This Saints bounty thing, the last three seasons? Let’s speak it, write it, treat it and prosecute it for what it was: organized crime.
No matter what actions Roger Goodell takes, he’s not the law of this land, and the Saints organization clearly and systemically committed crimes, cash incentives included.
For years, the NFL’s version of “tackle football” had been headed for a rendezvous with criminality. In the Saints’ case, pro football became less a sport than a purposefully coached under-business that rewarded excessive brutality and attempts to maim and disable opponents — opponents, known in the big business world, as competitors.
And that meets every standard of what the fronts of our newspapers, district attorneys and attorneys general classify as organized crime.
Let Goodell do as he wishes. At this point I don’t yet doubt his sincerity in seeing the Saints’ participating management, coaches and players-turned-hit-men punished. Goodell, better very late than never, has seemed inclined to return tackling to tackle football.
Though there has been no allegation of criminal activity, just a violation of NFL code, this goes far beyond and above Goodell and the NFL. This is a matter for Louisiana’s Attorney General, James “Buddy” Caldwell, regardless of whether he and his constituents are big Saints fans.
However, unless all these “take ’em out” and “cart ’em off” assignments and incentives only were in place during home games — which, over three years, almost certainly wasn’t the case — it’s a Federal matter, under the jurisdiction of the office of U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder.
The Saints, operating within a multibillion dollar business, stand accused of premeditated, paid assault of the competition. That’s no different from Tonya Harding’s boyfriend assaulting Nancy Kerrigan’s legs with a lead pipe — then similarly going after the rest of Harding’s competition 16 times a year for three years!
And on a larger scale and stage — be it the ship and truck-loading docks of major U.S. depots or an NFL playing field — it’s known as organized crime.
Meanwhile, civil suits are there for the harvesting:
“Let’s get this straight, Gregg Williams. As the former defensive coach you directed the players under your tutelage and influence to ‘get’ my client, to injure him, to imperil his health and career through premeditated assaults? And you established cash bonuses for those who succeeded?
“And your bosses, general manager Mickey Loomis and head coach Sean Payton, were aware of this?”
It seems clear much or all of this was the case, for three seasons. But the NFL’s version of football, played by college men, no less, was long headed in this direction. And now here we are.
On Golf Channel, it’s all-Tiger, all the time
If you watched the Honda Classic on The Tiger Woods Wonder & Worship Network (formerly Golf Channel) and then NBC, Thursday through yesterday, you might have thought Tiger took the early lead, then won by 12.
And while he shot 62 yesterday, a magnificent round, you might never have known he didn’t actually win, but finished tied for second, two strokes behind.
At noon Saturday, GC studio regular Holly Sonders reported Woods had just made a birdie to go “back to two-under for the tournament, So Tiger hopefully keeps it rolling!” Rah, rah, sis boom bah! No mention that two-under put Woods in a tie for 33rd.
And that was followed by more Woods talk and tape, until it was time to change channels.
Yesterday at 12:30 p.m., GC displayed a five-man leaderboard, showing Woods in fifth, seven back of the leader, Rory McIlroy. GC simply threw out the 12 or so players who at that moment were ahead of or tied with Woods. That’s how insulting and sick it has become, especially to those most inclined to watch Golf Channel — fans of golf.
* “The Sports Connection” appears to be another malodorous scamdicapping operation. Its premier tout is Tim Donaghy, the ref who did time in the federal pen for fixing the NBA games he worked. Sports Connection explains Donaghy thusly:
“Meet the man who generated millions of dollars betting on basketball, as seen on ‘60 Minutes’ and documented by the NBA and FBI. Call now to get an immediate consultation with former NBA referee Tim Donaghy.”
Taylor-made trouble for former Yank phenom
In 1991, he was drafted first overall by the Yankees. Brien Taylor was a can’t-miss-kid, the next Doc Gooden, Cy Very Young. In high school, he signed for $1.55 million. But he was a trouble magnet who injured his arm in a street hassle. Last week near his home in North Carolina, Taylor was arrested for selling what cops called large amounts of cocaine and crack.
* John Sterling doesn’t need spring training; he’s ready. Yesterday on WCBS Radio, he called Alex Rodriguez’s first-inning, 6-mile homer, “High … far … gone!” Then he reported it was caught. Then back to “Gone!” Voice of the Yankees, 22 seasons of this self-serving garbage.
Silliest discussion of the weekend was heard yesterday from GC’s studio: Rory McIlroy, who hits a high ball, could struggle later yesterday in Florida’s dropping temperature and increasing winds. Really? He’s from Northern Ireland!
Off-Iron City: Staten Island’s Wagner College beat Pitt in Pittsburgh this season, but yesterday lost at home to Pittsburgh’s Robert Morris in the NEC semis. Strange brew.
That Blake Griffin Kia commercial, seen during Knicks-Celtics on ABC yesterday, is a howl.
* Ridiculous TV Golf Talk of the Week: NBC’s Dottie Pepper after Lee Westwood’s approach shot over water: “This ball may struggle to find land.” Runner-up: NBC’s Peter Jacobson referred to the 17th as “the penultimate hole.”
Not hard to tell MSG’s Islanders wrap-around host and reporter Peter Ruttgaizer isn’t from around here; he’s from Toronto. Saturday he referenced Albany as Al-bany, Al, as in Al Arbour — instead of all-bany.
* News of the death of Alex Webster moved me, and I suspect others, to think about being a kid, transistor tuned to WNEW-AM and Marty Glickman’s calls on cool, sun-and-shadows October Sunday afternoons. “Webster takes the handoff, straight ahead, for a couple or three yards.”
Big-time college basketball’s Senior Days and Nights have tilted toward salutes to walk-ons — often practice squad players — who didn’t play much, but stuck it out and actually will graduate. It’s another reflection of the NCAA’s student-athlete public relations con.