Statements From Suspended Saints Players

Fujita, Vilma, Hargrove & Smith all face suspensions

WILL SMITH

Through the NFLPA, New Orleans Saints defensive end Will Smith released the following statement on his suspension today imposed by commissioner Roger Goodell. Smith is suspended without pay for the first four games of the 2012 regular season.

“I am disappointed the NFL has punished me with a four game suspension. I have never in my career, nor as a Captain asked others, to intentionally target and hurt specific opposing players. I was in no way involved in establishing or assisting Gregg Williams with implementing a bounty program. The accusations made against me are completely and one-hundred percent false, and I plan to appeal the decision along with the help of the NFL Players Association. Through this entire process, the NFL never notified me of what I was being accused of, nor presented me with any evidence or reasoning for this decision. I am interested in discovering who is making these specific and false accusations, and as well as why a decision was made without speaking with me and giving me the opportunity to review the facts. I am going to work with my union to clear my name and returning to the game I love and respect. Thank you to our fans for the continued support.”

Suspension

Smith  is suspended without pay for the first four games of the 2012 regular season. Smith, supposedly “assisted” Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams in establishing and funding the program. This was  during a period in which he was a captain and leader of the defensive unit. “Multiple independent sources”  also confirmed that Smith pledged significant sums to the program pool for “cart-offs” and “knockouts” of opposing players.

JONATHAN VILMA

“I am shocked and extremely disappointed by the NFL’s decision to suspend me for the 2012 season. Commissioner Roger Goodell has refused to share any of the supposed evidence he claims supports this unprecedented punishment. The reason is clear: I never paid, or intended to pay, $10,000, or any amount of money, to any player for knocking Kurt Warner, Brett Favre or any other player out of the 2009 Divisional playoff game, 2010 NFC Championship Game or any other game.

“I never set out to intentionally hurt any player and never enticed any teammate to intentionally hurt another player. I also never put any money into a bounty pool or helped to create a bounty pool intended to pay out money for injuring other players. I have always conducted myself in a professional and proud manner.

“I intend to fight this injustice, to defend my reputation, to stand up for my team and my profession, and to send a clear signal to the commissioner that the process has failed, to the detriment of me, my teammates, the New Orleans Saints and the game.’’

Suspension

 Vilma of the Saints is suspended without pay for the 2012 NFL season, effective immediately per league policy for season-long suspensions. The “investigation” concluded that while a captain of the defensive unit Vilma assisted coach Williams in establishing and funding the program. Multiple “independent sources” also confirmed that Vilma offered a specific bounty — $10,000 in cash — to any player who knocked Arizona quarterback Kurt Warner out of the 2009 divisional playoff game and later pledged the same amount to anyone who knocked Minnesota quarterback Brett Favre out of the 2009 NFC championship game the following week (played on January 24, 2010). Vilma is eligible to be reinstated after the Super Bowl in 2013.

ANTHONY HARGROVE from March 8th

First of all, the purpose of this statement is simply to address the comments that have been made about me in the media. I will not address anything to do with anyone else but myself.

In regards to the hit I made on Brett Favre that has been talked about: it was one of about 5 times I got to him and the only one that was late. I agree it was a late hit, but in the heat of the moment I was simply trying to make a play. I can assure you that when I got up, I was thinking 2 things, one, that I cost my team, and two, that I might have just cost myself some money if the NFL fined me. To put things in perspective, I received a game ball for my play that day and yet got fined while receiving nothing and expecting to receive nothing for the play some keep referencing. Kudos to Brett, he even asked me if that was all I had! Gotta love him.

