Where Does Gregg Williams Fit Into Saints History? (1 Viewer)

[Dome50]

Agreed GW was critical. Saints were third in the league in interceptions in 2009 with 26. For reference, we had 7 last year. SEVEN.

 

[Icon]

Or alternatively, how do you view Gregg Williams?
I ask this because the 15th anniversary of XLIV is creeping up and with that comes the accolades from that early ‘06-‘11 era.
Brees gets into the HOF and the Saints Ring of Honor with Payton following him at some point.
Various players getting inducted into the Saints HOF. Even some executives.
But what about Williams. Does he get excluded from any of this because of the events of the offseason of ‘12? Or does he get a welcome back.

Can't help it...I have to.....since you used the specific "anniversary" term and not just something casual like "it's been like 15 years or so".

It's gonna be the 14th anniversary in February.

And I offer the same point that I made in a Michael Jordan / Scottie Pippen thread a while back in the EE. Just because someone doesn't like what somebody ended up doing or saying later on, doesn't mean their role in a major accomplishment should start being diminished.

 

[TenTwo]

I was so excited when we brought him in as DC. He had a reputation for leading an attacking aggressive defense. And that is what he did.

He helped us win a superbowl. No debate.

He tarnished his legacy in the San Fran playoff game if you ask me.

As far as bountygate goes? Goodell can go to...where do bad folks go when they die? They don't go to heaven where the angels fly...

 

[Saint Jack]

As far as bountygate goes? Goodell can go to...where do bad folks go when they die? They don't go to heaven where the angels fly...

North Dakota?

 

[J.T.]

Without him we don't win the Super Bowl in 2009.

Without him we win the Super Bowl in 2011.

 

[Thunderchild]

Just because someone doesn't like what somebody ended up doing or saying later on, doesn't mean their role in a major accomplishment should start being diminished.

Darren Sharper?

 

[blackadder]

Without him we don't win the Super Bowl in 2009.

Without him we win the Super Bowl in 2011.

I wonder sometimes if he just mentally checked out at the end. I recall he was already clashing with Payton behind the scenes and it seemed plausible that he wasn't coming back in 2012 with or without Bountygate.

 

[Icon]

I was so excited when we brought him in as DC. He had a reputation for leading an attacking aggressive defense. And that is what he did.

He helped us win a superbowl. No debate.

He tarnished his legacy in the San Fran playoff game if you ask me.

As far as bountygate goes? Goodell can go to...where do bad folks go when they die? They don't go to heaven where the angels fly...

People always talk about that blitz.........but if on Frisco's PREVIOUS drive, the Saints had somehow been able to stop them short (to at least 4th and 2) on a 3rd and 7, Frisco is 100% kicking a FG to take the lead.......then Brees has basically 2 minutes to get them into Kasay range to return the favor......preferably on the final play of the game.

Darren Sharper?

Still applies.

I can't control how awful of a person he was/is ......... but we can't shift the narrative to pretend like he didn't play a major role in 2009.

We can choose not to address him any more than necessary......but his crimes don't magically wipe away 9 interceptions, etc.

 

[ilvdsnts]

Live by the sword (Superbowl), die by the sword (2011 SF).

Literally the highest of highs and lowest of lows for me with this franchise. I still contend the 2011 Saints were the best ever. The end of the San Francisco game still haunts me.

The BEGINNING of the SF game haunts ME. If we had never fallen into such a deep hole to begin with (17-0) we would've blew the 9ers out.

 

[bobad]

HOF? Personally, for me, it's too close to call, but he'll never get in.

Williams was 1 of those "tough guy motivator" coaches, which can really work but is a 2-edged sword. Players love them when they're winning, but the tough guy bit wears thin on a losing team. The tough, unyielding demeanor is usually real, and extends to working relationships with the HC and FO, so they seldom have long tenures with any 1 team.

 

[parlorcitysaint]

Gregg Williams is scum.

Granted, his actions were orchestrated by Goodell, I have no doubt. Building a house of cards, in order to project "the shield" in the best light, given the brain trauma lawsuit that was going on at the time.

Williams had to dance to Goodell's tune, or lose his livelihood for good. Whether he paused long enough to recall that Sean Payton gave up a quarter million dollars of his own salary that first year, just to get him in the door, is anyone's guess. He threw the Head Coach under those bus wheels all the same to save himself.

Odd thing was that during the years prior to Goodell's Inquisition, Williams ALWAYS parroted Payton's words about "character in the locker room". Too bad the character didn't extend to his own office.


The only one worse than Williams in this ordeal is Mike Cerullo, the disgruntled former coach who went to Goodell in the first place, with scribblings on a napkin.

 

[blackadder]

The BEGINNING of the SF game haunts ME. If we had never fallen into such a deep hole to begin with (17-0) we would've blew the 9ers out.

Well, let's remember that they let Dante Whitner target PT. Went right for the head, knocked out PT on what was probably a TD and instead became a fumble. That probably won the game. The bad guys often win.

 

[jahsoul357]

Without him we don't win the Super Bowl in 2009.

Without him we win the Super Bowl in 2011.

It's so hard for me to say that because I still believe that if PT doesn't go down, we win that game easy. I will die on that hill dangit..

 

[OutlawSaint]

I will always remember Greg Williams for doing the "suck it" gesture lol