Gregg Williams Vision Quests To Southeast Asia; Thailand Already Tired Of Saints Bounty Scandal News

Saints Bounty Scandal: St. Louis Rams Avoid Worst Of Gregg Williams-Related Punishments

Gregg Williams Pregame Speech: Audio Proof That Bounty Program Existed, Williams Is Unpleasant

Bill Parcells, New Orleans Saints Continue Sniffing Around Each Other

Saints Bounty Scandal: Sean Payton's Suspension Could Be Appealed

Saints Bounty Scandal: #FreePayton Shirts Outsell #FreeWilliams Shirts, Handily

NFL Bounties: IL Sen. Dick Durbin Calls For Hearing On NFL Bounties

The controversy swirling around now-suspended St. Louis Rams defensive coordinator Gregg Williams continues to build as the government joined in Thursday. According to the Associated Press, Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin is calling for a hearing to examine the bounty system used by Williams while he was the defensive coordinator with the New Orleans Saints.

Durbin contends the bounty system should fall under the designation of "criminal":

"Let's be real basic about it here. If this activity were taking place off of a sporting field, away from a court, nobody would have a second thought (about whether it's wrong). 'You mean, someone paid you to go out and hurt someone?'" Durbin said in a telephone interview before raising the issue on the floor of the Senate.

The NFL has already leveled harsh, unprecedented punishments against the Saints and their staff. And according to NFL spokesman Greg Aiello, the league is willing to talk with Sen. Durbin about the issue.

Stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the St. Louis Rams, be sure to visit Turf Show Times or visit SB Nation NFL for more news and notes around the league

Sean Payton, Gregg Williams Made Their Bountygate Bed; New Orleans Saints, St. Louis Rams Lie In It

Sean Payton will be suspended from the New Orleans Saints for the year. Gregg Williams has been suspended indefinitely, leaving the St. Louis Rams without their new defensive coordinator. The fruits of the bounty scandal—bountygate, if you want to be that way—are here, and they're as brutal as anyone was expecting. At first it might seem like the Saints and especially the Rams have been roughed up for the crimes of their employees, but this kind of thing isn't accurately pinned to an individual; what happened here is institutional corruption, and only the punishment of those institutions can combat it.

The case for punishing the Saints should be clear enough—the NFL knows who knew what when and for how long. But the Rams, too, were complicit in this. I'm not calling Jeff Fisher a liar when he suggests the Rams didn't know about the bounty program, but I am skeptical of that claim, especially given the apparent magnitude of this problem. I think it's more reasonable to say that maybe they didn't want to know what was going on, and didn't look especially hard.

That kind of willful ignorance has costs. The Rams are going to bear some of them.

More bountygate coverage from SB Nation St. Louis:

• The Saints' braintrust couldn't escape the effects of the bounty scandal, no matter where they were.
• The bounty scandal reminds us that the NFL is an ugly game—and we should be sure we want to see how the sausage is made before we go too much farther into the factory.
• However long his suspension turns out to be, the Rams should fire Gregg Williams.

Sean Payton's New Orleans Saints Staff Gets A Cross-Country Body Blow

Sean Payton and Gregg Williams have been suspended—Payton for a year, Williams indefinitely—and the New Orleans Saints' brain trust during the years of their embarrassing bounty system has been eviscerated. Unfortunately, the St. Louis Rams now have to share in that evisceration.

Which is okay. I think it's slightly unfair that the Saints' bounty system has been singled out, because the news that leaked out in the aftermath of the Gregg Williams allegations suggest that this kind of thing is more widespread than anybody wants to admit. But I also think that if it's as widespread as it appears to be, and the Rams hired Williams without doing enough work to uncover it, they've earned their punishment.

It's a tough fine, but it needed to happen—and the more pervasive all this was, the worse it had to be. The Saints, who lose their mastermind, seem to be taking the worst of it anyway; the Rams won't even be replacing Gregg Williams, at least not immediately.

More bountygate coverage from SB Nation St. Louis:

• Jeff Fisher claims the Rams had no idea about the bounty program when they hired Williams. (We're skeptical.)
• The bounty scandal reminds us that the NFL is a rough, dirty game—and we should be sure we want to see how the sausage is made before we go too much farther into the factory.
• However long his suspension from football is, the Rams should fire Gregg Williams.

