It should be noted that these aren't "bounties" in the sense that you might think. When I think of the word "bounty", I think of guys throwing out offers of monetary payments in exchange for certain players getting injured.That's not what happened here. Yet, in a way, the Green Bay Packers are accused of offering up bounties. Another term that you could use is "player bonuses".
Basically, ESPN started this train on Sunday morning by reporting that Packer defensive backs offered monetary incentives to the defensive linemen if they could hold Vikings running back Adrian Peterson under 100 yards in their meeting last week at Lambeau Field.
In that game, the rookie was easily held under 100 yards, and he left the game with a right knee injury that caused him to miss Sunday's win over Oakland (Peterson is also likely to miss Sunday's roadie against the Giants). Of course, it was Packer cornerback Al Harris who delivered the hit, but it still makes for an eerie coincidence when you think about these "incentives".
The league's rule against these types of payments is very clear-cut.
"Clubs and players are prohibited from offering or accepting bonuses to a player for his or his team's performance against a particular team, a particular opposing player or players, or a particular group of an opposing team."The question now is whether the players will face any major sanctions from the league.
The Packers gave the players the day off today after their 31-17 win over Carolina. They are going to be deep into preparations for Thursday's game at Detroit when they return to work Tuesday, so the team is smart to quickly try to diffuse this story.
General manager Ted Thompson spoke to the media Monday afternoon, and he took some of the blame for the players' actions. Thompson said he didn't believe the players knew that they were doing anything against the rules, and he took some of the blame for the fact that the players weren't aware of that rule. He also noted that the Packers are cooperating with the league probe that is underway.
"We, certainly in management, knew of the prohibition on something like that. We're not convinced the players knew about it and that would be a communication snafu and that would be my responsibility. But we're cooperating and we'll move on from there."This is about the best Thompson could do on rather short notice. It probably would have been more ideal to call in some of the defensive players involved in these incentives. Not only will the league want to hear from them, but the rest of us probably should, too.
Having Thompson or head coach Mike McCarthy explain things does us nothing, as they (presumably) weren't at all involved. But it might have some impact if Harris or Charles Woodson or someone else were to step up and say that this was all in good fun, with no harm intended, and certainly not knowingly in violation of league rules.
As for the rule, I can't imagine that it's going away or is on the verge of being changed. It's in place to keep this kind of behavior from running rampant. The rule might not be designed to stop guys from making side bets for fun, but that prohibition is an unintended consequence. We don't need players putting up hundreds or thousands of dollars to get an opposing player injured, not to mention that we then wouldn't be that far from guys getting involved with point spreads and the like.
This particular situation doesn't scream for anything more than a written reprimand by the league and a memo to all 32 teams reminding them of this rule. Hopefully, it's not a distraction for a Green Bay team that's in the midst of an unbelieveable season.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
11-19-2007 @ 10:36PM
KidA said...
So, wait, does this mean a QB can't take his O-line out to dinner if he doesn't get sacked?
I mean... that's the same thing, right?
I wonder how many times Tom Brady has done that to his 5-layers of protection.
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11-19-2007 @ 10:44PM
Dan said...
Even though the rule seems to be very clear, to me there's a vast difference between a bonus for keeping a back under 100 yards in a game and an actual bounty, i.e., money paid to someone who injures another player badly enough that they have to leave the game. It's the latter that's the problem, not the former.
After all, players have all sorts of incentives in their contracts. Those are the same as the bonuses spoken of here - the only difference is that these bonuses are brought up on comparitively short notice.
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11-20-2007 @ 3:34AM
J-Man said...
I don't think there was 'intent' to harm. In fact, those guys respected the awesome numbers that Petersen was putting up. So, I'm sure a bet from offense to defense, or certain players that cover the run, are challenged to go out and stop the run - not hit the guy to knock him out of play. How can you really see how good you are if the 'target' of your incentive isn't playing? Makes it sort of a hollow victory. You want the dude to play the whole game AND hold him under 100 yards.
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11-20-2007 @ 4:52AM
Larry Markowitz said...
If this is the NFL's biggest problem, they're pretty damn lucky.
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11-20-2007 @ 9:19AM
Purple People said...
I think that is big problem, for obvious reasons. It almost becomes a game with in a game. I could see how things could get out of hand real fast!! Paying money UNDER THE TABLE to stop another player can kind of blurr the guide lines for some players a little bit DON'T YA THINK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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11-20-2007 @ 10:14AM
Rick Sangano said...
Maybe in this day and age this is a newsworthy item, but it's the same as when, coaching the Philadelphia Eagles, Buddy Ryan was questioned at length by the league and the press about his infamous "bounty bowl" against, I think it was Dallas, and just answered, "Nope, I never asked that of my team." This type of rebating goes on throughout all sports, maybe not with "intent to injure", but they are called "incentive clauses" and all the players have them, somewhere, in their contracts.
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11-20-2007 @ 11:12AM
DoritoMcCart said...
I'm a Cowboys fan, But if any Packers players are punished for this, I am going to lose my mind. In the AP article, I think the amount offered was $500 dollars........ might seem like alot to you and me, but not if your making at LEAST 300K. It's for bragging rights like when we play penny poker. Worth alot more than the cash. It would be a real problem if the moeny was being offered by another team, or players or fans of another team. But there is no concievable way that this impacted how the Packers played. Do you think the linemen offered the linebackers a kickback to call more run stuffing audibles? Idiocy
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11-20-2007 @ 11:15AM
James said...
