The NFL has just announced the discipline for the players involved in the New Orleans Saints* bounty scandal, and while it still probably isn't as much as some of the parties deserve, it is pretty significant.
The biggest penalty was given out to linebacker Jonathan Vilma, who will be suspended for the entire 2012 NFL season. The NFL's investigation concluded that Vilma, as the Saints* defensive captain, "assisted Coach Gregg Williams in establishing and funding the program."
Makes this tweet from Vilma earlier in the day a little funnier.
Who's workin...
— Jonathan Vilma (@JonVilma51) May 2, 2012
Well, I don't know who's workin', but I can tell you who's NOT workin' for the next 12 months. Cheap-shot artist Jonathan Vilma, that's who.
So, for offering a $10,000 bounty on Brett Favre, Vilma will lose his $2.6 million salary next season. I'm no math major or anything, but that doesn't seem like a very wise move. Couldn't happen to a more deserving individual.
The next-biggest suspension went to defensive tackle Anthony Hargrove, who signed with the Green Bay Packers this off-season. His suspension is eight games. According to the release I received from the NFL:
Hargrove submitted a signed declaration to the league that established not only the existence of the program at the Saints*, but also that he knew about and participated in it. The evidence showed that Hargrove told at least one player on another team that Vikings quarterback Brett Favre was a target of a large bounty during the NFC Championship Game in January of 2010. Hargrove also actively obstructed the league's 2010 investigation into the program by being untruthful to investigators.
Not surprising.
The league also suspended defensive end Will Smith for five games, and linebacker Scott Fujita (now with the Cleveland Browns) for three. The NFL's investigation found that Smith and Fujita helped fund and administer the pool for Gregg Williams.
In related news, Darren Sharper still doesn't think that anything was going on, and Drew Brees still demands to see more evidence.
So, there you go. The bounty incident has officially come to an end, it appears.