerated Ryan of any wrongdoing - a claim that Ryan still clings to this day - and pretty much everyone got a big kick out the idea of bounties in football. Two weeks later, the league even promoted the re-match for ratings as “Bounty Bowl II”, which was marketed by CBS with wanted signs and became memorable for the snow/ice balls lobbed onto the field (and at announcers) by the Philadelphia fans.
BOUNTY BOWL VIDEO AFTER THE JUMP
2
Mar
2012
Jonathan Vilma put a $10,000 bounty on Brett Favre, and other Gregg Williams-related bounty news
I wonder what the bounty on Larry Johnson was for this game (Photo: one4theotherthumb.com)
Today, the NFL announced that the New Orleans Saints were engaged in a “pay-for-performance” system from 2009-2011, including bounty payments for injuries to opposing players.
According to a league memo, 22 to 27 Saints players participated in the program that was administered by defensive coordinator Gregg Williams (now with the St. Louis Rams), and with the knowledge of head coach Sean Payton. Apparently, during their recent championship run, the Saints had specific payments of $1,500 for “knockouts” and $1,000″ for “cart-offs”, with escalating payments for playoff games. Sometimes, the incentives for less violent plays like interceptions or touchdowns, but the bounties occasionally came with specific targets attached to them, like Kurt Warner and Brett Favre.
The other big name at the center of all this is linebacker Jonathan Vilma, who reportedly plunked $10,000 on a table prior to the 2009 NFC Championship game versus the Minnesota Vikings, saying “this goes to the guy who knocks out Brett Favre”.
And while it may not come as a surprise to many in the game that bounties like this still exist, this is going to be an absolute nightmare for the Saints, and particularly Williams, who reportedly ran a similar bounty program during his time the Redskins defensive coordinator, from 2004-2007. For his part, Williams issued a lame apology, that rings wildly hollow when you realize that Williams has been guilty of this practice for no less than seven years, and probably with every team he’s coache with in the league:
“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,” Williams said. “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.”
Yeah, good luck with that Gregg. It’s no secret around the league that Williams has had some questionable coaching tactics, and with the league’s increasing effort to decrease injuries in the game, this whole bounty thing isn’t exactly the look Roger Goodell was going for. Knowing Goodell, the hammer is going to come down on both the Saints and Williams, and we wouldn’t be surprised to see Williams suspended for a long time – if not banned from the game for life – to make an example out of him.
One thing’s for sure: this is an unqualified bombshell, on par with the Patriots’ Spygate, and could quickly turn into the story of the NFL’s off-season. Williams has been a coach in the league with no less than six teams over the last twenty years, so look for even more tales of similar pay-for-performance programs to emerge, indicting even more of the NFL’s Boba Fetts.
27
Feb
2012
Giants fans, re-live the 2012 Super Bowl run with these awesome highlight packages (VIDEO)
Jacquian Williams entered Giants history with this forced fumble (Image via Sportsgrid.com)
Earlier this year, we posted a tremendous NY Giants 2011 regular season highlight reel from Youtube user gocolts123456789100, that stood head and shoulders above the average fan-made video. And ever since the Giants wrapped up Super Bowl XLVI, we have been anxiously awaiting his follow-up installment, prior to posting any post-season wrap-up videos.
Well, the new highlight reel of the Giants Super Bowl run is up, and once again our man didn’t disappoint, with another superbly-edited piece, set to perfectly apropos background music – this time, “NY NY” by B.o.B. It’s a great way for Giants fans to re-live the emotion of the team’s improbable yet impressive run through the NFC playoffs, with emotional wins over the Falcons, 49ers and Packers, and ultimately defeating the Patriots to hoist the Lombardi trophy.
And if you’re looking for something more in-depth, we also found this remarkable, 44-minute highlight package covering the entire playoff run in chronological order (starting with the Week 15 victory over the Cowboys) and with painstaking detail, which we’ve embedded below as well.
VIDEOS AFTER THE JUMP
