Throwdowns > Closed

(Un) said 03/27, 08:32 PM
In Week 6 of the 2011 season the New Orleans Saints traveled to Tampa Bay for a game against the Buccaneers.

On their third offensive play of the game, with approximately 11 minutes remaining in the 1st quarter, Saints tight end Jimmy Graham caught a pass from Drew Brees and immediately ran toward the sideline where he launched himself into head coach Sean Payton's knee, tearing Payton's MCL and fracturing his tibia.



At the time of the injury this was presumed to be a freak accident. Football is a violent sport so we discounted the injury as part of the game. However, in the aftermath of the Bounty Scandal we have learned that no injury suffered at the hands of a New Orleans Saints player during the last three seasons was accidental. It is now apparent that the Saints had placed a bounty on Saints head coach Sean Payton in a deliberate attempt to remove him from the game.

Roger Goodell has shown zero tolerance for the Saints Bounty Program, issuing fines and unprecedented suspensions across the New Orleans Saints organization. He needs to extend those punishments to Jimmy Graham.

(Un) said 03/28, 09:05 PM
Safety is a league issue. With former players threatening lawsuits and Congress paying close attention to how the league handles injuries, it's up to Commissioner Goodell to protect the future of the NFL.

Jimmy Graham's bounty hit on Sean Payton's knee set a dangerous precedent. Never before have we seen players assault those outside of the field of play. Roger Goodell needs to make an example of Jimmy Graham to prevent this from reoccurring in the future. The stiffer the penalty, the less likely we are to see another head coach targeted and injured on the sideline.

Making this hit worse is the fact that it undermines one of the most well-known unwritten rules of the game: you never take out another man's knee.

In the NFL knee injuries are career-threatening. According to research (link) published by the American Journal of Sports Medicine in 2010, less than two-thirds of those who suffer knee ligament tears in the NFL are able to return to the game.

So when Graham intentionally dove through Payton's knee he didn't just take Payton out of the game, he threatened Payton's livelihood.

(Un) said 03/29, 09:49 PM
This is the current state of the NFL: bounties, head-hunters, and knee ligaments torn to shreds.

When Jimmy Graham was drafted in 2010, Gregg Williams' bounty hit culture was already well established. The New Orleans bounty program is the only style of professional football that Graham has ever known. He's the football equivalent of a trained assassin, coached into a 6'6 260lb knee shattering machine.

His trained assault of a 47-year old head coach is exactly the kind of fodder needed for the NFL's opponents to launch a class action lawsuit large enough to financially cripple the league.

Traditional style quarterbacks, scrambling Christians, they both boost ratings. But it doesn't matter who is playing QB when the NFL declares bankruptcy.

Jimmy Graham is a legal liability who threatens to bring down the entire league. Roger Goodell can't afford to sit back and allow his league to be left open to litigation. He needs to fine and suspend Graham. He may even need to ban Graham from the league.

Whatever the penalty may be, Jimmy Graham needs to be punished for his involvement in the Saints Bounty Program. It's necessary to save the league.