BrianM
Practice Squad
- Joined
- Mar 7, 2002
- Messages
- 24
- Reaction score
- 9
- Age
- 46
Offline
Dear Commissioner Goodell,
The NFL is committed to player safety.
The NFL is being sued by hundreds of former players regarding concussions.
The Saints had a bounty system in place which awarded monetary sums to players at times even from the pockets of their coaches for a variety of big plays and hits.
The Saints were not forthcoming with the full depth of their involvement in this situation which was not only in violation of the salary cap structure, but also violated the NFL's trust.
Your trust, Mr. Goodell.
I understand the Saints franchise including staffers Sean Payton, Mickey Loomis, Joe Vitt, and former coach Gregg Williams must all face disciplinary action. Their actions or inaction in certain respects dictated such.
Let me say this. I applaud you for not handling this situation lightly as the NFL has in so many instances in the past when a marquee franchise has committed inappropriate acts. What instances? How about the 49ers cheating the salary cap with tight end Brent Jones during Super Bowl seasons? How about the Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger violating a girl in a bathroom of a bar amid championship-level runs? How about former Rams defensive end Leonard Little who killed a woman driving drunk only to be reinstated by the NFL and yet once again drive drunk? How about the New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick purposefully cheating by recording opponents?
Not once in any of these instances did I feel the NFL come down on any of these individuals or teams with appropriate weight that measured their guilt.
So thank you for not letting this incident slide.
It shouldn't.
With that said, I would like to understand the motivation for such a vigorous penalty imposed as what you have brought to bear on the New Orleans Saints. This is a team I have followed my entire life and one until the past few years has been more punchline than prolific.
I endured all of the years of losing. The jokes made about my allegiance. The lack of respect. I am not alone, either. Thousands across the Gulf South have worn anything with that fleur-de-lis on it with pride long before it became trendy and fashionable. This was a symbol of hope and faith that tomorrow would promise a new game and with it the opportunity to compete and be on the level of the famed 49ers, celebrated Steelers, or historic Patriots.
You see with each new season comes hope that maybe this is the year we finally break through.
Then we did, and I have not lost that passion. I am enjoying every moment of this unprecedented run by the Saints because I know just how bad it has been before and likely will be again. Savor the moment because this moment is all we have. The rest is just memory or possibility.
So I take umbrage with your decision to suspend Sean Payton for an entire season.
This isn't just a fan talking. I consider myself objective. Two years ago I did not like what I saw from my team. I was talking with friends writing how I saw the Saints style of defense as something I was ashamed of with how they carried themselves. The Super Bowl swagger became something more sinister in my eyes. I did not like what I saw. I was one of few then who felt this way.
Last season I was even more vocal about my displeasure of how Gregg Williams ran his defense and how Sean allowed his players to play defense.
I'll say it. It was dirty. Cheap shots in my view were taken. There's no denying it. It happened.
I hated every minute of it because I had endured so much for so long to finally see my team rise up and now the very men who brought us there were allowing us to play less like champions and more like chumps.
You had every right to come down hard on the Saints. There is no place in any sport for players taking shots outside the context of the rulebook.
However, I did not see evidence of this in 2009, which is what is so infuriating. Did these bounties exist then? I believe your report when you state that they did. I do not recall having seen the types of dirty hits in that year that I saw in the following two.
I believe the defense played hard and within the confines of the rules that year. The longer they were "in the system" I believe the sloppier they played and the more reckless -- and thus dangerous -- they became regarding opposing players. Those "remember me" hits that Gregg Williams famously spoke of were quite forgettable for Saints fans. They were poor attempts at tackling Marshawn Lynch or Vernon Davis.
Hits don't win championships. Especially not cheap shots.
That is why the Saints did not win the past two years. They lacked discipline and it started at the top and went on down.
I do not believe the Saints deserve special treatment, however I do believe they be afforded fair treatment.
How is suspending a head coach an entire season fair?
Should he forfeit games? I believe so.
Should he forfeit salary? I believe so.
Should he be an example of what happens when one is dishonest with the NFL? I believe so.
Should he be an example of what happens when one is careless with serious issues such as player health? I believe so.
Should he be banished for a full year? I don't believe so.
What justification is there for such a ban? It has never happened before.
8 games? That hurts. It's never happened.
12 games? That gets the point across. That's three-fourths of the season.
14 games? He would have coached more pre-season contests than regular season games.
A full 16 includes the post-season. A post-season which culminates in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans by the way with the Super Bowl here after a very long absence.
Really?
So Sean Payton's error in judgement was so egregious that it warrants a full year ban?
Why not take away Sean Payton's salary? Force him to coach for free and only allow him to do so in say the final four games. Or even the final game.
