Roger Goodell upholds Saints players’ suspensions in bounty scandal
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has heard the appeals of the players suspended as a result of the New Orleans Saints’ bounty scandal. Today, he issued an outright rejection, according to a tweet from Mike Freeman at CBS Sports.
Goodell upholds player suspensions in Saints case, CBSSports.com has learned—
mike freeman (@realfreemancbs) July 03, 2012
The players – linebacker Jonathan Vilma, defensive end Anthony Hargrove, linebacker Scott Fujita, and defensive end Will Smith – were suspended on May 2nd by the NFL for their role in the Saints’ bounty program, wherein players were monetarily rewarded for injuring or inflicting bodily harm on an opponent that would take them out of the game.
The suspensions include a season-long ban for Vilma, eight games for Hargrove (now with the Green Bay Packers), four games for Smith and three for Fujita (now with the Cleveland Browns). The previous record for longest suspension handed out by the NFL was five games.
In a letter to the players tweeted in segments by NFL.com reporter Albert Breer, Goodell explained the reasons for his decision.
… Goodell in letter to players: "None of you has offered any evidence that would warrant reconsideration of your suspensions."—
Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) July 03, 2012
More of Goodell to the players: "Your lawyers raised a series of jurisdictional and procedural objections that generally ignore the CBA."—
Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) July 03, 2012
Goodell also reiterated his process in the letter to players, and said: "The suspensions imposed were reasonable action taken to …"—
Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) July 03, 2012
(Goodell cont): "… preserve public confidence in, and the integrity of, the game of professional football."—
Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) July 03, 2012
The full release from the NFL regarding the upheld suspensions can be found here.