Im glad another team got caught cheating besides the patriots,,,now the question becomes "is this tye of cheating worse than filming another teams signals..I personally dont think either one is a big deal, but i think its funny thatthe patriots are a dynasty, everyone wants to take them out,,if the pats got caught doing this before the filming,,everyone would have been screaming foul,,,
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11-20-2007 @ 11:45AM
joe wallace said...
I find the the Packers' explanation disengenuous. They didn't know it was a rule? or they didn't know they were breaking a rule?
The truth is, it was a rule, and if they break it, it's CHEATING. I think they have been doing this for years. there should be an asterisk next to their last two championships, at least, and nothing they do this year is legitimate.
I want to name their coach now. he will be known and "bounty cheater McCarthy"...and instead of the Packers, I will call them the Hackers.
Any Packers fan that dismisses this should be ashamed, but it doesn't surprise me, given how arrogant they are, to begin with.
Sound ridiculous? That's what some of YOU folks have been saying about the pats and their fans FOR WEEKS. So excuse me if I point our how ridiculous some of you sound.
Now some of you will scream that it's not the same thing, Pats cheating was worse. LOL. But THAT'S not looking the other way to support your team, or anything. LOL.
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11-20-2007 @ 11:53AM
joe wallace said...
The team, GM and coach excuse rule breaking, because they are pretty sure the team didn't know it was a rule. Right.
It's CHEATING, plain and simple. We will call them The HACKERS from now on, and I want an asterisk next to their accomplishments. It tarnishes their record, don't you think?
Sound silly? Now look how silly some of you Pats haters have sounded for the last 12 weeks. What goes around, comes around.
If you excuse THIS cheating, and say it's not as bad, ask Adrain Peterson what HE thinks! I think Vikings fans should hire a lawyer, now, and sue the Packers.
I find no problem with this, really, and we all know by now that the camera on the sidelines didn't make the pats any greater, so let's take a rest form the talk, and sit back and enjoy the good football both teams are playing, shall we?
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11-20-2007 @ 12:53PM
TomBradyIsAFag said...
You people have gotta be kidding me??!?! If you can honestly rationalize this as being the same as the Patriots filming teams signals to gain a competitive advantage, you need to have your head examined. First of all, they talk all the time about position groups taking the lineman out for dinner, running backs buying O-lineman watches, etc, etc. Given the amount thrown into the pool compared to what they make, it's downright ridiculous.
They also did not place a "bounty" on Adrian Peterson in the sense that the word implies (ie. injury). In fact, the D-backs wagered against the D-Line to hold AP to under 100yds rushing, so when he was injured by the LEGAL tackle by Al Harris, he actually cost himself money.
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11-20-2007 @ 12:57PM
TomBradyIsAFag said...
Joe Wallace- get a life. You have such a sad and distorted perception of reality. Take off the Patriots blinders for a minute and wake up!!!
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11-20-2007 @ 1:07PM
Mary said...
Typical bullies; if they cannot win legitimately, they damage the top players on the other team so that they can win easily. This is sick and very unsportsmanlike.
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11-20-2007 @ 2:11PM
1ncarnadine said...
But what if this "bounty" did in fact give the Packer's defense incentive to injure another player...is that not worse than videotaping a coach's signals.
I personally think intentional injury of another player is way worse by default than even paying off referee's because it could result in paralyzation and completely ruin another honest up and coming athlete's career...and I think if this is the case than the GB Packers should be punished just as severely as the Pats.
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11-20-2007 @ 2:20PM
Ann said...
Mary, I dont't think you understood the situation. GB was ahead 27-0 after 3 quarters. They had already held Peterson to 45 yards in 3 quarters. They had beaten Minn. earlier in the season. Why do you think they needed to "cheat". They didn't. Players are injured every week and even in practice.
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11-20-2007 @ 2:25PM
1ncarnadine said...
Oh, and #11
no player's were harmed in the making of illegal hand signals by BB
you must be a jealous lover of Brady's
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11-20-2007 @ 2:46PM
James said...
Cheating is cheating after all. Lets hope Goodell doesnt show any favoritism...We can debate aout which rule is worse than which,,is it worse to gain a competitive advantage (even when you are allowed to video tape from the press box and spy on the signals from any where with binoculars) than it is to intentionally target someone on an opposing team?
would be a long debate, fans favoritism would surely cloud the argument, but one fact that cannot be denied is Packers cheated, lets see how they get punished,,if they do
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11-20-2007 @ 3:23PM
George Costanza said...
There's a rule. I didn't know there was a rule. George Costanza.
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11-20-2007 @ 3:37PM
jokendaved said...
Brett Farve ( Its not even the green bay packers* anymore just ask the media its just brett farve) Can't handle losing, he crys all the time.or covers his head. Some moron said it was out of passion, its out of being a sore loser. and the team* wants his final year( Its all about the records this season, not the team sorry) to be memeorable so they will do whatever nessesary to win. even try to end an opponants career. How pathetic Is Al Harris going up to say he'd pray for him. What a joke he tried to end his career. If you watch the hit he went right for the legs with his shoulder not his arms. what a coward. He knew what he was doing. Packers* suck (I mean Brett F. and the packers* suck. Go after the chamipnship with pride boys, you know someone almost lost his career in your qwest for extra money and a playoff spot.
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11-20-2007 @ 5:02PM
Jamz said...
Forrest Gregg allowed Charles Martin to wear a towel on his hip with the numbers of the players he wanted to hurt.He ended up body slamming Jim McMahn to the ground ending his carreer.Boy I sure miss those days...GO PACKERS...
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