Formo, hell hath frozen over, but the Vikings did outplay the Saints that game, in every facet. But they did shoot their own foot off and to their credit, the Saints took full advantage.

Originally Posted by: DakotaT 

If you honestly think anyone hear is making excuses, you sir, are a moron.

FormoRON wrote:

See what I did hear, err I mean here? See it? See it? Do ya?? Do ya????

Originally Posted by: Zero2Cool 

In a must-read account of the Saints’ three-season bounty system, Peter King of Sports Illustrated shares plenty of intriguing and compelling details. MDS already has highlighted portions of the article relating to Roger Goodell’s reaction to the situation and linebacker Scott Fujita’s position on the subject. But there’s even more good stuff.

During the 2009 NFC title game, which both sparked the league’s investigation and served as the most obvious example of assault and battery of an opposing quarterback, King writes that, after an unflagged high-low hit on Brett Favre resulted in a sprained ankle, an unnamed Saints defender was heard saying on an on-field microphone, “Pay me my money!”

(We know what you’re thinking: The league killed Monday’s re-air of the game on NFL Network because the comment could be heard during the broadcast. Apparently, however, it was a different microphone.)

King also explains that defensive end Anthony Hargrove can be heard saying, “Favre is out of the game! Favre is done! Favre is done!”

Both statements would be strong circumstantial proof of the existence of a bounty program, if the NFL hadn’t already found that the bounty program existed. And King spells out the weekly routine that unfolded during the 2009 season, defensive coordinator Gregg Williams’ first in New Orleans.

On Saturday night, Williams handed out in a defensive meeting envelopes containing payments for big plays and inflicted injuries from the prior Sunday. And the defenders would then chant, “Give it back! Give it back! Give it back!” Many did, which caused the pile of available cash to keep growing.

The bounty system continued even after, as King explains in the Tuesday edition of his MMQB column, former Vikings coach Brad Childress sent to the league video of eight different hits on Favre from that game, the Vikings officially alleged that the Saints had put a bounty on Favre, and Williams, linebackers coach Joe Vitt, and Hargrove denied (i.e., lied about) its existence to investigators. For Williams, the denials (i.e., lies) continued through the middle of February 2012, when Williams was confronted with evidence implicating him as the “ringleader.” Williams, per King, once again tried to deny it, but Williams then met with Goodell to confess.

Williams was back in New York on Monday, possibly to confess yet again (after possibly denying/lying yet again) his involvement in bounty systems in other cities.

King thinks the punishment issued to the Saints and various individuals will “likely dwarf” the penalties meted out for Spygate. The more we learn about the situation, the less surprising that will be.

"Mike Florio wrote:

One.. depending on how the "bounty" was intended (injure vs smack him hard) I may or may not have a huge issue with the notion of a friendly wager in the locker room.

If they are betting whom gets more picks, tackles, decleaters... I have zero issue with it.

If they are placing money on knocking someone out of the game or worse.. well then I think it clearly is over the line.

Originally Posted by: Pack93z 

As a Vikings fan, the only punishment I would want was to turn back time and replay that game. If they can't do that.. Then no punishment is worthy enough. lol

Originally Posted by: Formo 

lol you think Brett Favre is going to do a better job with a walker as he takes the snaps? 😛 And Adrian Peterson recovering from an ACL?

Originally Posted by: Zero2Cool