NFL and NFLPA officials met yesterday for the “first time to discuss the New Orleans Saints’ bounty system and the 22 to 27 players the league said its investigation showed were involved,” according to Judy Battista of the N.Y. TIMES. A handful of players are “expected to be disciplined for their roles in the bounty system.” However, NFLPA Exec Dir DeMaurice Smith yesterday in a statement indicated that he “was unlikely to make a recommendation.” The union “does not have a role in determining discipline, but it would be involved if a player chooses to appeal a punishment” (N.Y. TIMES, 4/3). NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said, “We have given the NFLPA two of our confidential reports, which we shared with our clubs. Hopefully we’ll have some information and a recommendation from the NFLPA.” USA TODAY’s Gary Graves notes the NFLPA’s response “could include a suggestion to members for union and legal representation” after a report yesterday that “criminal charges could result from Saints’ players participation in the program." That outcome “would be a first for the NFL players.” But Smith “downplayed the scenario as his union wanted to examine evidence before its next move” (USA TODAY, 4/3). Meanwhile, CBSSPORTS.com’s Mike Freeman wrote there “really is no delay” on a hearing regarding the appeal Saints coach Sean Payton filed last week. Freeman: “None. Because it was never set for Tuesday.” The NFL is “keeping it closely guarded but it still appears the Payton appeal decision by Roger Goodell could happen by the end of week.” Goodell “wants to make a decision extremely quickly” (CBSSPORTS.com, 4/2).
BIG UPSET IN THE BIG EASY: SI.com’s Peter King wrote New Orleans is “getting really ticked off about the bounty sanctions on the Saints, and fans are responding with their wallets.” The Saints had “two $100,000-plus suites available for the 2012 season as of the middle of March.” Within 24 hours after the league's sanctions of the Saints were announced, “both suites were sold.” In addition, the Saints ticket office, in the “three days after the sanctions were announced, had more than 150 callers asking to buy season tickets, with most saying they were doing it to show support for the team in the wake of the league's sanctions.” King: “There's a groundswell of anger in New Orleans, from what I can tell. Where it'll lead, I don't know. But I know New Orleans.” Super Bowl XLVII is in New Orleans this February, and King wrote, “Remember the booing Goodell got at the NFL Draft last year? That could sound charitable compared to the reception he could hear in New Orleans during Super Bowl week” (SI.com, 4/2). In Toronto, Bill Lankhof writes “many Saints’ fans see their club as a scapegoat for a league-wide culture that has condoned head-hunting on gameday but pays lip service to discouraging it the rest of the week” (TORONTO SUN, 4/3). Meanwhile, Saints fans “held a rally outside the Superdome on Sunday to protest the suspension” of Payton (NOLA.com, 4/2). Goodell said, “We have fans in 31 other markets that want to make sure the game is played the right way. I know the fans in New Orleans are frustrated by what happened. I understand that but they also want the game to be played the right way. We are going to ensure that. My job is the credibility of the NFL” (New Orleans TIMES-PICAYUNE, 4/3).
TUNA MELT: Goodell said that he “won't stand in the way” if the Saints ask Bill Parcells to take over as interim coach for Payton. Goodell: "That's their decision. They need to make those decisions and we'll move forward." The AP’s Richard Rosenblatt noted the results of Payton’s appeal “could well affect whether Parcells comes out of retirement to take over as interim coach.” Goodell: "These are management decisions that [Saints Owner] Tom Benson will have to sign off on. He will get recommendations, I'm sure from Sean and Mickey and others, and make his determination. If it ends up being Parcells, then they've gone through the full process" (AP, 4/2).
