{"id":3897,"date":"2012-03-30T06:39:33","date_gmt":"2012-03-30T10:39:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.calvertgames.com\/cgblog\/?p=3897"},"modified":"2012-03-30T06:39:33","modified_gmt":"2012-03-30T10:39:33","slug":"falcons-%e2%80%93-saints","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.calvertgames.com\/cgblog\/2012\/03\/30\/falcons-%e2%80%93-saints\/","title":{"rendered":"Falcons \u2013 Saints"},"content":{"rendered":"

As a lifelong, card-carrying Falcons fan; I am obviously biased when it comes to anything Saints related. My second favorite team is whoever is playing the Saints. That sort of thing; the stuff that makes rivalries so enjoyable.<\/p>\n

When it comes to Bounty-Gate, I have no sympathy with Saints and fully agree with the punishment handed down by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. Obviously the Saints fan disagrees, but really, who are they kidding? It is one thing to keep \u201cplays for money\u201d on the \u201cdown-low;\u201d the Saints went over and beyond<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The punishments for the New Orleans Saints\u2019 bounty program are severe and unprecedented. Goodell has suspended coach Sean Payton for a year, general manager Mickey Loomis for the first eight games of the 2012 season, assistant head coach Joe Vitt for the first six games and banned former defensive coordinator Gregg Williams indefinitely. He has also hit the Saints with a $500,000 fine and taken away their second-round draft picks for 2012 and 2013. The league also has said 22 to 27 players were involved and discipline for them will come soon.<\/p>\n

No question this is severe, but has Goodell really intentionally destroyed the franchise, like so many New Orleans fans seem to think? No, he hasn\u2019t and anyone that thinks that simply is shooting the messenger \u2014 the guy who had the nerve to tell them that their beloved head coach and team weren\u2019t quite as perfect as they had been made out to be.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Falcons Compensatory Splash<\/strong>
\nIn Falcons news, due to salary cap reasons, or just \u201cour coordinators sucked last year\u201d reasons, the Falcons have not made a splash of any sort in free agency this year. I don\u2019t rate the signing of previously injured LB Lofa Tatupu and OG Vince Manuwai unless they both prove healthy and win starting positions. Bottom line \u2013 the Falcons like their current roster and think new coordinators will put them over the hump.<\/p>\n

Falcons get an extra 7th Round pick<\/a>; if they are lucky this pick will turn into a practice squad player, or better yet a sometimes active roster special team player that may manage a 3-4 year career. In other words, the extra compensatory pick is just above not being totally worthless.<\/p>\n

Go Falcons!<\/p>\n

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