The New Orleans Saints were hammered by the NFL for the bounty program they conducted under head coach Sean Payton and defensive coordinator Gregg Williams for the last three seasons. Payton is suspended for a year, GM Mickey Loomis is out for half a season and the organization has been stripped of second round picks in the next two drafts.
Drew Brees On Saints Punishment: ‘I Am Speechless’
Of all the punishments for those involved, Payton’s full-year suspension is the most unbelievable one. The suspension starts on April 1 so he’ll soon be gone from the Saints facilities for an entire year.
The Saints best player, Drew Brees, said via Twitter that he is "speechless" after seeing the punishments.
I am speechless. Sean Payton is a great man, coach, and mentor. The best there is. I need to hear an explanation for this punishment
The explanation should be fairly straight-forward: Williams ran a bounty program which paid Saints players if they hurt opposing players and both Payton and Loomis didn’t do all they could to stop it. That’s the gist of it.
The severity of the punishments is debatable but the NFL is clearly trying to send a “strong and lasting message” to the rest of the league that this sort of thing simply can not happen.
For more on Payton’s suspension, be sure to stay tuned to SB Nation’s ongoingStoryStream, as well as Saints blog Canal Street Chronicles.
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