Gregg Williams Suspension: Former Rams Defensive Coordinator Makes Statement

The former defensive coordinator of the St. Louis Rams, Gregg Williams, was recently suspended indefinitely by the NFL for his role in orchestrating a bounty program with the New Orleans Saints. He released a statement on Wednesday to discuss his suspension and apologize for his actions:

I’d like to again apologize wholeheartedly to the NFL, Coach Fisher, the entire Rams organization and all football fans for my actions. Furthermore, I apologize to the players of the NFL for my involvement as it is not a true reflection of my values as a father or coach, nor is it reflective of the great respect I have for this game and its core principle of sportsmanship. I accept full responsibility for my actions.

I highly value the 23 years that I’ve spent in the NFL. I will continue to cooperate fully with the league and its investigation and I will focus my energies on serving as an advocate for both player safety and sportsmanship. I will do everything possible to re-earn the respect of my colleagues, the NFL and its players in hopes of returning to coaching in the future.

It's unclear if Williams will ever be able to return to the NFL given his suspension. The Saints were also levied with numerous punishments for their role in the situation.

Stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the St. Louis Rams be sure to visit Turf Show Times. Visit SB Nation NFL for more news and notes around the league.

Jeff Fisher Says Rams Had No Idea About Williams' Bounty Program

Recently hired St. Louis Rams head coach Jeff Fisher discussed the recent indefinite suspension of defensive coordinator Gregg Williams by the NFL on Wednesday, noting that the team never would have hired Williams if it was aware of the impending situation.

Jason La Canfora of NFL.com says that Fisher was surprised by the ruling, which may keep Williams out of the NFL permanantly. Fisher also said that he's not ready to announce a replacement for Williams yet as he tries to bring the Rams back to relevance.

Fisher also said that Williams was shocked and remorseful, but that the organization will move on, according to Evan Silva of NBC Sports. Williams was suspending by the NFL on Wednesday for orchestrating a bounty program with the New Orleans Saints, who were hit with major punishments by the league as a result of the infraction.

Stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the St. Louis Rams be sure to visit Turf Show Times. Visit SB Nation NFL for more news and notes around the league.

Gregg Williams Suspension: Rams Defensive Coordinator Out For At Least Entire 2012 Season

The St. Louis Rams have an opening at defensive coordinator, at least for the time being. The NFL announced today the penalties related to the New Orleans Saints' bounty system, and while the news is much, much worse for the Saints, it's not too good for the Rams, either. According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, Rams defensive coordinator Gregg Williams has been suspended indefinitely by the NFL.

Gregg Williams is suspended indefinitely, per league source.

— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) March 21, 2012

It has been widely expected that Williams would receive the harshest penalty of any person involved in the bounty program, and if that holds true, it will be a long time before he's on the Rams sideline, if he ever even makes it there. Williams, along with head coach Sean Payton, will be banned for the entire 2012 season, though Williams' suspension, at commissioner Roger Goodell's discretion, may be extended.

Here's the NFL's official statement on Williams:

Former Saints (and current St. Louis Rams) defensive coordinator Gregg Williams is suspended indefinitely from the NFL, effective immediately. Commissioner Goodell will review Coach Williams' status at the conclusion of the 2012 season and consider whether to reinstate him, and, if so, on what terms. Commissioner Goodell said he will give close attention to the extent to which Coach Williams cooperates with the NFL in any further proceedings.

Stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the St. Louis Rams be sure to visit Turf Show Times. Visit SB Nation NFL for more news and notes around the league.

Gregg Williams Scandal: Rams Could Hear About NFL's Decision This Week, According To Report

The St. Louis Rams have been waiting on word of punishment for Gregg Williams for the bounty program he implemented while with New Orleans, and according to the Post-Dispatch's Jim Thomas, that word could come this week.

Rams are expecting to learn Greg Williams' "Bountygate" penalty some time this week, per team source.

— Jim Thomas (@jthom1) March 11, 2012

(Via.)

