NFL 2011

[Thanas]

Come, my friends. Drink in the sweet milk of his shame.

"You let me down ref."
"Sorry, I couldn't help you cheat anymore in Manningtown".


This makes the miss by Cundiff a lot easier to acccept.

[Darth Fanboy]

What you don't see is when BRady reaches out to accept the ref's hand he pulls it away and says "psych!"

[Thanas]

Great.

Steelers hire Todd Hailey - a competent OC. We keep Cam Cameron, who almost certainly is a double agent for the steelers. After our offence underperformed again - Cam never got us into the top 10 of all offences, but of course we keep him. Because after all, more regression for Flacco and forcing him to work with somebody he hates is just what we need.

And our good backup Ricky Williams just retired.

ARGH.

[Darth Fanboy]

Sixburgh baby.

[Thanas]

Sweep, baby.

[Darth Fanboy]

Sweep, baby.

Do you get a ring for that? The last time the Steelers swept the Ravens they ended up getting these cool rings.

[Havok]

Dude, Fanboy, Thanas is going to start a Fourth Reich just to cleanse the world of you and me if we don't stop fucking with him.

[Havok]

After watching the Superbowl and watching the Patriots play and their gameplan, I have no doubt SF would have walked away with #6.

I would have also paid money to watch the 49ers defense beat Brady the way they beat Manning in SF. Getting pounded into Indy's field turf would be nothing like getting pounded into the mush turf in SF. Brady wouldn't have finished the game.

[Terralthra]

Man, if most Steelers fans are like Darth Fanboy, it's no wonder Havok hates 'em all.

[Darth Fanboy]

Dude, Fanboy, Thanas is going to start a Fourth Reich just to cleanse the world of you and me if we don't stop fucking with him.

You get one Reich for every championship you win, at this rate Thanas won't get to a fourth reich until he is thousands of
years old.

After watching the Superbowl and watching the Patriots play and their gameplan, I have no doubt SF would have walked away with #6.

I wish that would have happened so that "Sixburgh" and "San Fransixco" could be our default response to any and all Joe Flacco comments ever.

[Havok]

Man, if most Steelers fans are like Darth Fanboy, it's no wonder Havok hates 'em all.

Oh gawd... they are so much fucking worse... so much worse.

[Havok]

Dude, Fanboy, Thanas is going to start a Fourth Reich just to cleanse the world of you and me if we don't stop fucking with him.

You get one Reich for every championship you win, at this rate Thanas won't get to a fourth reich until he is thousands of
years old.

After watching the Superbowl and watching the Patriots play and their gameplan, I have no doubt SF would have walked away with #6.

I wish that would have happened so that "Sixburgh" and "San Fransixco" could be our default response to any and all Joe Flacco comments ever.

Well we are still San Fivecisco.

We are also the only team to get there more than once that has never lost. 1.000%

[Darth Fanboy]

Oh trust me I do know that, I grew up a Montana fan and he is still my all time favorite player, and even though the Super Bowl against the Chargers was fun I never really "forgave" the Niners for making that switch (as a child I was not as understanding you see of the business decisions).

[Sephirius]

Come, my friends. Drink in the sweet milk of his shame.

Oh hey this is now a thing:

http://bradying.com/

[The Spartan]

Oh god... why did you have to remind us?

[Darth Fanboy]

Look just because David Carr-ing never caught on doesn't mean you have to be bitter about it.

(That's where you go to a random place and get buried under three or four defensive linemen)

[Thanas]

SCREW YOU, SAINTS. WHAT A TEAM OF SCUMBAGS YOU ARE.

After a lengthy investigation conducted by the NFL's security department, the league announced Friday that 22 to 27 defensive players on the New Orleans Saints maintained a "pay for performance" program that included "bounty" payments administered by then-defensive coordinator Gregg Williams during the 2009, 2010 and 2011 seasons.

The program runs in violation of league rules, and the investigation showed that Saints players received $1,500 for a "knockout" hit and $1,000 for a "cart-off" hit with payouts doubling or tripling during the team's three playoff appearances.

A memo sent to clubs throughout the league included a statement on how Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma put up $10,000 cash as a bounty before a playoff game, a source familiar with the memo told NFL Network insider Jason La Canfora.

The memo also said Mike Ornstein, a noted marketing agent who has close ties to Saints head coach Sean Payton and has worked with him on projects in the past, put up money as a bounty at least twice.

The program also entailed payments for interceptions and fumble recoveries, which also violates league rules against non-contract bonuses. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell will determine the appropriate discipline based on the investigation, the league said in a statement.

"The payments here are particularly troubling because they involved not just payments for 'performance,' but also for injuring opposing players," Goodell said in a statement released by the league. "The bounty rule promotes two key elements of NFL football: player safety and competitive integrity.

"It is our responsibility to protect player safety and the integrity of our game, and this type of conduct will not be tolerated. We have made significant progress in changing the culture with respect to player safety and we are not going to relent. We have more work to do and we will do it."

Goodell said the investigation began in 2010 after allegations were made that the Saints defenders had targeted Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner and Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre during New Orleans' 2009 run to the Super Bowl.

