Cris Carter Casually Talking Bounties is About the Last thing the NFL Needs

ESPN - Former Minnesota Vikings All-Pro receiver Cris Carter says he put "bounties" on opposing players as a form of protection during his 16-year NFL career. Carter, currently an ESPN NFL analyst, said Tuesday night on "Hill and Schlereth" on ESPN Radio that he would offer money to teammates to take out players he thought were trying to take him out. "I'm guilty of (bounties) -- I mean, first time I've ever admitted it -- but I put a bounty on guys before," Carter told show hosts Mike Hill and Mark Schlereth. "I put bounties on guys. If a guy tries to take me out, a guy takes a cheap shot on me? I put a bounty on him right now!" When asked whether the bounties carried financial incentive, Carter said: "Absolutely." Carter clarified his comments Wednesday morning in an appearance on ESPN's "SportsCenter," emphasizing that there was no intent to injure an opponent -- as the NFL alleges was the case in the Saints' "pay for pain" system. Carter acknowledged that using the term "bounty" may have been a poor choice of words on his part. "The difference is people going out of their way to hurt a player," Carter said Wednesday, "hitting a spot that we as players know is off limits, like his knees. You're not telling them to go out and get someone, you're telling them to protect you, run down the field to protect their skill guys." The 46-year-old spoke of former Pro Bowl linebacker Bill Romanowski, then with the Denver Broncos, threatening to hurt him in pregame warm-ups. "Bill Romanowski -- he told me he was going to take me out before the game, warm-ups. No problem. (He said,) 'I'm gonna end your career, Carter.' No problem. "I put a little change on his head before the game. Protect myself. Protect my family. That's the league that I grew up in," Carter said.

Cut to Roger Goodell Shaking his Damn Head (or SMH'ing as weird internet people say). 

This is about the last thing he needs right now. The admittance from a former player, a prominent player at that, that this was a much more common and casual practice than the league would like to admit. 

The thing with the Saints is, it was a institutionalized system. That's easy to penalize, that's easy for the league to point to, come up with rules and punishments, and say they've erradicated it, that there's no place for it in football. 

This is a lot more difficult. This is a player saying, game to game, play to play, players place bounties, or as Cris is now saying, buy protection, for themselves against opposing players by paying for big hits. Unless you're mic'ing up all 22 players on the field and have the sidelines completely wired for sound, you're not solving that problem. 

And this is where the contrarian points out that the players already pay fines for violent or illegal hits...big whoop. James Harrison, who I'm pretty sure was the most fined player in football last year, was only fined a total of  $125,000...Cole Hamels, punk move aside, only plunked a 19 year old with a baseball and was just suspended five games which amounts to roughly $460,000 in game checks...So, you tell me which league is serious about protecting its players?

Big hits, violent plays, it's all a part of football, and apparently, if you believe Cris Carter, paying your teammates for protection like it's La Cosa Nostra is too. You're not going to be able to police that unless you see some blatantly illegal hits, and even then the league has proven they just don't have the power to give those penalties any real bite. 

At the end of the day Goodell and the rest of the Commish's office would have loved to have brought the iron fist down on the Saints, pointed to their effort to clean up the game, and swept the rest of this shit under the rug...doesn't look like that's going to happen. 

Saints Wire Tapping: At Least Someone At ESPN Gets It (And it's not Schlereth)

ESPN - Wait: The allegations against Mickey Loomis make no sense? How on earth is that? How is the notion of no value that Loomis, the GM of the New Orleans Saints, had electronic access to the real-time, in-game conversations of rival coaching staffs? Ask the NFL why it has rules to prevent that kind of stuff in the first place. It is because such access would be of incredible value. How is it that so many rush forward so quickly to explain that Loomis wouldn't understand the lexicon of coaching well enough to help the Saints gain an edge in a game? The Saints play their divisional opponents twice a season, every season. Every scrap of information is critical. The edge is so obvious, you'd have to be willfully ignorant not to see it. Of course the Saints would benefit from such a system. Of course it's against the rules...As to what Loomis could or could not decipher from among another team's complex set of play calls and jargon, it's almost entirely irrelevant. It pales next to the idea that if you can eavesdrop on something, you can record it. If you can record it, you can review it. You can decode the jargon. You can store information for the games to come.
 

Holy shit, someone at ESPN gets it! HALLELUJAH! Look, ESPN should be embarrassed, nay, that's not strong enough, EMBARRASSED for Schlereth and Polians initial stance on this matter (in fact, I'm pretty sure they are, since I couldn't find that clip anywhere on their site after it was front page yesterday).

 How is it that so many rush forward so quickly to explain that Loomis wouldn't understand the lexicon of coaching well enough to help the Saints gain an edge in a game?

My thoughts exactly, Mark Kreidler

Polian, firstly, is the last person who should be giving unbiased opinions on anything related to front office issues...the guy is like 4 months removed from his own front office job. To say he might be partial towards certain teams and individuals is an understatement. And Schlereth? To directly compare this to stealing hand signals (so talking about the Patriots and Spygate, without actually talking about the Patriots and spygate), and say this is less of an offense, is the SINGLE MOST LAUGHABLE EVENT ON TELEVISED ESPN HISTORY. 

