4 NFL players involved in the New Orleans Saints bounty-gate scandal had their suspensions lifted over the weekend. The players- Saints LB Jonathan Vilma, DE Will Smith, Cleveland Browns LB Scott Fujita & free agent DE Anthony Hargrove were able to begin play as soon as Sunday. However, Jonathan Vilma who is nursing a knee injury was immediately placed on the Saints P.U.P. list (Physically Unable to Perform). The lifting of the suspension does allow him to attend practices and continue to rehab his injury at the Saints facilities which he had not been able to do prior. His teammate Smith played in Sunday's loss to the Redskins.
While the lifting of the suspensions is good news for the players, the story may not be over yet. The league may still pursue action against the players and each of them may be re-suspended if new evidence supports the claim that they did in fact have a bounty system they were each involved in.
The lifting of the players suspension unfortunately didnt help the other staff involved in the scandal. Coaches Sean Payton, Gregg Williams and Joe Vitt as well as general manager Mickey Loomis are still in effect since only players are eligible for a collective bargaining panel.
What effect any of this may have on the Saints season will be determined in the weeks to come.
No comments:
Post a Comment