It would be asinine to think this doesn't happen elsewhere, but the Saints are the ones who got busted and should be punished severely and made an example of. Strip the franchise of draft picks and give them a hefty fine. Suspend any player who is found to be participating in the funding of the pool, and definitely if they are proven to have hurt someone and received a payout.
As for anyone in authority who was participating in, condoning and/or managing the "program" (such as Williams, Loomis - and possibly Peyton) they should be banned from the league for life. A simple suspension will not send the right message, IMO. I know that sounds harsh, but I find it ridiculous that someone in authority in today's NFL would be so stupid to partake in something like that and they have no place in this league.
I understand the NFL is a violent game and players go out with the intention of hurting the opposition all the time, but this is different. It’s an organization rewarding their players for this sort of activity. What if someone knocked out Schaub or Foster with a cheap-shot only to find out a player on the other team got a bonus check for it? Shameful, really. Darn near makes me hope someone plants Brees next year just to see the Saints suffer with their 2nd or 3rd string QB.
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