Related: St. Louis Rams Should Fire Gregg Williams, No Matter How Widespread Bounty Programs Are

While the Saints will feel the brunt of the sanctions, the Rams will be inconvenienced if Williams is suspended by the league, and that would force the team to put together a contingency plan. That could mean the end of Williams' brief tenure in St. Louis, but as the Rams have refrained from commenting on the situation, it's tough to gauge at this point.

Stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the St. Louis Rams, be sure to visit Turf Show Times. Visit SB Nation NFL for more news and notes around the league.

Bounty Scandals Or Not, Do We Really Want To See How The NFL Sausage Is Made?

We think we want to know all about 'Bounty-Gate' and what really goes on in the back rooms of the NFL. But do we really?

Lil Wayne Totally Not Okay With New Orleans Saints' Bounty Program

Gregg Williams Scandal: The NFL Establishment Readies The Bottom Of The Bus

As Gregg Williams's former employers the New Orleans Saints await their penalties for participating in what's come to be known as the bounty program scandal, the St. Louis Rams' ostensible defensive coordinator finds his support in the NFL about as slim as you'd expect it to be. This problem is almost certainly NFL-wide, but now that Williams is primarily associated with it you can bet he's going to be treated like a plague patient as defensive coordinators everywhere say they're shocked, shocked to see that bounty hunting was going on in this establishment.

Or, as Joe Strauss tweeted Tuesday:

Still waiting for an active NFL head coach or assistant to publicly defend Gregg Williams. Been told, Don't hold your breath.

— Joe Strauss (@JoeStrauss) March 6, 2012

Right now Gregg Williams is poison. Anybody who publicly defends his policies is setting themselves up with a date for the wrong side of a rapidly approaching history; anybody who defends him personally is just taking an undue risk. I can't imagine Jeff Fisher imagined his job as head coach of a cursed franchise would get weird so soon, but here it is.

New Orleans Saints Scandal: Gregg Williams, Saints Could Be Informed Of Penalties Within Next 2 Weeks

According to Fox Sports' Jay Glazer, the New Orleans Saints and ex-Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams could hear about their punishment from the NFL within the next couple of weeks, and that the announcement will most likely come no later than the last week of March.

Sources now tell me Saints penalty will be handed down prior to NFL Owners mtg that starts last wk of March and possibly within next wk or 2

— Jay Glazer (@JayGlazer) March 3, 2012

Related: St. Louis Rams Should Fire Gregg Williams, No Matter How Widespread Bounty Programs Are

The owner meetings start on March 25. The St. Louis Rams have not commented on the investigation or Williams' emplyoment status, and don't plan to do that until the league makes its ruling.

Stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the St. Louis Rams, be sure to visit Turf Show Times. Visit SB Nation NFL for more news and notes around the league.

New Orleans Saints Scandal: Sean Payton And Mickey Loomis Release Statement

Potentially harsh sanctions coming to the New Orleans Saints in the wake of the Gregg Williams bounty program scandal, and on Tuesday Saints head coach Sean Payton and general manager Mickey Loomis released a statement:

We acknowledge that the violations disclosed by the NFL during their investigation of our club happened under our watch. We take full responsibility.

This has brought undue hardship on Mr. Benson, who had nothing to do with this activity. He has been nothing but supportive and for that we both apologize to him.

These are serious violations and we understand the negative impact it has had on our game. Both of us have made it clear within our organization that this will never happen again, and make that same promise to the NFL and most importantly to all of our fans.

Mickey Loomis & Sean Payton

Related: St. Louis Rams Should Fire Gregg Williams, No Matter How Widespread Bounty Programs Are

Punishment from the NFL could be announced later this month, and there has been speculation that fines, suspensions and perhaps even the forfeiture of draft picks could be among the sanctions.

Stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the St. Louis Rams be sure to visit Turf Show Times. Visit SB Nation NFL for more news and notes around the league.

Gregg Williams Bounty: Rams Won't Comment Until Conclusion Of Investigation

The St. Louis Rams organization is in limbo while it waits for a resolution on the Gregg Williams bounty scandal from the NFL. While many already have called for the Rams to fire Williams, the team's front office officials have said they're going to wait for a decision from the league before they comment on the situation. As Rams GM Les Snead said on Rich Eisen's podcast:

"Right now, it's a league matter," Snead said. "That's an ongoing investigation, and we're not going to comment on it until that investigation is resolved."