And in regards to my comments that have been talked about where I say that Favre is done, I readily agree that it sounds bad in retrospect. A lot of things look bad when we look back and realize how they sound. Trust me, I’ve said much, much worse. Heck, I probably say worse every day. But did I personally want Favre INJURED? Absolutely and categorically NO! Did I feel like we, the Saints, had a better chance of being in the Super Bowl with Favre on the sideline? Of course. Would the Patriots and their fans have probably been excited to see Eli on the bench with his foot up whispering that he was done? Would players on the sideline have made comments to that effect? Right or wrong, I’m guessing yes. Probably every Saints fan, player and coach got an adrenaline rush when thinking Minnesota might be in trouble. I said what many people were probably thinking, though maybe I said it in a way that sounded a bit too excited. Those who know me best know that I lean toward the animated side a bit. Okay, a lot! It’s who God made me. I do regret saying it, though.

I have made many mistakes in my life and have paid dearly for some of them, and the late hit and the comments were both mistakes, in my opinion. But players all over the league do the same thing every Sunday, make late hits and say stupid things. But I can say with absolute certainty that neither the late hit nor the comment have anything whatsoever to do with the issue being so hotly discussed in the media.

Suspension

 Hargrove  is suspended without pay for the first eight games of the 2012 regular season. He is accused of participating in the program. Hargrove “submitted” a signed declaration to the league that established not only the existence of the program at the Saints, but also that he knew about and participated in it. “Evidence” showed that Hargrove told at least one player on another team that Vikings quarterback Brett Favre was a target of a bounty during the NFC championship game in January of 2010. Hargrove also allegedly  obstructed the league’s 2010 investigation into the program by being untruthful to investigators.

SCOTT FUJITA

Has yet to make a comment on his suspension

Fujita  is suspended without pay for the first three games of the 2012 regular season. The record established that Fujita, a linebacker, pledged a significant amount of money to the prohibited pay-for-performance/bounty pool during the 2009 NFL playoffs when he played for the Saints. The pool to which he pledged paid large cash rewards for “cart-offs” and “knockouts,” plays during which an opposing player was injured.

The NFL’s Blind Just(us)

On Tuesday Ravens head coach John Harbaugh  let the listening public know his personal feelings about the Patriot’s Spygate and the Saints’ Bountygate.  The host asked Harbaugh if he would ever think of breaking the rules to gain  competitive advantage.  He stated that the Patriots’ and Saints’ titles had been stained.

“In the end, everything is brought before the light of day, when it’s all said and done,” Harbaugh said. “What happens, even the thing in New England, no matter whether those things had any impact on whether they won their championships or not, they got asterisks now. It’s been stained…….. To me, it’s never worth it,” Harbaugh said. “You have to figure out ways to use the rules to your advantage, you have to figure out ways to make the most of everything. We have new work rules here as far as what we can do and what we can’t do with our players, and we’re going to make the most of it. What we’re finding is, ‘Man, maybe we can do some things even better than we did before, because these rules make us focus more on some things that we didn’t focus on before. You just have to make them work for you. That’s what success is in the world. You have to find a way to do things better than somebody else. But if you’re cheating, in the end, you’re going to get discredited. It’s not worth it.“

Coach Harbaugh later released a statement  recanting  his remarks. He went onto say  he has the utmost respect for Bill (Belichick) and Sean (Payton). He stated he believed that the Patriots and Saints earned their championships. He even threw up an apology to Tedy “homer” Bruschi. Sounds like to me the “family” got to John Harbaugh.

 Eric Mangini was right to report the Patriots for illegally videotaping.  Spygate was found to be correct in the accusations made to the NFL. The NFL found evidence that linked the Patriots, Matt Walsh, and Bill Belichick to the videotaping practices in question. It was an open and shut case, period. There weren’t any lingering questions left to wrangle over. In the case of the New Orleans Saints things aren’t so cut and dry. Gregg Williams was found to have made some very troubling comments. What can be proven is that Williams did ask/order for the “hits” to be made on the 49ers and their injuries. The carrying out of these orders has not been proven or at least up to now not shown to the public. The NFL also has not released any of their findings to the NFLPA or anyone else.  The score as of now is as follows:

