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New Wrinkles In NFL Bounty Scandal

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Roger Goodell heard appeals from New Orleans coaches Sean Payton and Joe Vitt, as well as General Manager Mickey Loomis. He will announce his decisions soon. (AP)
Roger Goodell heard appeals from New Orleans coaches Sean Payton and Joe Vitt, as well as General Manager Mickey Loomis. He will announce his decisions soon. (AP)

On Thursday, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell met with New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton, Saints general manager Mickey Loomis, and assistant coach Joe Vitt, all of whom Goodell had suspended in connection with the so-called "bounty-hunting" program that then defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, also suspended, had instituted while Payton and Loomis were in charge of the team. Payton (suspended for the 2012-13 season), Loomis (eight games), and Vitt (six games) are presumed to have asked for reductions in their suspensions. Payton also sought clarification regarding how much contact he could have with the team while serving his suspension. On the same day the commissioner heard the appeals, audio of Gregg Williams addressing the Saints before their January 12th playoff game against the San Francisco 49er's became available.

"We gotta do everything in the world to make sure we kill Frank Gore's head. We want him running sideways. We want his head sideways," Williams said.

Frank Gore is a running back with the 49ers.

"We're gonna dominate the line of scrimmage," Williams continued, "and we're gonna kill the [expletive deleted] head. Every single one of you, before you get off the pile, affect the head. Early affect the head. Continue to touch and hit the head."

The audio was recorded by Sean Pamphilon for a documentary he was making about a former Saints player. Gregg Williams, who had left the Saints after the 2011 season to become the Rams' defensive coordinator, has been suspended indefinitely. He has not appealed that decision.

Commissioner Goodell is expected to respond soon to the appeals from Payton, Loomis, and Vitt. He has not yet indicated when he will have anything to say about disciplining Saints players, or whether he will consider a Louisiana State Senate committee's resolution on Wednesday that the punishment of the team, the coaches, and the general manager was "too harsh."

This segment aired on April 7, 2012.

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Bill Littlefield Host, Only A Game
Bill Littlefield was the host of Only A Game from 1993 until 2018.

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