Wolfpack

For those of you who may think the NFL was too tough on the Saints, this article makes me think Goodell probably wishes he was even tougher.

These lawsuits are going to change the NFL as we know it. Actually, they arguable already have.

4 former NFL players cite New Orleans’ bounty system in latest lawsuit over concussions - The Washington Post

ATLANTA — The four former NFL players who sued the league on Monday in a state court in Atlanta could be leading a wave of new lawsuits that cite the New Orleans Saints’ bounty system for hard hits as evidence that pro football didn’t properly protect its players from concussions.

Legal experts and trial attorneys say they expect more complaints against the NFL to point to the Saints’ scandal after the ex-players filed suit contending the bounty system was another example that the league “explicitly relied on violence” and neglected to educate players on the dangers of concussions.

The claims give the new lawsuit an “added vitality” if attorneys can use it to bolster the idea that there’s activity in the sport that goes beyond the typical violence associated with pro football, said Paul Haagen, co-director of the Center for Sports Law and Policy at Duke University.

AndyJohnson

Obviously there are a lot of facts that have to come out to know whether the suit is viable, but it seems like the most damning action by Goddell was that he has admitted he knew it was going on and instead of penalizing them, he simply asked them to please, kindly stop.
Anyone injured after that would seem to have a case that the league knew they were at risk and didn't take action.

Koma

That's one angle of this story that I haven't seen explored much: What would have happened if the Saints leadership took the league's warning seriously 3 years ago and shut down their bounty program (or at least hid it better)? Would we have ever heard about it? I'd love to know if the league warned any other teams in the last few years and they actually stopped.

bresna

Yeah, what would have happened? I know... the Saints defenders would have stopped trying to take out the opposing offenses' players!

Adding the Saints bounty controversy just adds to the list. Bounty or no bounty, NFL players hit other NFL players with the intent to injure every play of every game. The Saints bounty program just puts a few faces on it.

PatsWickedPissah

Funny how he was so laid back with player safety, yet so over the top about camera placement. His post penalty waffling over seizing the Saints 2013 2nd round pick shows a clear pattern of favoritism towards the Saints org, this time to the detriment of the league. He needs to be fired.

__________________
Throughout history, poverty is the normal condition of man. Advances which permit this norm to be exceeded — here and there, now and then — are the work of an extremely small minority, frequently despised, often condemned, and almost always opposed by all right-thinking people. Whenever this tiny minority is kept from creating, or (as sometimes happens) is driven out of a society, the people then slip back into abject poverty.
This is known as "bad luck." RAH

DaBruinz

I don't believe that there is a case against the league. There was a memo about bounty programs sent out long prior to the Saints Scandal three years ago. Then there was a memo sent out after the league found out what was going on. Anyone who believes that memo wasn't also sent to the NFLPA is seriously naive. If the NFLPA didn't do anything about it, then that falls on the UNION, not the league.

Also, I think there is a very good case in many of the lawsuits that the NFLPA is just as culpable as the League since the NFLPA is, essentially, a partner, and has been for awhile.