The NFL is a blood sport.
Fans pretend it’s a fantasy game filled with numbers. League officials call it a business. But the bottom line is football is a modern gladiatorial arena.
Spartacus, thy current name is Ndamukong Suh.
Fans love the violence. The league markets the violence. That makes it hard completely to condemn former Redskins defensive coordinator Gregg Williams for instituting a bounty system on injuring opponents.
Buddy Ryan was Williams’ mentor. Both believe football is a rough game played by tough men, and bounties are part of that. They’re not alone. It happens in some fashion outside the NFL, too. College and high school programs may not have a monetary system, but why do you think they give out helmet stickers?
Certainly, it’s wrong to take cheap shots against other players. No excusing that. Dirty players and coaches should be suspended. But bounties aren’t necessarily flagrant hits.
Williams is not the only NFL coach who does this, though his actions as a defensive coordinator in Washington and New Orleans are under investigation by NFL officials.
At least Williams admitted to everything rather than hide from his mistake.
“I want to express my sincere regret and apology to the NFL, [Saints owner Tom] Benson and the New Orleans Saints fans for my participation in the ‘pay for performance’ program while I was with the Saints,” Williams said in a March 2 statement. “It was a terrible mistake, and we knew it was wrong while we were doing it. Instead of getting caught up in it, I should have stopped it. I take full responsibility for my role. I am truly sorry. I have learned a hard lesson, and I guarantee that I will never participate in or allow this kind of activity to happen again.”
What will happen to Williams? The NFL has spent the last year stressing player safety. Kickoffs were altered to reduce concussions. Helmet-to-helmet hits bring large fines.
Williams is not alone in his actions. Bounties have been going on for decades, but the NFL must suspend him for one year.
A one-year suspension is not a small sanction. The penalty makes Williams a risk to hire in the future, so one season can affect his entire career. This stain might make colleges reluctant to hire Williams, too.
Meanwhile, the extension of the witch hunt to Williams’ Washington tenure seems excessive. What is the NFL going to do to the Redskins should it be true — vacate their six wins in 2004 or five victories in 2006?
But did coach Joe Gibbs know of Williams’ system? Probably not. Gibbs let Williams run his unit just as Richie Petitbon did during the Redskins’ Super Bowl era. Williams didn’t even tell Gibbs he planned to start only 10 men in tribute to the late Sean Taylor.
The Redskins should get a pass on this debacle. Unfortunately, Williams can’t.
Examiner columnist Rick Snider has covered local sports since 1978. Read more on Twitter @Snide_Remarks or email [email protected].
