rajncajn Posted January 28, 2013 Share Posted January 28, 2013 I thought you guys who are trying to project the draft would want to know. Back in April, Goodell stated: http://nflcommunications.com/2012/04/09/discipline-upheld-in-saints-bounty-matter-financial-penalties-for-individuals-could-be-reduced/ If they(Saints) embrace the opportunity and participate in a constructive way, he would consider mitigating the financial penalties on the individuals. In the case of the team, the commissioner would consider whether there are factors that would support modifying the forfeiture of the team’s 2013 second-round draft choice. While he didn't elaborate on what the organization did to not meet those requirements, he did state during a fan chat on Reddit that the Saints will not get the 2nd round pick back. http://www.nola.com/superbowl/index.ssf/2013/01/roger_goodell_says_the_saints.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rajncajn Posted January 30, 2013 Author Share Posted January 30, 2013 (edited) Any Houston fans here really should pick up on Steph Stradley's blog. Very worth the read on any subject. This week she's posted one saying that Roger Goodell Should Explain Reasoning for Saints 2013 Second-Round Draft Penalty and, of course, I agree. In his reddit AMA with Saints fans, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell was asked whether there was any chance the Saints would get their second round pick back. To date, he had not answered this question publicly. His answer? "No, the penalty will continue to include the 2nd round draft choice in 2013." This was news to Saints fans because after the Saints and the coaches appealed the penalty, the NFL released the following statement rejecting the appeal (from April 2012) that suggested that the pick might not be forfeited if the team cooperated with the NFL: "The club and individuals will be expected to cooperate in any further proceedings and to assist in the development and implementation of programs to instruct players and coaches at all levels on principles of player safety, fair play, and sportsmanship. "If they embrace the opportunity and participate in a constructive way, commissioner Goodell said he would consider mitigating the financial penalties on the individuals. In the case of the team, the commissioner would consider whether there are factors that would support modifying the forfeiture of the team's 2013 second-round draft choice." The New Orleans media at the time also emphasized this point as illustrated in a Jeff Duncan, NOLA.com article: "If so, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has dangled a couple of carrots for them as post-suspension rewards. First, if the Saints cooperate with the NFL and "assist in the development and implementation of programs to instruct players and coaches at all levels on principles of player safety, fair play, and sportsmanship" the league will consider "modifying" the forfeiture of their 2013 second-round draft pick. In other words, if the Saints keep their noses clean and work with the league on some of their player-safety programs they could get their second-round pick back next season. That's big." Psyche! Nothing like Roger Goodell starting up New Orleans Super Bowl week with that sort of news for Saints fans. In Goodell's original findings, he noted that Saints owner Tom Benson did not endorse the bounties and has been cooperative with the investigation. Certainly, Saints fans are completely blameless. They deserve to have the following questions answered (some of this was asked about in the reddit but not answered): 1. Did Roger Goodell do a determination of whether the Saints had cooperated enough to support modifying the forfeiture of the team's 2013 second-round draft choice? If so, how did the Saints organization or individuals fail in their obligations to the league? 2. Did Goodell even remember the potential of the modification of the forfeiture of the pick? 3. Did Goodell inform the Saints already that they would not get the pick back before he made that news public in a fan reddit AMA? Though I am going to the Super Bowl, I am not going as working media. I will not have the opportunity to ask these questions. But I hope some of the folks who do find out these answers. I'm not a Saints fan, but I know how valuable a second round pick can be to a team with a lot of needs. It seems to me that the punishment that the Saints organization and their fans have already received has been severe enough. Edited January 30, 2013 by rajncajn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
piratesownninjas Posted January 31, 2013 Share Posted January 31, 2013 His vendetta against the Saints, Sean Payton, and the city of New Orleans has gone beyond asinine. It's insane that the other 31 owners are allowing this to happen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rajncajn Posted February 1, 2013 Author Share Posted February 1, 2013 (edited) Dude just makes this stuff up as he goes along... “The reason we’re not returning any of the draft choices or reversing any of the discipline is because it occurred,” Goodell said. But if that’s the case, why did Goodell say 10 months ago that he would consider a change to the discipline to let the Saints keep their second-round pick? According to Jeff Duncan of the Times-Picayune, Goodell clarified after the press conference that the only modification he was considering was to allow the Saints to keep their second-round pick if it turned out to be more valuable than expected. In other words, if the Saints had the worst record in football, and their second-round pick was No. 33 overall, Goodell might have considered giving them that pick back and taking their third-round pick instead. http://profootballta...ints-penalties/ So, if the Saints would have had a higher pick in the 2nd then he would have considered giving it back... Edited February 1, 2013 by rajncajn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rajncajn Posted February 1, 2013 Author Share Posted February 1, 2013 (edited) Not sure what is more disappointing... The fact that the stipulating guidelines seemed to magically morph when it came time to make the decision, the fact that chose the forum of a fan chat the week of the Superbowl to let the cat out of the bag or that he dangled the carrot in the first place. Edited February 1, 2013 by rajncajn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonedaddies Posted February 2, 2013 Share Posted February 2, 2013 His vendetta against the Saints, Sean Payton, and the city of New Orleans has gone beyond asinine. It's insane that the other 31 owners are allowing this to happen. How funny would it be if the team with the number 3 pick traded it to the Saints, and every team in order traded their pick to the team in front of them throughout the entire draft, thus giving the Saints their pick back. So every pick, Goodell would have to announce the trade..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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