Deliberation Of Penalties On Tomlin, Steelers Is Credibility Issue For NFL

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin was fined "$100,000 Wednesday for his actions on the sideline last Thursday in Baltimore" and "because the conduct affected a play on the field, a modification or forfeiture of draft choices will be considered after the final order of the 2014 draft has been determined," the NFL said in a statement.

In a statement released by Tomlin, he addressed the penalty this way: "As I stated yesterday, I take full responsibility for my actions, and I apologize for causing negative attention to the Pittsburgh Steelers organization. I accept the penalty that I received. I will no longer address this issue as I am preparing for an important game this Sunday against the Miami Dolphins."

In If It Ain't Steel's last article covering Tomlin's "SidelineGate", I was very clear that I didn't believe anything would happen to the Steelers themselves, i.e. a forfeiture of draft picks. What I said was:

"To honestly believe the NFL will actually take the quantum leap from a fine (knowing their true main objective is money) to taking away a draft pick is as viable as me walking into my closet and walking through it into a land where I find myself conversing with a talking lion." - http://ifitaintsteel.blogspot.com/2013/12/tomlin-steelers-to-be-fined-but-wont.html

So, I was just in Narnia talking with Aslan and...

So, the fact that the Steelers could potentially lose a draft pick (a late-round draft pick is what is speculated) or see their picks somehow "modified" (moved from 17th to 32nd?) in the draft isn't the main issue for me. It's the elongated deliberation of the final decision.

If NFL is going to take or modify a Steelers draft pick, why wait until a later date? Why not simply announce it now and then announce the particulars at a later time? Why does there have to be so much time taken to make this decision? Consider this.

In 2007, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell spent little time before handing down "SpyGate" fines to the New England Patriots that totaled approximately $750,000 ($500,000 for Bill Belichick, $250,000 for the team) and stripping New England of their first-round draft pick, though they already had a second first rounder that year, for the premeditated and willful video taping of teams for years. How little time? All of 6 days.

For premeditated and willful actions surrounding "BountyGate," the New Orleans Saints suffered a $500,000 fine and the loss of their second-round picks in 2012 and 2013 over that scandal. Sean Payton forfeited the entire 2012 season and his entire 2012 salary. Also, DC Gregg Williams was suspended for the season, GM Mickey Loomis for eight games and assistant coach Joe Vitt for six games. It took Goodell just under three weeks to mete out all that punishment.

Yet, for an unintentional and admitted "blunder" Goodell wants to wait as much as four months to decide whether or not draft picks are affected?

Now, because of this elongation, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Gerry Dulac has reported that the "Steelers are very upset with the NFL's threat of draft choices in the Mike Tomlin penalty, saying 'there is no precedent for it,' per team source."

And rightly so. As Neal Coolong of Behind The Steel Curtain said recently in a conversation we had, "They haven't taken a pick, they don't have any justification for doing so, it's nothing more than precautionary talk for the rest of the league, and getting it on the record in case, in an extreme hypothetical scenario, Baltimore and Pittsburgh end up at a tie-breaker that is determined by points, they can take action."

Though Coolong is correct, the notion of waiting to see how it affects draft order based on tie-breakers is ridiculous and just as egregious as the "crime" itself. (But, it's Goodell, what else is new?) The NFL's "unforeseen ramifications" response in this case is simply absurd.

The game still could have gone any direction because I firmly believe that Cortez Allen would have caught Jones anyway. Then they say that four points (the difference between a field goal and a touchdown) is an impact on playoffs? Please!

Does anyone truly believe playoff tie-breaker factors ever go that deeply into the process? The tie-breaker factor of points is so low that the only factors following it were the colors of the teams' uniforms and whether Fireman Ed was at the last New York Jets home game. Stop it. The NFL is simply embarrassing itself.

As for those four months referenced earlier, compensatory picks are announced for every team in March and this punishment could be part of that equation. If so, it is then the NFL who is committing a premeditated and willful act.

As Sean Payton Cajoles Bill Parcells He Thumbs Nose At Goodell

Only days after Commissioner Roger Goodell handed down the sanctions on the New Orleans Saints organization did we see head coach Patrick Sean Payton do something that was tantamount to flouting those sanctions.

Payton was suspended because of his involvement with and subterfuge regarding "Bounty-gate", but he basically thumbed his nose at it and started to woo his buddy Bill Parcells to come out of retirement and to coach the Saints while Payton sits in the corner on his year-long timeout.

From 2003 to 2005, Payton worked as quarterbacks coach of the Dallas Cowboys under Bill Parcells, and, of course, the Saints coach since 2006.

It began to sound like a scenario the Bard would conjure with the parties involved, Payton, Parcells, Goodell and Ray Anderson, completing this dramatis personae. It began to sound something like this:

SEAN PAYTON (Sampson) TO BILL PARCELLS (Gregory) (New Orleans Saints - Capulets):
I will thumb my nose at them by recruiting you to coach my team in my absence, if they bear it.

