Though the NFL "remained tight-lipped about its investigation into the alleged bounty system the Saints employed defensively the past three seasons, there were indications Thursday the punishments looming for the club, and perhaps some of its players, may not be imposed quickly," according to James Varney of the New Orleans TIMES-PICAYUNE. It was "widely believed the league would act before the owners' meeting begins in Palm Beach, Fla., on March 26." However, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said that "disciplinary action would not be taken until the NFL had conferred with the players' union and 'individual player leaders.'" Sources have indicated that it does "not appear any of that has begun." The NFL declined comment when asked about its timetable, but league sources said that the NFLPA "has not yet launched what it considers an independent investigation of the matter." The union's probe could be "further complicated by its potentially conflicting themes: protect the players who comprise its membership and ensure player safety is a paramount issue." The "uncertainty surrounding the hot topic explains, in part, the silence with which Saints players, including quarterback Drew Brees, have greeted the report." Although Brees has been in "close contact with the NFLPA, of which he is an executive board member, he has made no comment on the bounty matter." Sources said that it is possible he will "keep his distance for some time" (New Orleans TIMES-PICAYUNE, 3/9).
NOT MUCH POWER FOR THE UNION: ESPN’s Chris Mortensen reported the NFLPA in some ways "is powerless" with its investigation. The first time the union "heard about this report and the investigation by the NFL ... was on the same day the media learned about it, so they were a little bit blindsided by this. That’s not the partnership the NFLPA and NFL have had in the past. So with new leadership, I think they’ve got to try to (correct) that and certainly they are concerned.” The NFLPA "would like access" to some of the involved parties, but it is unlikely the NFL or the Saints will grant the NFLPA access to coach Sean Payton, GM Mickey Loomis, any of their coaches or former Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams. Mortensen: “It’s going to be frustration for them” (“NFL Live,” ESPN2, 3/8).
UNOFFICIAL ASSOCIATION: In New Orleans, Jeff Duncan in a front-page piece reports former team consultant Mike Ornstein has "never been employed by the Saints but his implication in the scandal ... speaks to the cozy relationship he had with the team." How a "two-time felon could surface in the landmark probe has puzzled Saints fans." If nothing else, it "indicates a glaring case of bad judgment by the team's brain trust." Ornstein's ties to the Saints date to '06 when he "worked as the marketing agent for Reggie Bush." Ornstein became "fast friends with [coach] Sean Payton and a fixture around the Saints' facility and at games." While the club "never listed him as an official employee, his fingerprints were all over the organization." Many current and former Saints employees "extol Ornstein's virtuous side," but he "made one powerful enemy during his stint in New Orleans: owner Tom Benson." The pair "engaged in a heated altercation at the team hotel in the days before Super Bowl XLIV," and Benson "wisely put the kibosh on Ornstein when he started to show up around the facility again late last season." Ornstein's involvement "in the scandal, however peripheral, will not help the Saints' cause." Duncan writes, "He's persona non-grata to the NFL and the fact that he remained affiliated with the club even after his second conviction displeased some league officials" (New Orleans TIMES-PICAYUNE, 3/9).