"Our security department interviewed numerous players and other individuals," Goodell said. "At the time, those interviewed denied that any such program existed and the player that made the allegation retracted his earlier assertions. As a result, the allegations could not be proven. We recently received significant and credible new information and the investigation was re-opened during the latter part of the 2011 season."

The investigation found the program was funded primarily by players and at one time might have reached $50,000. The league also said that other defensive coaches in addition to Williams, now the St. Louis Rams defensive coordinator, were aware of the program.

"I want to express my sincere regret and apology to the NFL, (Saints owner Tom) Benson, and the New Orleans Saints fans for my participation in the 'pay for performance' program while I was with the Saints," Williams said in a statement released by the Rams. "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."

The report found that Payton was aware of the allegations but did not make any inquires and failed to stop the program. The league also said that general manager Mickey Loomis at one time was directed to end the program once Benson was made aware of the league's findings, but he did not carry out Benson's directions.

The memo released to NFL teams also found Loomis and Peyton guilty of "conduct detrimental" to the league, La Canfora reported.

"I have been made aware of the NFL's findings relative to the 'Bounty Rule' and how it relates to our club," Benson said in a statement. "I have offered and the NFL has received our full cooperation in their investigation. While the findings may be troubling, we look forward to putting this behind us and winning more championships in the future for our fans."

The NFL Players Association released a statement in which it promised to look into the NFL's allegations.

"Health and safety is a paramount issue to the NFLPA," the statement said. "The NFLPA was informed of this investigation by the NFL earlier today and will review the information contained in the league's report."

The Saints have gained a reputation in league circles as a dirty team in recent years, and Vikings running back Adrian Peterson said this past season that the Saints targeted his high left ankle sprain.

"I felt like it kind of got overboard," Peterson said at the time. "I got up and kind of got in his face. Thank God I was able to keep my composure."

So:
- Bounty program in place
- Head coach Payton knew about it, did nothing
- Management knew about it, failed to stop it, did nothing further


I hope it costs them several 1st rounders and a hefty fine at the least.

It also explains this.

[Elfdart]

According to the Washington Post, Williams did the same thing when he was with the Redskins.

I'm not surprised he's back with his old buddy Jeff Fisher, another coach with a fondness for thug tactics (he ordered the harpooning of Shawne Merriman's knee in 2007 -an injury that ruined his career).

[Thanas]

According to the Washington Post, Williams did the same thing when he was with the Redskins.

I'm not surprised he's back with his old buddy Jeff Fisher, another coach with a fondness for thug tactics (he ordered the harpooning of Shawne Merriman's knee in 2007 -an injury that ruined his career).

and of course both are of the Bobby "bodybag" Ryan tree.

[Elfdart]

According to the Washington Post, Williams did the same thing when he was with the Redskins.

I'm not surprised he's back with his old buddy Jeff Fisher, another coach with a fondness for thug tactics (he ordered the harpooning of Shawne Merriman's knee in 2007 -an injury that ruined his career).

and of course both are of the Bobby "bodybag" Ryan tree.

Buddy Ryan.

Coincidentally, I just ran into his son Rob Tuesday night in a restaurant in Dallas. I wouldn't have noticed except the chef asked if we were related since we both have the same hair. To add insult to injury, Rob Ryan was wearing a Raiders shirt!

[Flagg]

Dungy is now claiming that the Titans had a bounty on Manning.

[Elfdart]

Dungy is now claiming that the Titans had a bounty on Manning.

He also thinks Williams was responsible for the high-low hit that screwed up Manning's neck.

Last September, Cindy Boren of the Washington Post wrote an article in which ex-Indianapolis Colts head coach Tony Dungy put the start of Peyton Manning's longstanding neck injuries and surgeries at a game between the Colts and the Redskins on October 22, 2006. On one play, Manning was given a "high-low" hit by defensive linemen Andre Carter and Phillip Daniels. Those types of hits, in which two defensive players aim for different halves of an offensive player's body, are among the most dangerous in football.

After the play, Manning lay on the ground for a brief time, got up, and as Dungy told Peter King of SI.com and NBC Sports last September, shook his right arm "as if trying to get the feeling back in it."

I hope the NFL does more than penalize the Saints. I hope they kick Williams out of the League for a while, if not permanently.

[Falkenhayn]

Coy Wire came out and said he established the same policy in Buffalo as well. I think the fact that it was ten years ago will spare us from whatever's about to land on NO. It shouldn't, but I think it will.

Also, Stevie Johnson just re-signed, 5 yrs/$36Mil, $19 Mil gtd. Sorry Hav. Sombody's got to keep Darelle Revis from looking like Nnamdi.

[Thanas]

And of course Ryan Clark is calling guys "snitches" for reporting this to the league.

[Darth Fanboy]

I half expected that response from you Thanas, without you bothering to read any followup where Clark reiterated his comment*. Clark's statement is in effect to people only now coming out after the fact about these bounties, but nobody came forward during the whole thing to say "this is wrong." He was basically calling guys out for only doing the right thing when it became an issue of self preservation. Clark also went on to say that when he was at Washington, he was not aware of a bounty system in place and never participated in bounties for injuring players.

*In fact, he did so in a verbal joust with Skip Bayless, who Terrell Suggs owned in a couple of interviews prior to the AFC Championship game. I applaud Suggs during those interviews for keeping his cool and making Skipper look like an even bigger jackass than he already is.