-- Enter ROGER GOODELL (Abraham) and RAY ANDERSON (Balthasar) (NFL - Montagues)

GOODELL:
Do you thumb your nose at us, sir?
PAYTON:
I do thumb my nose, sir.
GOODELL:
Do you thumb your nose at US, sir?
PAYTON:
[Aside to PARCELLS] Is the law on our side if I say yes?
PARCELLS:
[Aside] No, Congress is even looking to step in now.
PAYTON:
No, sir, I do not thumb my nose at you, but I do thumb my nose, sir.
PARCELLS:
Do you have a problem with me, sir?
GOODELL:
"Problem?" No, sir. I just thought you were retired is all.
PAYTON:
Well, if you do, sir, I apologize. *wink wink* I love football as much as you.
GOODELL:
No better or worse. I've proven my love by attempting to reduce injuries. I do believe that's why we're here in the first place, sir.
PAYTON:
Well, sir, I suppose...but I was hoping to recruit and nominate my man, sir.
GOODELL:
Did you abide by the Rooney Rule, sir? ~ Romeo & Juliet, Act I, scene i

Ok, yes, I have an imagination. Still, Payton has acted as if Goodell has no teeth and that he can go and campaign for his replacement. Not that he's acting completely mutinous, but it is still somewhat insubordinate.

Now Payton has also appealed, as he has the right to do, his suspension. That will give Payton more time now to cajole his friend and former coach to become the team’s interim head coach. And the plot thickens... - http://t.co/x9OVIQBd

Separately, the Saints, General Manager Mickey Loomis, and Saints assistant head coach/linebackers coach Joe Vitt actually have all appealed their punishments/suspensions - http://t.co/oBgYX76k

All things considered, including all we remember of Parcells' antics in the NFL, the attitude being displayed by Payton smacks at disrespect toward his situation. Even his apology for "what has happened" rather than for his complicit involvement and lying to the inquiry after the fact. I simply don't hear or see true remorse from Payton.

But, despite coming down with the appropriate severity in order to send an adequate message, Goodell's examples of inconsistent punishment are legion. So, it would be easy to understand the impetus behind Payton's mindset and actions.

A plague on both their houses...

Scrutiny On The Bounty: The NFL, Saints and Inconsistency

It was September 29, 2008 against the rival Baltimore Ravens. Rashard Mendenhall takes the ball and gets hit by linebacker Ray Lewis squarely in his shoulder, fracturing it and putting him out for the season.

Before the next game between the two teams, during the "2 Live Stews" syndicated radio show on Oct. 17, Baltimore linebacker Terrell Suggs said that they had put a bounty on Hines Ward and Mendenhall. Suggs was asked, "Did y'all put a bounty out on that young man [Mendenhall]?" Suggs replied, "Definitely. The bounty was out on him and the bounty was out on [Ward]...we just didn't get [Ward] between the whistles."

It was March 2, 2012 when it was revealed that the New Orleans Saints had bounties not on a hated rival's key player, but on every opposing player in the NFL from 2009 to 2011.

Obviously, no one in the Saints organization was aware of what Ray Anderson, the NFL's executive vice president of football operations, said on the matter shortly thereafter.

Anderson told http://ESPN.com: "That 'bounty' notion is completely against the rules. To the extent that someone is engaged in that activity, we will look into it and address it. Yes, we've seen the comments and we're trying to determine the completeness of the circumstances."

Weren't the words, "completely against the rules" definitive enough?

Before I go any further, let me be clear about the fact that this blog post won't read like a breaking news report. I'll leave the fact-finding to Mike Florio of http://profootballtalk.com and Adam Schefter of ESPN, @profootballtalk and @AdamSchefter respectively on Twitter. This post will, though, entertain thoughts on the ramifications this may have on several fronts.

To that point, it was Adam Schefter who reported that NFL security had determined that there were between 22 and 27 defensive players on the Saints maintained a bounty program. It was defensive coordinator Gregg Williams who administered the program with knowledge of other defensive coaches.

The NFL scrutiny of the Saints began in 2010 when allegations were made that the Saints targeted such quarterbacks as Brett Favre and Kurt Warner. The investigation contains 18,000 documents totaling more than 50,000 pages.

Regarding the bounty program and the monies paid on different players and for different results, the NFL-issued release stated: “The payments here are particularly troubling because they involved not just payments for ‘performance,’ but also for injuring opposing players,” Commissioner Roger Goodell said in the release.

“The bounty rule promotes two key elements of NFL football: player safety and competitive integrity. It is our responsibility to protect player safety and the integrity of our game, and this type of conduct will not be tolerated.  We have made significant progress in changing the culture with respect to player safety and we are not going to relent. We have more work to do and we will do it.”

The league’s release said that the program not only included payments for fumbles and interceptions, but also $1,000 for inflicting injuries that resulted in players being carried off the field and $1,500 for players being knocked out of the game.

The release also stated that coach Sean Payton, while not involved in the program directly, knew about the bounty and did nothing to stop it. For a certainty, a mistake on his part. One for which he will have to answer in some fashion.