Yes Schlereth, that minimum wage intern recording hand signals from the stands went back during the 20 minute halftime, decoded them, and brought his dossier of intel to the coaching staff...That's more likely than a guy listening in on opposing coaches mic's while sitting right next to the coaching staff in their booth, gaining an advantage? Or, I don't know, recording those conversations and using them in the future? This right here, sums it up:

Of course the Saints would benefit from such a system. Of course it's against the rules...As to what Loomis could or could not decipher from among another team's complex set of play calls and jargon, it's almost entirely irrelevant. It pales next to the idea that if you can eavesdrop on something, you can record it. If you can record it, you can review it. You can decode the jargon. You can store information for the games to come.

What it all boils down to is this: Patriots: Bad, Saints: Holy Saviors. That's the way it's been since Katrina. And before I sound too callous, I get that they earned a bit of goodwill, but not this much, and they certainly used up whatever was left of it during their Bounty Scandal. It's despicable to think they have any defenders at this point.

Sports media watching types are going to have a field day in the coming weeks trying to keep track of all the people who ripped the Patriots for spygate, and seeing how they react to the Saints own, technologically advanced method. And the same goes for Goodell and the front office. If this is confirmed through reliable sources he has to act. It doesn't matter that you just imposed some pretty hefty sanctions not even a month ago for their previous scandal. You have to act. More fines, more lost draft choices, and maybe, longer suspensions (for Loomis in this case).

Tebow, Saints, and Patriots Free Agents: A Crazy Day of Football

Has the dust settled? Is it safe to comment on this stuff or are we still in a fluid process? I left my office for lunch yesterday, popped open twitter and discovered that ALL HELL HAD BROKEN LOOSE.

1. My Prayer Was Answered - Now I just have to figure out if it was Tebow or God that answered...I kid, relax Catholics.  In all seriousness though, I'm soooo excited for this. As a Pats fan, it titillates me, Sanchez looking over his shoulder every third and short, hearing the TEEBBBOOOOWWWWW every single time the Jets punt, and being only the second best looking QB in New York.  

I can't wait for the first time some wise ass reporter asks Tebow about the Bible's stance on husbands filming their wives feet getting fucked, Antonio Cromartie and Tebow debating the virtues between pulling out and abstinence, Plax getting Tebow confused with the jail house Pastor from his 2 year stretch in Sing-Sing, or the first time Sanchez shows up to the post game party with some barely legal girl looking to get stuffed. It's going to be hilarious. If you subscribe to HBO and you aren't writing to them threatening to cancel if they don't run another season with the Jets for Hard Knocks then you've just given up on your Patriotic duty. 

2. The Saints, and More Specifically, Sean Payton, Just got Reamed - Jesus H. What the hell was that? Look, I get that something had to be done. Everyone assumed a couple of draft picks, some fines, and maybe some short suspensions for the coach...but a one year ban for the head coach? That doesn't strike anyone as outlandish?

All I heard yesterday was holier than thou talking heads spouting off about how it was deserved and good for the league for taking this stance...Are these guys watching the same sport I am? The same sport that celebrates huge hits? The same sport that labels finesse and speed teams as "soft," and praises physical, aggressive teams by saying laudatory things like "they'll punch you in the mouth," and meaning it in a good way?

And before anyone accuses me of being out of touch with reality, I get it. I get that you cant go around paying players for causing injuries. As a fan I never root for a player to be seriously maimed (except when the Pats are losing and I think it'll help, of course), so its not like I'm sitting here trying to defend the Saints, not at all. 

It's just, do you really think no one else was doing this? I mean a years suspension for the head coach? When in all likelihood there were at least a handful of teams doing this, if not necessarily this past year, then in the last decade? Is this not just like when the Pats got busted for "Spygate" and various coaches and players from past teams came out said, "So What,  we used to do this too?" Obviously no one is going to come out now and rat out their teammates and coaches after seeing these outrageous penalties come down, but I'd gaurantee there were players and coaches around the league yesterday who privately were scambling to cover any tracks they may have left regarding their own bounty programs. 

3. Patriot's Free Agents Getting Gobbled Up Left and Right - Which I'll assume will lead to the Boston sports radio programs being intolerable to listen to today as always. I'll say this, the team will probably miss BJGE and Mark Anderson, but I get them not paying for them, that was probably the right move. 

If I had to pick one to bitch about losing just a little bit, it'd be Mark Anderson. The guy was a standout last year. And yes, this is what you expect to happen when you sign a low risk, high reward player to a one year contract, if you get that high reward, they're going to expect to be paid for it after the fact, I'm sure the Pats knew the rules of the game. It's just, This Guy Was a Standout Last Year! Can he replicate it? We'll see, but I'd guess yes. He's not quite an every down player, but on obvious passing downs he was a helluva weapon last year, and a weapon the team is now going to need to replace (along with the 4 year running annual search for some competent defensive backs). I just think if you have a simple in-house solution, you take it. That's all. Doesn't help that you'll also now face him twice a year on the Bills, who also signed Mario Williams this year...

As for BGJE, good for him. Undrafted free agent who worked his way into a starting job and a nice free agent contract. Always worked hard, I never heard a peep about him, never fumbled. Do I think the Pats can replace him? Absolutely. Do I think EEI, the Globe, The Herald, and the Sportshub will have a field day the first time a Patriots running back fumbles next year? You betcha.