Vilma suspended 1 year for BountyGate

[Moranis]

Hargrove 8 games, Smith 4 games, Fujita 3 games.

No other suspensions.  Vilma's is effective immediately, the other 3 can stay with the team until the first regular season game. 

All 4 will appeal.  Commish said he suspended those in positions of leadership and that contributed a lot and fully bought into the bounty program.

[indeedproceed]

Hargrove 8 games, Smith 4 games, Fujita 3 games.

No other suspensions.  Vilma's is effective immediately, the other 3 can stay with the team until the first regular season game. 

All 4 will appeal.  Commish said he suspended those in positions of leadership and that contributed a lot and fully bought into the bounty program.

Completely disagree with this ruling. The coaches instituted the program and the culture, the coaches bear responsibility, and 1 year suspension (the same as Payton's) is ridiculous.

But, to play devil's advocate, in hockey if a coach tells a guy to go out there and sucker-punch an opposing player, its the guy who threw the punch that usually pays the price, even if its clear (if a bit unprovable) that the coach ordered the hit, whether implicitly or explicitly.

A few games I'd be cool with to send a message that there should be some personal accountability, but a year is outrageous.

[wdleehi]

These are more likely to be reduced since when they are appealed, it goes to a arbitrator. 

[j804]

Come on no link ?

[angryguy77]

The team got off easy with the suspensions. I hope this team dwells in the basement for decades. The coaches may have organized it, but the players have the obligation to not cheat and show some honor.

[Eja117]

Sometimes I wonder if maybe Goodel would consider sending a picture of Meta World Moron to Stern with a note like "You are such a panzy".

Granted Stern could send Goodel a pic of Rothlisburger with "I know you are, but what am I?"

[Finkelskyhook]

Roethlisburger got suspended based on an allegation combined with other behaviors that are detrimental to the image of the NFL.  His suspension, IMHO, was very fair...Based on standards that Goodell has put in place.

Terry Bradshaw had brilliant commentary on Roethlisberger at the time.

Vilma was suspended based on what sounds like thousands of pages of evidence of something that he and his coaches were forewarned about and moved forward with anyway.  

The bounty stuff might go on in secret...But when the league becomes aware of it, warns them, and it still goes on?  Unless they take a very hard line, the league would be essentially sanctioning it.

[Moranis]

Roethlisburger got suspended based on an allegation combined with other behaviors that are detrimental to the image of the NFL.  His suspension, IMHO, was very fair...Based on standards that Goodell has put in place.

Terry Bradshaw had brilliant commentary on Roethlisberger at the time.

Vilma was suspended based on what sounds like thousands of pages of evidence of something that he and his coaches were forewarned about and moved forward with anyway.  

The bounty stuff might go on in secret...But when the league becomes aware of it, warns them, and it still goes on?  Unless they take a very hard line, the league would be essentially sanctioning it.

I wonder if the players ever knew the league told the team to cut it out. 

[Donoghus]

Vilma getting suspended for the year seems a bit excessive to me.  Is what he did that much worse than the 8 games that Hargrove got?

I mean, Donte Stallworth got a year and that was for DUI manslaughter.

I know the bounty stuff was dangerous and wrong but its not quite on the same level as DUI manslaughter.

[StartOrien]

There's another, very sad story on the board today that might reaffirm Gooddell's decision.

It's obviously to early to tell, but I'll be surprised if we don't find out that undiagnosed concussions played part in the death of Junior Seau.

There's no room in life for this bounty nonsense, and I haven't the least problem with the NFL coming down hard on these players. I also suspect, just with the Williams audio, there's probably more to the story than what is immediately being reported.

[Finkelskyhook]

Roethlisburger got suspended based on an allegation combined with other behaviors that are detrimental to the image of the NFL.  His suspension, IMHO, was very fair...Based on standards that Goodell has put in place.

Terry Bradshaw had brilliant commentary on Roethlisberger at the time.

Vilma was suspended based on what sounds like thousands of pages of evidence of something that he and his coaches were forewarned about and moved forward with anyway.  

The bounty stuff might go on in secret...But when the league becomes aware of it, warns them, and it still goes on?  Unless they take a very hard line, the league would be essentially sanctioning it.

I wonder if the players ever knew the league told the team to cut it out.  

Based on the severity of the suspensions....And how directly Goodell appears to deal with the players...It's a pretty safe bet that the players were told directly by Goodell to knock it off at the same time that management was told.

To expand on the direct nature Goodell appears to deal with the players....One just needs to remember that Ndamakong Suh initiated a meeting with Goodell to clarify what was OK and not OK about his play.  That speaks to two things.  That Goodell does deal directly and that he carries a very big stick.