Snead also chose not to comment on whether the Rams have discussed contingency plans should Williams be suspended.

Related: St. Louis Rams Should Fire Gregg Williams, No Matter How Widespread Bounty Programs Are

The NFL could announce punishments for Williams and the New Orleans Saints in the next few weeks.

Stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the St. Louis Rams be sure to visit Turf Show Times. Visit SB Nation NFL for more news and notes around the league.

Gregg Williams's Bounty Program Raises Question: What Pro Football Player Needs Bounty Cash Anyway?

At the National Football Post there's an interesting look at the bounty program Gregg Williams is in hot water for instituting from someone who isn't looking at it from a moral vantage point. Joe Fortenbaugh raises a question that everyone likely had the moment they looked at the sums that were being put on quarterbacks' heads: What kind of multi-millionaire pro football player needed such a relatively piddling incentive to hit Brett Favre extra-hard?

Perhaps this is another way to look at the question of Williams's effectiveness: If it took five-figure sums to get these seven-figure athletes interested in playing as hard as they could, was the New Orleans Saints' staff already failing to get its defense sufficiently motivated on a weekly basis?

I think this is a clear secondary concern to the real problems this is raising throughout the NFL, but it's worth talking about; there's something fundamentally odd about having to get football players excited in the same way Chuck E. Cheese tries to get grade schoolers excited about good report cards, especially given how many tokens they're already paid.

Bounty Program Questions Go National In The Wake Of Gregg Williams Scandal

Gregg Williams Bounty Scandal: Rams' Defensive Coordinator To Meet With League Investigators Today

The ink has barely dried on Gregg Williams' contract to run the defense for Jeff Fisher and the St. Louis Rams next season, but as Dan Moore noted earlier today, St. Louis' timing couldn't have been worse. Williams was implicated in a cash-for-injuries bounty scandal last week for his time as the defensive coordinator of the New Orleans Saints, and today Williams will meet with NFL investigators in New York to discuss the program.

As more details have emerged and more players have stepped forward acknowledging the program, the NFL's investigation is expected to soon turn its attention to Williams' places of employment that predate his time in New Orleans. That means the Titans, Redskins, Jaguars and Bills can each expect the league office to come calling soon.

As for the Rams? As Moore notes, they could save face by firing Williams before the NFL hands down a ruling. At the moment, Fisher and St. Louis are stuck in limbo, waiting on action from the NFL.

Stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the St. Louis Rams be sure to visit Turf Show Times. Visit SB Nation NFL for more news and notes around the league.

St. Louis Rams Should Fire Gregg Williams, No Matter How Widespread Bounty Programs Are

Gregg Williams's bounty program probably doesn't come as news to most NFL players and coaches. But that doesn't mean the St. Louis Rams shouldn't react to it.

Gregg Williams Had Bounty System As Head Coach In Buffalo, According To Report

As more information continues to come out about St. Louis Rams defensive coordinator Gregg Williams and his bounty system, it continues to become clear that this was not something that occurred only in New Orleans. According to a report from Tim Graham of BuffaloNews.com, in which he spoke to Coy Wire, Williams had a bounty system for his defense while he was the head coach in Buffalo:

Williams was the Bills' head coach from 2001 through 2003. Wire joined the team in 2002 and said an environment of "malicious intent" was in place when he arrived.

"That's real," Wire said by phone from Atlanta. "That happened in Buffalo.

"There were rewards. There never was a point where cash was handed out in front of the team. But surely, you were going to be rewarded. When somebody made a big hit that hurt an opponent, it was commended and encouraged."

Wire insisted he never received a bounty reward. He said he didn't remember how the payment structure was set up or how much cash was doled out for particular hits.

Williams is set to meet with the NFL on Monday to discuss more on the bounty system that was in place.

Stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the St. Louis Rams be sure to visit Turf Show Times. Visit SB Nation NFL for more news and notes around the league.

St. Louis Rams DC Gregg Williams Implemented Bounty System While With New Orleans

While he was with New Orleans, current Rams defensive coordinator Gregg Williams installed a bounty system in which players were rewarded for causing injuries.