The release of the NFL’s findings on the Saints bounty program and the penalties handed down by Commissioner Roger Goodell has sparked debate among Vikings fans considering one of their main targets was Brett Favre in the 2009 championship game.
The findings that pertain to the Vikings include:
- The investigation showed bounties being placed on four quarterbacks of opposing teams – Brett Favre, Cam Newton, Aaron Rodgers, and Kurt Warner. Multiple sources have confirmed that several players pledged funds toward bounties on specific opposing players, with defensive captain Jonathan Vilmaoffering $10,000 to any player who knocked Brett Favre out of the NFC Championship Game in 2010.
- The following week, in the NFC Championship Game against the Minnesota Vikings, Saints defensive players were assessed $30,000 in fines for four separate illegal hits, several of which were directed against quarterback Brett Favre.
- Coach Vitt acknowledges that the defensive meeting preceding the 2010 NFC Championship Game may have “got out of hand” with respect to Brett Favre
Fans are up in arms stating that the Saints winning the NFC championship game is tainted, but I think it’s important to remember the Vikings turned the ball over 5 times: 3 fumbles and 2 interceptions. However, in regards to the two interceptions, those could have been the only ones the bounty system may have played a part in. Favre’s first INT came during the low-hit/high-hit that was never flagged (but NFL deemed it should have) and the final INT before OT came once Favre had been so beaten, he was unable to run for a simple first down. Take away those 2 INTs, there would have still been 3 turnovers compared the Saints 1. So the bounty program may have played a part in the loss, but it is ridiculous to state that it is the reason WHY the Vikings lost. Outcome may have been different, but that’s only an assumption (and you know what they say when you assume!).
Thanks to social media we can get instant reaction from players. Some current and former Vikings let the world know their feelings on the bounty situations:
Warren Sapp “reported” he knew who the “snitch” was, and he concluded that it was former Saint Jeremy Shockey, which he ultimately denied. However, the problem here is Sapp is turning the problem into the snitch instead of the actual program. Chris Kluwe was not fond of that and went on a little twitter rant (Warning: foul language):
AMEN! and oh, I love when Chris Kluwe goes on a rant. They are always top-notch.
The bounty scandal has also impacted a Vikings roster move:
Ayodele was with the Saints from 2008 and 2010 before signing with the Vikings last summer as a free agent after the lockout.
Ayodele was involved on a high-low hit of former Vikings quarterback Brett Favre in the third quarter of the Saints’ overtime victory in the NFC Championship Game in January 2010. Defensive lineman Bobby McCray also was involved in that hit and shortly thereafter the league fined him and fellow lineman Anthony Hargrove a total of $25,000 for three separate illegal hits in the game.
This story is no where near over considering the NFL still has to take action with the 22 players that were involved…
To be continued, sigh.
Thank you for pointing out it was the turnovers that killed the Vikings, not a bounty system. I’ve been dealing with Viking fans my whole life, the very genesis of my own blog was the ridiculousness of the beginning of the Favre era in Minnesota.
I’ve always been of the belief the game turned on the AP fumble right before halftime. The Vikes would have scored on that possession, would have had the lead and the ball again to start the second quarter.
To me, the real question is since we are handing out all this punishment, why no sanctions against the referee crew that clearly wasn’t calling penalties as they should have been in this game?
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Maybe the NFL will come down with something on the refs since all of the penalties haven’t been given out, it’s a good question.
Although, the refs didn’t know the intent at the time, they just missed some bad calls. I’m under the assumption that those missed calls weren’t on purpos
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