That gets everyone's attention just as much as a full year suspension without pay does it not?
It also gives the Saints a chance -- even if only a small one -- to remain competitive on the field in an attempt to do what no other team has been able which is play the Super Bowl at home in the Superdome. Competitive balance is maintained. The Saints are forced to answer for their crimes. There is a penalty paid -- one still as severe as ever has been handed down in this league or any other for a coach -- both on the field, off the field, and on every level that this game exists as it should. I believe what the Saints engaged in hurt the NFL and themselves on every level. I believe such a penalty should be paid on every level.
What I do not feel is fair or just is taking away from an amazing player and person like Drew Brees, a wonderful region as the Gulf South, and a forever hopeful city like New Orleans is the real opportunity to compete at least once this upcoming season at full strength.
The only reason you would sit Sean Payton for an entire season is to remove him from the post-season and that is a strike against the competitive balance of the game. That is a strike at the integrity of the game on the field. That is a strike against not only the Saints but every opponent they face next season because you will be forcing them to play with a handicap no one has ever been dealt.
That strikes me as not only the absence of justice but the very antithesis of it.
Justice is to answer for your crimes, pay the penalty, and learn from the experience and be better because of it.
There is no justice in keeping Sean Payton from the Saints for an entire season. The lesson can be learned in fines just as steeply set while preserving the integrity of the competition on the field. Mr. Goodell, should you remove Sean Payton for the entire season it will be because you are purposefully keeping him out of the post-season. Such a blow dealt to the Saints and their fans is as unethical and egregious a hit as any the Saints have delivered to opponent's during Gregg Williams stay here in New Orleans.
And as I said, I'm ashamed of so many of those.
I hope you consider this, Mr. Goodell, as I appeal to you and your sense of what is fair and what is justice.
Do not leave so many NFL fans such as I ashamed of the hit you yourself deliver to a coach.
It hurts us all.
Always,
Brian Milici
I haven't edited this yet, so if anyone has any comments or suggestions I'm certainly open to them. If anyone has any letters they are considering/writing post 'em here! I heard on the radio here yesterday an NFL guy spoke to a fan for 30 mins when he called voicing concerns over the issue. So they may be doing more than giving fans lip service. Who knows.
Does anyone have a lead on an email address for Goodell? I've seen a few floating around, but I'm not certain they are either still operating or were ever legitimate. If not, I'll try contacting the NFL and snail mail my letter.
Anyone else written the NFL/Goodell or considering writing? I definitely think it is worth the endeavor.
The NFL is committed to player safety.
The NFL is being sued by hundreds of former players regarding concussions.
The Saints had a bounty system in place which awarded monetary sums to players at times even from the pockets of their coaches for a variety of big plays and hits.
The Saints were not forthcoming with the full depth of their involvement in this situation which was not only in violation of the salary cap structure, but also violated the NFL's trust.
Your trust, Mr. Goodell.
I understand the Saints franchise including staffers Sean Payton, Mickey Loomis, Joe Vitt, and former coach Gregg Williams must all face disciplinary action. Their actions or inaction in certain respects dictated such.
Let me say this. I applaud you for not handling this situation lightly as the NFL has in so many instances in the past when a marquee franchise has committed inappropriate acts. What instances? How about the 49ers cheating the salary cap with tight end Brent Jones during Super Bowl seasons? How about the Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger violating a girl in a bathroom of a bar amid championship-level runs? How about former Rams defensive end Leonard Little who killed a woman driving drunk only to be reinstated by the NFL and yet once again drive drunk? How about the New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick purposefully cheating by recording opponents?
Not once in any of these instances did I feel the NFL come down on any of these individuals or teams with appropriate weight that measured their guilt.
So thank you for not letting this incident slide.
It shouldn't.
With that said, I would like to understand the motivation for such a vigorous penalty imposed as what you have brought to bear on the New Orleans Saints. This is a team I have followed my entire life and one until the past few years has been more punchline than prolific.
I endured all of the years of losing. The jokes made about my allegiance. The lack of respect. I am not alone, either. Thousands across the Gulf South have worn anything with that fleur-de-lis on it with pride long before it became trendy and fashionable. This was a symbol of hope and faith that tomorrow would promise a new game and with it the opportunity to compete and be on the level of the famed 49ers, celebrated Steelers, or historic Patriots.
You see with each new season comes hope that maybe this is the year we finally break through.
Then we did, and I have not lost that passion. I am enjoying every moment of this unprecedented run by the Saints because I know just how bad it has been before and likely will be again. Savor the moment because this moment is all we have. The rest is just memory or possibility.
So I take umbrage with your decision to suspend Sean Payton for an entire season.
