The Bounty Program... Is there a double standard here?

Gregg Williams – Photo: AP

New Orleans Saints Defensive Coordinator, Gregg Williams admitted to NFL League Investigators yesterday that he was the ring leader of a bounty program that gave thousand dollar bonuses to defensive players for "knockout" or "cart off" hits for at least three years. What does this glaring and admitted violation of the "No Bounty Program" Rule in the NFL really mean?

Anyone who watches professional football on a regular basis cannot be surprised by this. Big hits are one of the reasons we watch this level of football. It's human nature to want to see this type of controlled violence. It goes all the way back to the Roman Times with the Gladiators and even today there are daily bull "fights" in Mexico in Colosseum-like arenas... We are entertained by violence... it's in our nature. We get a thrill out of seeing the shocking and amazing things that other humans do to each other and against each other in the name of competition.

If the NFL wants to push the "safety" awareness and does not condone big hits... the why does nfl.com post weekly "Top 10 Hits Of The Week" video montages? Why does it allow Fox and CBS to show big hits in the weekly promos? Why does this hypocrisy exist?

It seems as though NFL Commissioner, Roger Goodell is trying to turn this massive ship around but if he is going to punish the Saints with fines and/or loss of draft picks and/or suspensions... he has to look inside his own house and make sure it's clean before he starts cleaning house in other places. The NFL also needs to take a hard look at their stance on helping former players who are dealing with the physical ailments caused by the impact injuries.

I don't agree with a Bounty Program. I don't think it's necessary in this sport. The violence is already there. Helmet stickers maybe?

One of the most violent players in the game, Ndamukong Suh, doesn't need a bonus incentive to give out big hits. When asked about the alleged bounty program in New Orleans, Suh told ESPN:   "I don't take part in those things and nor do my teammates and nor my coaches. We don't allow that," Suh said. "For me, personally, and I know my teammates, we don't want to put anybody out," he added. "Especially me, I would never want anybody to target me to take me out, so why would I do it against somebody else?"

Why would players who make unbelievable amounts of money, some millions of dollars per season, need a $1,500 or $1,000 bonus incentive to make a big hit on another player? They are already paid a base salary to do just that! It's not really about the money for them, is it? No, it's about the game within the game. Who can make the biggest hit and who can knockout the Quarterback on the other team. It's a competition within a competition.

Professional sports in America is, at its very basis, entertainment. Men and women are paid to play a sport in front of thousands of fans in an arena, who pay to watch and be entertained. Millions of people around the world tune in on their TVs and computers and even their phones to be entertained.

Should the NFL punish the Saints? Yes, they broke the rules.... but the NFL has to look at the big picture and itself. 

If Roger Goodell wants to limit big hits, knockouts, and cart-offs and make the NFL "safe" for it's players... get out the day-glo pink flags and let's call it The National Flag Football League.... then let's see if the money keeps rolling in.

That's what the NFL is all about in its core... it's a cash cow money maker and NOBODY wants that to go away! The owners don't want it to go away, the players don't, the agents don't... not even the beer man want's it to go away!

This is America! This is what America is all about!

Madoff payback could cripple The Mets

Today, when tickets went on sale, my wife purchased "opening day" tickets to the Mets at Citifield for my stepson for his 18th birthday. Hours later, I read a news article online in the New York Newsday about Fred Wilpon, owner of the Mets.

Photo credit: Alejandra Villa - NY Newsday | Mets owner Fred Wilpon 

 

 

 

 

A U.S. District Court Judge ruled that Fred Wilpon, his family, his businesses AND his charities must pay back over $83 million dollars to the trustee trying to recover monies lost in the Bernard Wilpon ponzi scheme. Recovery of this money is necessary in order to pay back people who lost everything.

I am not sure the Mets can afford an $83M hit... During the off season, they let go of Jose Reyes and in total, cut their payroll by $50 million. $50 MILLLLLLLION DOLLARS!!!! (using a Dr. Evil voice)

Last night I watched "Moneyball" for the first time. It's a great movie and I was impressed by it...  Why bring up the movie? Because the Oakland A's will NEVER know what it's like to have to cut their payroll by $50M. Some teams will NEVER have an idea what it's like to even HAVE a $50 Million dollar payroll. It's really all relative but worth mentioning because if this happened in Florida or Colorado or even Minnesota.... the team would be completely gone or sold or moved to some other market.

