It looks like a decision is imminent from NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell regarding the New Orleans Saints' appeals on punishments for the organization's "bounty" program. No one expects coach Sean Payton's appeal to be successful, for a variety of reasons.
Near the top of the list: The whole "rogue assistant" defense floated by the Saints doesn't make any sense. This was Sean Payton's team. That's why we have said all along that Payton's punishment needed to be nearly as severe as the one for former Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams.
The NFL has embarked on a little light reading in an effort to discredit the idea that Williams was acting without Payton's knowledge. Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times reports the NFL went through Payton's book "Home Team" to find where he references his control and deep attention to detail.
I buy way too many old football books, but "Home Team" is not part of my football library. I suspect it won't be hard for the league to find evidence of Payton's total control over his organization. In a league full of obsessed coaches, Payton's reputation for having a hand in every minor aspect of his team is well known.
That's why it's so hard to believe Payton didn't have deep knowledge of the Saints' "bounty" system, essentially approving its use even after the NFL's initial investigation into the matter. Blaming everything on Williams is missing the point.
