Under the regime of NFL’s commissioner Roger Goodell there has been a lot of changes in the National Football League. Commissioner Goodell has ran, so to speak, a tight ship. His no nonsense approach to clean up the league and protect the players belonging to it, has in a lot of ways bettered the over all view of the league. There have been numerous on the field rule changes and off the field conduct policies that his reign has ushered in. A prime example of his firm ruling is the current investigation of the New Orleans Saints bounty program, which was reportedly orchestrated and ran by defensive coordinator Greg Williams. Williams was reportedly said to have paid players for big hits, big plays, and other on the field production. This program, which lasted for the 2009, 2010, and 2011 seasons would play players for their efforts of injuring opposing players, knocking them out the game, or completing a big hit on star players. According to ESPN.go.com head coach Sean Payton was suspended for a year without pay, former Saints defensive coordinator and current Rams defensive coordinator Gregg Williams was suspended indefinitely without pay, general manager Mickey Loomis was suspended eight games without pay, assistant head coach Joe Vitt was suspended six games without pay, the Saints forfeited a 2012 second-round draft pick and a 2013 second-round draft pick, and were fined $500,000.
Although the Goodell regime has made tremendous strides in bettering the overall play in the NFL, everybody isn’t please with the way Commissioner Goodell handles situation like theses. According to Fred Smooth, a Washington Redskins cornerback who played under Greg Williams, Goodell runs the league as a dictatorship. “It’s a dictatorship, to me,” Smoot said. “I think we need to start a congress of retired players or something, that these (rulings) has to get cycled through. I think it should be a process. I don’t think one man should have all that power. And you can just look and see what he’s doing to players and what he’s doing to coaches. And I don’t know, I think he’s starting to rub people the wrong way. But what can they do? What can they say? They can’t even defend themselves.” Smooth also went on to defend Greg Williams and his involvement in the so-called bounty program. Smooth had this to say, “It was never a bounty, it was more or less a pot that all of us players put in. Gregg never put in a dime, Gregg never said do this or do that.”
Were the punishments in this case harsh? Could Commissioner Goodell have lightened his decision? In my opinion yes he could’ve. The bounty program has been taken a little too literal. Players are not out there trying to hurt other guys purposely it’s just a result of the game. A player could yell out to another player, hey if you make this tackle I have something for you. Would that be considered a bounty or just an incentive for making a play? No matter what there will always be I guess a so-called bounty as long as there’s football. If a decision has to be made on the punishment of NFL players or coaches, the responsibility should not belong to one sole individual. Former Redskins cornerback Fred Smoot feels the same stating that, "one person shouldn’t be allowed to make these types of decisions. They should be brought to a board and voting on just like any other mega organization does." I’m Just Saying!
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