I am not so sure that the Mets will be able to survive another hit like this. It will go to trial and be dragged out in the courts and New York tax payers will have to foot the bill for all the court clerks salaries and the court officers salaries and EVENTUALLY they will get it resolved but... Somebody has to pay for the Madoff debacle.

The Mets know what they will be able to handle and maybe $83 Million is no big deal... but in the appeal process they are required to post a $90 million dollar bond. So they have to pony up $90M before they even go to trial.

The "Amazins," as they are STILL known to this day even though they have been FAR from it for some time, have some major MAJOR financial hardships even though Mr. Wilpon has continuously denied it for some time. A stadium that they are still paying for, a $50M payroll cut... The tell tale signs of money problems are there! I am sure Mr. Wilpon doesn't want the stakeholders to have ANY doubt that the net worth of this team has been maintained but come on! I'm no economist and I don't hold an MBA but even I can tell that this is a big hole in the middle of Queens that the Wilpons have been shoveling money into.

Only time will tell if The New York Metropolitans will still be a New York team in two years or not... but I doubt it.

Bernie Madoff's illegalities have a far more reaching affect than we will know for a long time. I'm not a Met's fan but I know a lot who are.... If this does go down in a bad way... we may go back to the days of lynch mobs with pitch forks and torches... New Yorkers don't play.

Back to blogging...

Hey there my dear readers, I hope you are all well and good and I hope that the past 9 months have all treated you well.

I have been distracted by a few things... like work and twitter... I have been to some dark places and I won't bore you with my story because if I have learned anything in life, it's that we all have our own metal crosses that we bear. You deal with yours and I will handle mine.

Now that we have gotten that out of the way.....

Baseball Spring Training has arrived and with that, Fantasy Baseball. I was never into fantasy sports in my life... I was just a fan but as I grew older and knowledgeable about how the world works... I turned to fantasy sports to make it more interesting... it did and more. I paid more attention to ALL the games.. not just my favorite teams. I paid attention to all the trades and transactions... not just my favorite players... It opens a whole new world!

Like everything in life that you find enjoyment in.. there's always a side of it that raises it's annoying ugly head. 

I know... it's a cheesy photo but..

Last year my wife's cousin invited me to join his Fantasy Baseball League. A points league that all you really can do is watch. After the draft, there are no trades or drops... the ONLY way you can dump a player is if they are injured and go on the DL... I was excited because I had never been in such a league.... Then draft day came.. I logged onto ESPN and settled down with a cold beer. There was no online live draft set up though.. at least not that I could find.. I was confused... and then I got the first email... OK... an email draft... I can adapt... but what was about to happen was just NOT what I was expecting.

The draft, that I was expecting to take maybe 2 hours at most dragged on and on for 4 weeks.... picks took hours and hours to occur. Insane! I complained but I soon found out that this was what everyone had expected... I guess I "didn't get that memo" as my wife so often says.

This year, I reluctantly joined again, but ONLY because it was explained via email blast that the draft would occur expeditiously. The draft began on this past Thursday morning at 7 am with the first pick occurring at 7:08 am... looking good I thought. The next pick occurred..... are you ready for this? The second pick occurred at 8:30 pm... yes PM! I had the fourth pick in the first round. The person with the 3rd pick never picked. The commissioner finally allowed me to pick, skipping the owner with the third pick, at 9:30 pm. The fifth pick of the first round didn't happen until 6:55 am the following day.... We are currently in the fifth day of the draft and I am waiting to see who gets picked second in the fourth round... yes, the FOURTH round.

I understand that people have jobs and work and families and church and all of life's daily day to day stuff... but COME ON!!!! 

I have my own league that I am the commissioner of and I would be happy to invite anyone who is interested. It's a head to head league with a live, online draft that shouldn't take more than a couple hours of a Sunday evening.

Thanks for reading.... I promise there will be less ranting in the posts that follow!

BREAKING INSIDER NEWS: A comeback of my own....

Hey readers.... I am making a comeback of my own on this blog... I have been away for a LONG time but stay tuned... I will have something shortly.