Discipline for the Saints could include fines, suspensions and forfeiture of draft choices, per Adam Schefter. Commissioner Goodell will determine the discipline. Schefter also said, "a safe prediction: Saints will be disciplined far worse than the Patriots were for Spygate."

If that's the case, then, while Sean Payton won't get more than the slap on the wrist Bill Belichik received, Saints general manager Mickey Loomis, who was also has been implicated, should get decidedly more than was divvied out in 2005.

It was reported by Pro Football Talk that, though the relevant portion of the release was somewhat unclear, it appears that Loomis may have lied to owner Tom Benson about the existence of a bounty program and/or failed to end the program after being told by Benson to do so.

If that is to be believed, you're looking at insolence and complicity. If it isn't to be believed and Tom Benson was involved, now you also have collusion and Goodell has a potential dilemma in front of him.

Goodell already has tenuous relations with the players, so another light-handed reaction to something done by an owner and/or GM will set relations on it's ear. Especially when considering how conversely heavy-handed he has been on them at times. Goodell and the NFLPA will have to work together closely on this matter to avoid having a noticeable limp as the NFL moves forward.

As it is, the NFLPA says it will study league's report on Saints' bounties. “Health and safety is a paramount issue to the NFLPA,” the union said in a statement. The rest of the statement and Pro Football Talk's commentary on it can be read here:  http://t.co/d8pOgn2L

Kurt Warner, who was earlier mentioned specifically as a targeted player said this about it: "It's definitely disappointing, but I won’t say that I’m completely surprised...that there were teams out there doing those kinds of things behind closed doors."

“I think that’s part of the game, and I think that’s part of the mindset,” Warner said. “And I’m not going to tell you that I haven’t believed that there was probably defensive players that got together and said, ‘Hey, you know, a thousand bucks for the first guy to knock Kurt out of a football game.’ I’m sure that’s been a part of our league for a long time.” http://t.co/Fq2yTj44

This is isn't the first time Gregg Williams has done this. The Washington Post reported that the Redskins had a bounty system for big hits on opponents under Williams, who was their defensive coordinator from 2004-2007, per Adam Schefter. Williams has since apologized for this "terrible mistake": http://t.co/13xhxP3n

Pro Football Talk suggested that, If Goodell really wants to punish the Saints, he should take away their franchise tag: http://t.co/MQxH0Inp

Doing so would strike an immediate blow to the Saints who, per a league source, used the exclusive version of the franchise tag on Drew Brees. He won't be able to talk to any other teams. So, if the Saints punishment is indeed coming by March 25, as Jay Glazer has stated, there is time to halt their dealings and  http://t.co/WH7jxQpH

That's just one option, of course, and I'm not here to debate punishments to be levied anyway. I don't sit on the rules committee, nor do I rule with an iron-mixed-with-clay fist, so I'll leave judgement to the purview of those in charge.

No, what comes into light for me is that there is an ancillary issue that is of the prime benefit to Steelers fans and true NFL fans. The development of this story forces NFL fans, and people in general around the country and world, who only read the sensationalistic headlines and snippets regarding the Steelers and their players, and even certain overly vocal Browns players, to acknowledge and turn their attention to actual and admittedly dirty players and coaches.

Those same ones will also have to put down their torches and leave the James Harrison witch hunt or be exposed as significantly less-than-intelligent. Harrison said he wants the opponent to feel pain when he hits them, to hurt them (similar to things said by many players over the years, including NFL darlings and Hall of Famers Deacon Jones, Chuck Bednarik and Dick "Night Train" Lane), but not to cause injuries. Certainly not as a part of some sort of bounty either. Clearly, there's a difference.

Mark Kaboly put it well when he said: "Ironic this is that @jharrison9292 (James Harrison's Twitter handle) got fined $20K for what was deemed a dirty hit to New Orleans QB Drew Brees two years ago" during the time of the bounties.

Ironic indeed.

As a Steelers fan, I'm keenly concerned with the highly resented implications, even outright accusations of the "dirty" play of the Steelers. Especially where it concerns outside linebacker James Harrison. Even more so now that this has come to light.

The NFL and Goodell have been very inconsistent in how the NFL's games have been called and how fines have been assessed. Except when it comes to the Pittsburgh Steelers and one James Harrison. The inconsistent practices of the former have caused even non-Steelers fans to wonder aloud if Goodell has some axe to grind with latter. When that happens, you know there is a problem with balance...or the lack thereof.

I won't demand an apology, a la Tom Hagen in The Godfather II, knowing that there are times when Harrison has, unfortunately, laid illegal hits. That would be excessive and, to be blunt, a laughable request.

I simply have desire to see Goodell handle this properly and without the cloak and dagger feel of Spygate. Not to mention handling the Saints problem with the same ardor he has used with another Black and Gold clad team and eliminate the myth of Steelers as a "dirty" team...at least until the next time the Steelers play the Cleveland Browns.