By Jim Thomas, St. Louis Post-Dispatch –
PALM BEACH, Fla. — Stiff penalties have been handed down to three coaches, a general manager and one franchise, but NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said Monday that the league isn’t quite ready to close the books on the “Bountygate” scandal.
We have not stopped investigating,” he said Monday at the NFL owners meetings. “If we get information, we follow up on it. . . . We have not said that everybody has got a free pass here.”
The New Orleans Saints’ organization, as well as general manager Mickey Loomis, head coach Sean Payton, current Rams defensive coordinator Gregg Williams and assistant head coach Joe Vitt certainly didn’t get a free pass.
Goodell indicated that it was as much the cover-up as the actual crime that led to a one-season suspension for Payton, a minimum one-year suspension for Williams, eight games for Loomis and six games for Vitt, plus a $500,000 fine and two forfeited second-round picks for the Saints’ organization.
“There are a couple of issues,” Goodell said in explaining the unprecedented penalties. “One, it’s a violation of a very serious rule. We have made player health and safety very clear as a priority.”
And second?
“When this first was raised over two years ago, there were denials,” he said. “They frankly were not forthright with what was happening. And that continued, and it continued even through our investigation into the past several weeks. … It is not acceptable to hide the issues, continue to violate NFL policy, put our players at risk. That’s going to be dealt with very harshly.”
As soon as the suspensions begin — Williams’ began immediately — the coaches and Loomis won’t be allowed into their team facilities.
“I do not expect them to have contact with the team,” Goodell said. “But we’ll also have to be reasonable about that. But you’re not going to be coaching from home.”
Lots of out-of-work NFL coaches end up as television analysts, but Goodell said that’s not his call if Payton or any of the others wish to do so. (Just don’t look for them on the NFL Network.) And on a day when reports surfaced that Payton was interested in having Bill Parcells serve as interim Saints head coach during his absence, Goodell expressed no problem with that.
“That’s not my decision,” Goodell said. “It’s a decision that has to be made by the team. He’s suspended as of April 1. So the Saints are going to have to make that decision.”
Parcells, 70, was at the Cardinals’ spring training game Monday and when he was asked if he has had enough of coaching said, “I think so.”
No matter who Payton might like to see as his successor for 2012, Goodell pointed out, “I think there’s only one person who will sign the check.”
That’s Saints owner Tom Benson.
Goodell said the Saints can hire an interim head coach, but it must be someone not working in the league. Goodell also said the Saints must follow the Rooney Rule on minority interviewing if they do decide to hire an interim coach.
Benson addressed the league ownership on “Bountygate” behind closed doors Monday.
“He was very open with the clubs,” Goodell said. “I think he expressed his disappointment that this occurred, and that it was not what he’s all about, and he expects to take whatever steps necessary to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
When it comes to Benson’s last point, Goodell and the league feels the same way.
“Part of the decision is that all 32 clubs are to meet with their coaching staffs and certify that non-contract bonuses will be discontinued if they existed,” Goodell said. “And that they are certifying that they will not be in existence going forward. So I think we will see the end of any non-contract bonus payments.
“Certainly as it applies to bounty, if you want to put that in the context of targeting opposing players, that’s zero tolerance.”
Almost all of the questions Goodell fielded during his 25-minute news conference had to do with “Bountygate,” and most of those questions dealt with Payton, who like all of the suspended parties has until early April to file any appeals. Williams’ name rarely came up.
From a Rams perspective, club owner Stan Kroenke said he had no problems with Goodell’s handling of the situation.
“I think Roger addressed what needed to be addressed,” Kroenke told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “The NFL’s all about the fact that the game needs to be honored. The rules need to be honored. The conduct was not proper. Roger addressed it, Roger did a great job of handling it, and so we all move forward.”
As for any discipline to Saints players involved in bounty rules violations, Goodell said those penalties will come sooner rather than later.
“We’d like to get a recommendation from the players,” Goodell said, meaning the NFL Players Association. “And I expect to talk to them by the end of the week.”
