Goodell Defends Saints Bounty Punishments

[FirstTimer]

ATLANTA—With the harsh suspensions the league handed out to punish those involved in the New Orleans Saints’ bounty controversy, there are several players who view NFL commissioner Roger Goodell as a villain with too much power. Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma, who got a year-long ban and then filed a defamation suit against the commissioner, is the player who feels most vilified by Goodell at the moment.

Although Goodell declined to comment on Vilma in addressing the media at Tuesday’s league meeting in Atlanta, the commissioner made it clear that the decisions he made in the wake of the Saints’ pay-to-injure scandal aren’t personal—they were just about the business of sticking to the league’s highest priority.

“We’re going to do everything we can to provide the safest and healthiest environment for our players,” Goodell said. “That is something we’re going to continue to do. I don’t expect everyone is going to agree all the time, particularly when it involves discipline.”

While Vilma and the three other players with lesser bounty-related suspensions—Scott Fujita, Anthony Hargrove and Will Smith—have the NFL Players Association behind them as they appeal the commissioner’s disciplinary action, the league is ready to follow up that process with the release of related evidence.

“The union specifically told the players not to cooperate with the investigation and we’re in the midst of challenges on a variety of fronts with respect to the process of these appeals,” Goodell said. “As that plays out and as it’s concluded how that process will go forward, we’ll certainly engage and make sure we’re fulfilling every aspect of that.”


Before Goodell rules on the specific players’ appeals, however, an arbitrator will need to resolve grievances filed by the union. Even though the league is confident in what it discovered during its probe, the commissioner has every intention of being fair when dealing with the players.

“You want to hear what the players have to say,” Goodell said. “When we get to the appeals, we’ll be able to talk about it and we’ll be able to hear from one another.”



It’s part of Goodell’s tough job to keep the door open to both sides, even when he’s picked one that doesn’t make the other very happy. Facing heated responses from players such as Vilma is something he’s come to expect after years of growing into his position.

“You don’t worry about a popularity contest.” Goodell said. “You can’t, because you can’t make everybody happy.”

Unlike last offseason, when the commissioner was overseeing a compromise between the league and the union as they worked to end the lockout, Goodell knows it’s impossible to please all the players in the bounty case. Either the current and former Saints will remain upset, or those targeted by their alleged actions will come away disappointed if the appeals aren’t denied.


There’s no win-win situation here, but Goodell has only winner in mind—whatever’s most important to maintaining the integrity of professional football.

“It just doesn’t happen, particularly in a game where there’s a lot of emotion, a lot of passion, and there are different sides.” Goodell said. “You’ve got Saints fans on one side, and you’ve got 31 other teams, but what I have to do has to be in the best interest of the game long term.”

It’s good the commissioner has had recent experience in dealing with major challenges from the union, because he’s dealing with quite a battle in the short term.

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