Yes, IMO, telling a player they will get a reward for "taking a player out of the game" is a problem at any level. Becasue if you tell someone there is a reward for taking someone out, that has the potential to negatively influence a player and give them a reason to try to hurt someone. As I said before, it is a violent, barbaric game, and people are going to get hurt, that's all part of it.

 

If a reciever running a deep post, gets lit up by a free saftey with a clean, non helmet to helmet hit, and that reciever has to come out, it's part of the game, and people accept it because it's what they sign up for. There is a certain risk involved. But if the same senario happens, and that safety lowers his head, turns himself into a missile and trys to break the reciever's jaw with a helmet to helmet, that is a problem.

Yes, IMO, telling a player they will get a reward for "taking a player out of the game" is a problem at any level. Becasue if you tell someone there is a reward for taking someone out, that has the potential to negatively influence a player and give them a reason to try to hurt someone. As I said before, it is a violent, barbaric game, and people are going to get hurt, that's all part of it.

 

If a reciever running a deep post, gets lit up by a free saftey with a clean, non helmet to helmet hit, and that reciever has to come out, it's part of the game, and people accept it because it's what they sign up for. There is a certain risk involved. But if the same senario happens, and that safety lowers his head, turns himself into a missile and trys to break the reciever's jaw with a helmet to helmet, that is a problem.

 

Gotcha. Thank you for your explanation.

Littleluck- If you really believe that a sticker on a helmet, or anything of the sorts is the same as giving cash money to a player for hurting someone, I suggest you take a step back and rethink. Putting a cash offer on the table for injury is going to make someone TRY to hurt another, in turn leading to cheap and dirty hits. Kids do not go out on the field and say "Man, Im going to roll up this QB's leg, so I can get a new sticker for my helmet".. Really? And you mention the only reason the Saints got in trouble is because of the league's liability? How about what was going on was illegal, immoral, and just plain stupid. Those guys were intentionally trying to cause bodily harm to another, and recieving cash in return. In most states, that is a crime. Just because it's done between the white lines of a football field, does not make it any less illegal.

 

Plain and simple.. A helmet sticker given to a high school kid for his play on friday night, is not the same as a pile of money given to a professional adult athelete for intentionally hurting another player. There is simply no comparision

 

I will agree with many things you say and again, I do not condone injuring anyone on purpose. But giving an NFL player a $1,000 or $5,000 award for giving a good, legal hit is about the same as a sticker in high school. Unless you are making a league minimum, this small amount of money doesn't mean squat to them. Players get fined for some petty things they can control but don't care. You are right though, if you give some type of award, (you say cash, but I will say stickers or big hit award also), it does draw a gray line when it comes to injuring a player.

 

I have no problem with the Saints getting penalized. But to say they were the only one's giving bounties would be wrong. I have heard many players come out and say they have had financial incentives for a long time. They don't come from the coaching staff and is agreed among players. A good legal hit is one thing, trying to take a knee out on purpose is something totally different.