The NFL Can Throw 'Saving Face' Out the Window

By Staci De Leon

Courtesy of http://www.speculativesports.com/

Since the beginning of 2012, there have been articles about the New Orleans Saints rewarding their players with bonuses by "knocking opposing players out of the game" in the 2009, 2010 and 2011 seasons. In other not so friendly words, the Saints have been participating in a bounty program with their players to intentionally injury opposing players. (i.e. Brett Favre during the 2009 season)

You ask, what does this have to do with PR? The answer is...It has everything to do with PR!

The NFL and the Saints PR teams have to somehow 'fix' the problem to show that football isn't about causing or gaining injuries and that it is about having fun playing the game and reaching the dream of becoming the Superbowl champions.
Although the NFL already has a bad reputation with bodily injuries and also long term brain injuries, the Saints bounty program will most definitely bring fuel to the fire. Players that have been targeted are pursuing lawsuits against the NFL saying they have suffered from the following injuries: concussions, head trauma and chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a dementia-like brain disease. 

After long-overdue investigation, the NFL has suspended the Saints Head Coach Sean Payton for the entire 2012 season, the team has been fined $500,000, former Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, now with the St. Louis Rams, was suspended indefinitely from the NFL, effective immediately and the team will also forfeit its second-round draft picks in 2012 and 2013. Now some may say this may not be enough punishment, but there is no way to analyze the fairness of the punishments until the season starts and the lawsuits head to trial.

"When there is targeting of players for injury and cash rewards over a three-year period, the involvement of the coaching staff, and three years of denials and willful disrespect of the rules, a strong and lasting message must be sent that such conduct is totally unacceptable and has no place in the game," NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said.

For more details read this CNN article written by Michael Martinez.