This isn't just a fan talking. I consider myself objective. Two years ago I did not like what I saw from my team. I was talking with friends writing how I saw the Saints style of defense as something I was ashamed of with how they carried themselves. The Super Bowl swagger became something more sinister in my eyes. I did not like what I saw. I was one of few then who felt this way.
Last season I was even more vocal about my displeasure of how Gregg Williams ran his defense and how Sean allowed his players to play defense.
I'll say it. It was dirty. Cheap shots in my view were taken. There's no denying it. It happened.
I hated every minute of it because I had endured so much for so long to finally see my team rise up and now the very men who brought us there were allowing us to play less like champions and more like chumps.
You had every right to come down hard on the Saints. There is no place in any sport for players taking shots outside the context of the rulebook.
However, I did not see evidence of this in 2009, which is what is so infuriating. Did these bounties exist then? I believe your report when you state that they did. I do not recall having seen the types of dirty hits in that year that I saw in the following two.
I believe the defense played hard and within the confines of the rules that year. The longer they were "in the system" I believe the sloppier they played and the more reckless -- and thus dangerous -- they became regarding opposing players. Those "remember me" hits that Gregg Williams famously spoke of were quite forgettable for Saints fans. They were poor attempts at tackling Marshawn Lynch or Vernon Davis.
Hits don't win championships. Especially not cheap shots.
That is why the Saints did not win the past two years. They lacked discipline and it started at the top and went on down.
I do not believe the Saints deserve special treatment, however I do believe they be afforded fair treatment.
How is suspending a head coach an entire season fair?
Should he forfeit games? I believe so.
Should he forfeit salary? I believe so.
Should he be an example of what happens when one is dishonest with the NFL? I believe so.
Should he be an example of what happens when one is careless with serious issues such as player health? I believe so.
Should he be banished for a full year? I don't believe so.
What justification is there for such a ban? It has never happened before.
8 games? That hurts. It's never happened.
12 games? That gets the point across. That's three-fourths of the season.
14 games? He would have coached more pre-season contests than regular season games.
A full 16 includes the post-season. A post-season which culminates in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans by the way with the Super Bowl here after a very long absence.
Really?
So Sean Payton's error in judgement was so egregious that it warrants a full year ban?
Why not take away Sean Payton's salary? Force him to coach for free and only allow him to do so in say the final four games. Or even the final game.
That gets everyone's attention just as much as a full year suspension without pay does it not?
It also gives the Saints a chance -- even if only a small one -- to remain competitive on the field in an attempt to do what no other team has been able which is play the Super Bowl at home in the Superdome. Competitive balance is maintained. The Saints are forced to answer for their crimes. There is a penalty paid -- one still as severe as ever has been handed down in this league or any other for a coach -- both on the field, off the field, and on every level that this game exists as it should. I believe what the Saints engaged in hurt the NFL and themselves on every level. I believe such a penalty should be paid on every level.
What I do not feel is fair or just is taking away from an amazing player and person like Drew Brees, a wonderful region as the Gulf South, and a forever hopeful city like New Orleans is the real opportunity to compete at least once this upcoming season at full strength.
The only reason you would sit Sean Payton for an entire season is to remove him from the post-season and that is a strike against the competitive balance of the game. That is a strike at the integrity of the game on the field. That is a strike against not only the Saints but every opponent they face next season because you will be forcing them to play with a handicap no one has ever been dealt.
That strikes me as not only the absence of justice but the very antithesis of it.
Justice is to answer for your crimes, pay the penalty, and learn from the experience and be better because of it.
There is no justice in keeping Sean Payton from the Saints for an entire season. The lesson can be learned in fines just as steeply set while preserving the integrity of the competition on the field. Mr. Goodell, should you remove Sean Payton for the entire season it will be because you are purposefully keeping him out of the post-season. Such a blow dealt to the Saints and their fans is as unethical and egregious a hit as any the Saints have delivered to opponent's during Gregg Williams stay here in New Orleans.
And as I said, I'm ashamed of so many of those.
I hope you consider this, Mr. Goodell, as I appeal to you and your sense of what is fair and what is justice.
Do not leave so many NFL fans such as I ashamed of the hit you yourself deliver to a coach.
It hurts us all.
Always,
Brian Milici
I haven't edited this yet, so if anyone has any comments or suggestions I'm certainly open to them. If anyone has any letters they are considering/writing post 'em here! I heard on the radio here yesterday an NFL guy spoke to a fan for 30 mins when he called voicing concerns over the issue. So they may be doing more than giving fans lip service. Who knows.
Does anyone have a lead on an email address for Goodell? I've seen a few floating around, but I'm not certain they are either still operating or were ever legitimate. If not, I'll try contacting the NFL and snail mail my letter.
Anyone else written the NFL/Goodell or considering writing? I definitely think it is worth the endeavor.