Patriots’ Spygate – Factually Proven   Saints’ Bountygate- Still Pending

That’s problematic for Saints fans. It should be for the rest of the NFL as well for one reason alone. If the commissioner’s office is willing to throw the hammer down on a “scandal” that roots itself in heresy and uninspired game day speeches what’s next? The NFLPA has been stonewalled in their request for information. The American public either doesn’t see the difference or doesn’t care too in the facts between the two cases. Speaking of American, what’s more American than wanting to see results without the work put into it? The NFL wants to market a game to the American public which at its core is nothing short of controlled violence. Violence and criminal activities off the field are tantamount to suspensions and fines. Over enthusiastically encouraging players to beat the heads in of the opponents on the field before the game in the locker room  will get you indefinitely suspended. Coming across the middle at full speed and hitting another player with the same force as a compact car doing 35 miles per hour, no problem. Hypocrisy at it’s best. Can you blame them? If you had a 9 billion dollar product to sell every 12 months  you would do everything you could to maximize your profit wouldn’t you?  If you answered yes, wouldn’t you in the same breathe do your best to make sure  that  all possible future lawsuits from your employees would be squashed at the door? Possibly send a message via crushing any team or employee so badly everyone else would be scared straight regardless of any actual wrongdoing?

John Harbaugh in all his coaching greatness is wrong on two accounts for what he did on Tuesday. The first is Harbaugh’s stance and reversal on Belichick’s conduct. Why apologize for calling a spade a spade? Belichick was undoubtedly found to be cheating.  He claimed he “didn’t know” of any rules he was breaking.  Regardless of what Belichick believed he was wrong for doing what he did. He’s a cheater and labeling him anything less is selling yourself short.  In Major League Baseball Mark McGwire admitted to using steroids in the aftermath of his historic run at Roger Maris’s single season home run record. He has yet to get into the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. Why, because he is a cheater and cheaters have no place in the lexicon of American sports do they?

The second problem I have is that Sean Payton and Greg Williams  have only been found to have made some bone head decisions.There isn’t a shred of proof that the NFL has been able to show that Williams’ speech was anything other than a speech. Not a single player has come forward and said they received money for hits doled out. Would you put someone who thought about killing their neighbor in a prison cell with someone who actually did? That’s essentially what the commissioner’s office is doing

The third problem I have with all this is the sudden Belichick love fest  that has seemed to pop up out of nowhere. Eric Mangini is even coming out of the woodwork saying he regrets reporting a cheater!!??! Harbaugh recanted his statement saying Belichick is one of the greatest NFL coaches in the history of the game. Did I miss something? I don’t remember Belichick tearfully asking for forgiveness on ESPN’s prime time SportsCenter.

The New Orleans Saints  are likely to get word on their player’s  suspensions this week. Not a single shred of evidence on these players to be suspended willfully carried out Williams’ heinous orders.  Maybe I’d feel better if they had Sean Pamphilon on the sideline videotaping Saints players high-fiving each other and actually doing something wrong. Here’s one fact that maybe slightly overlooked but, of great importance. Bill Belichick in all his greatness hasn’t won a Superbowl since being reported for recording other teams. Zero, none, not a single one.  Ironically, that’s how much of a second though sports fans will give the Saints.

State Of The Saints: Will The Empire Strike Back?

The narrow treacherous road through the off-season is slowly coming to an end for the New Orleans Saints. It’s been hot, winding, and the weight of the world has been on the back of the boys from the bayou. Long has been the road and weary is it’s traveler with adversity as the only companion the Saints have had by their side. Adversity it seems, comes in many forms in life. For the 2012 New Orleans Saints it has taken the form of past sins, bad decisions, and a culturally changing league. Adversity at its worst will bring the best out of the one suffering at her hand. It takes the heart of a champion to get up after being constantly knocked down. Luckily for the fans of the New Orleans Saints that is exactly what is in the heart of every player who wears the black and gold.

The Saints 2012 campaign will officially start at home in the Mercedes Superdome on September 9th against the Redskins and newly crested NFL quarterback Robert Griffin III. Even the casual fan knows that the season starts before the draft not at week 1. That being said, what state are the Saints in? Have they been so affected by the scandal of Bountygate that their season is a foregone conclusion. Will Drew Brees sign? Has the  weight of the off-season muted anything that the they can or will do?

