Congrats to Deuce McAllister for being inducted into the Saints HOF along with Steve Gleason & Tom Benson.
Seconded. What an outstanding HOF class this year. Congratulations to Duece, we love you even though you went to Ole Miss (kidding…sorta).
So uh. Vilma Approves of this Message
“@feelingthebrees: hey @JonVilma51 check out this article, makes some good points about #bountyscandal blackandgoldreview.com/post/234793211…”great read
— Jonathan Vilma (@JonVilma51) May 21, 2012
"It’s not out of line to ask that someone raise their hand and ask for real proof that [the bounties] actually happened – or at least happened the way the league said it did."
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I don’t want to say that Mike Freeman listened to me after I scolded him (and others) in my piece earlier, but I will point out that 6 hours after my essay came out, he’s singing a remarkably different tune. So I feel dirty for typing this, but…Good job Mike Freeman…?
On Arrogance
By Ryan Chauvin
No sports story in the history of my fandom of the New Orleans Saints (which, for the record, does go farther back than 2006, but whatever) has made me feel more like an unstable mental patient than this undying saga about whether or not the Saints actually employed bounties. There are days I’m amused (Vilma sued the Commissioner!) depressed (Scott Fujita, one of the nicest men on the planet, who even after he left New Orleans, spent a large chunk of his Super Bowl check on NOLA charities), enraged (Vilma sued the commissioner!), but most of all I’m confused. The drama surrounding the Saints has been indicative of the fall of the American media.
It seems that this story has brought out every sanctimonious tendency in American sports journalism. Every few weeks, when the Commissioner carefully drops another breadcrumb, reporters from everywhere have another excuse to rehash why they are so disappointed. Sure, Mike Freeman and Pete Prisco at CBS Sports have certainly led the way in this self-righteous crusade, but they aren’t alone. But despite all the handwringing about how wrong the Saints are in all of this, there has been a significant lack of true investigative journalism and unbiased reporting. Instead we’re getting a pure recitation of NFL press releases.
Freeman has taken to the word arrogant to describe the Saints recently, and while that might have had a part in Sean Payton’s demise, it’s time to acknowledge that arrogance has been the driving force behind every stakeholder in this little shindig.
Of Authority
Let’s begin by focusing on the very center of this storm: Roger Goodell. 
"Vilma v. Goodell is more than just a defamation lawsuit. It is a direct challenge to a commissioner who, until now, has acted with more power than any commissioner in U.S. sports history. It is also an attempt to import judicial review of an individual who, until now, has been judge, jury and executioner of NFL justice."
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And this, ladies and gentlemen, is why this became so very, very interesting.
"By this action, Vilma seeks to recover damages for defamatory statements made by Roger Goodell, Commissioner of the National Football League (“NFL”). Vilma is a professional football player for the New Orleans Saints (“Saints”), a Member Club of the NFL. Goodell, speaking publicly about certain Saints executives, coaches and players, in relation to purported efforts designed to injure opposing players, made public statements concerning Vilma which were false, defamatory and injurious to Vilma’s professional and personal reputation."
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C’mon. Isn’t this the best offseason ever? We just sued the commissioner. I’m highly entertained and you should be too.
Here’s a little something to get us through the long dreary scary Saints off-season.
Follow the game tomorrow (May 18th!) on our brand-spankin’ new twitter handle!
@Saintsbingo!, where we’ll help you keep track of when to drink.
(See you tomorrow!)
