Sean Peyton's Suspension is Overkill

The NFL has rendered a verdict and sentence in the Saints "bounty" program case.  Guilty!  Sean Peyton is the sacrificial lamb in this instance with his season being over before it starts.  He has been suspended without pay for the entire 2012 season.  This sentence is more than anyone thought would happen and honestly more than is warranted.

The "bounty" system in New Orleans, though maybe on a grander scale, occurs on every team throughout the league.  Defenses have been targeting positions and players since this game was developed.  Mario Williams was just signed to a huge contact because he is one of the best players in the league at targeting QB's.  The defensive game plan of every team is to eliminate the starting QB of the other team.  Yes, eliminate them as a threat.  That means constantly hitting them and making them uncomfortable in the pocket and all over the field.  The mindset is simple, it is easier to defeat the backup than it is the starter.

Now, with that said, the defenders in the NFL go about this business in a clean fashion for the most part.  The stats on the Saints show that they haven't been dirty over the last 3 seasons.  They rank in the middle of the pack for personal fouls and from what I know they haven't injured more players on average than any other team.  So, if they weren't dirty in their pursuit of winning games and executing their game plan then what is the real issue?

The issue is the deceit of the organization to the league and the issue of non-contractual incentives.  Both are bad and warrant suspensions and/or fines.  I have no problem with the NFL handing down harsh punishment for the "bounty" cover-up, but suspending any one for a year is absurd.  Peyton didn't put any "bounties" on anyone.  Did he know it was going on?  Yes, but like I said earlier, it goes on in every locker room and installed in every game plan.

I understand that Roger Goodell wants to protect players and I respect the efforts he has made in certain areas.  This reaction to the Saints targeting players for big hits is absurd.  The targets are the same for every team and there is no amount of money that will change the intent of the defense.  They want to hurt people and make them want to quit during the game.  1 year is to long for a situation that was blown out of proportion in the media and exacerbated by the league.