One of the few things  that the NFL’s front office couldn’t touch was the Saints’ roster. The core of the 2012 NFC South Division champions is well intact. By all accounts the only thing that has been heaped on the Saints in the locker room is bulletin board material. They have heard it all. They’re cheaters, no good do nothings, immoral, and low down dirty shames. They are the evil empire. While  the American conscience  is guilty until proven innocent the Saints have plenty to motivate them. New Orleans is still a deadly team to be dealt with in the coming season.  Drew Brees shattered Dan Marino’s single season passing record of 27 years. Brees completed 46 passes for 5, 476 yards. Brees will not only be armed with a new record breaking NFL contract but, also with an offense that helped him set Marino’s record. Even with the departure of Robert Meachem(40 receptions for 620 yds) to the Chargers the Saints are still stacked at receiver. One reason for this is all world all pro tight end Jimmy Graham. Graham missed setting a new receiving yards record in 2011 by 17 yards (1,310 yds) to the Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski (1,327 yds).  Graham has been able to quickly ascend the tight ends of the NFL by becoming a freak on the field with his size, speed, increasing knowledge of the game and innate sense to find  holes in the defensive backfield. Meachem will be missed but, Brees  counters for  the loss of players like this by throwing to the open receiver, not the best one all the time.  This reason alone is one of the major reasons why the Saints offense torched defenses last year.

Speaking of  defenses since Bountygate has surgically taken apart the Saint defense, is the defense worse for it? Gregg Williams for all his machismo and bravado wasn’t getting the job done. Consider this, in 2009 the Saints defense led by Williams was 3rd best in the league in turnover ratio (+11). This alone helped the Saints overcome pedestrian type defensive number and cap off a championship season. In his second year at the helm of the defense the Saints ranked fourth overall with a -6 turnover ratio. Williams had the defense headed in the right direction having them rely on solid play as opposed to waiting for Lady luck to strike. In his third and final year everything went south.  In 2011 the Saints defense ranked 24th overall with a -3 turnover ratio. That left Williams desperately spouting off at the mouth more than usual and we all know what happened after that. Bountygate or not, Williams and the Saints were headed towards a separation in all likelihood. Given the 49ers dismantling of the defense with a well-known touchdown inept offense and the dwindling play of the Saints defense, Williams’ days were all but  numbered.

Enter Steve Spagnuolo and his vaunted defensive genius (sans bounties). Spagnuolo’s run in St. Louis wasn’t what the Rams or he had expected and hoped for. This in part happened because Spagnuolo wasn’t able to solely focus on defense. The other side of it is that the Rams aren’t exactly the Giants.  That being said, Spagnuolo has worked quietly  and diligently to assemble his team on defense. The Saints have made several high-profile free agent signings in the off-season. The expected loss of their defensive captain Jonathan Vilma will be a blow but, the signing of Curtis Lofton will surly temper that loss.  New Orleans stumbled across the finish line landing flat on their face. Lofton will make an impact immediately along with Chris Chambers and the rest of the Saints defense. Bountygate is in the Saints rear view and the Saints defense is looking forward to showing the rest of the  NFL that they are better than anyone could have imagined.

The 2012 NFL season will be one that most will have discounted New Orleans before it begins. Those who know better will know it’s not wise to count a champ out before the fight starts. There are early indications that the Saints will do anything but lay down in the face of adversity. Even without the 1st and 2nd round to make picks in the 2012 draft the Saints still showed the ability to draft effectively. The Saints picked up Akiem Hicks in the 3rd round and made a slight splash with Nick Toon. If there is any question about the ability for the Saints to bounce back one can take a closer look at the 2006 season. If there is any lingering doubt after that they will more than welcome the chance to knock those notions out of their opponents and the media. The Saints are looking to take that bad taste out of their mouth from this past off-season and they know exactly where they want to put it. On the field, between the numbers of the players across the field from them.