‘Bounty Programs’ : No Big Deal

It has recently been reported in the sports news world of a bounty program run by the New Orleans Saints coaching staff. My response to the news was “so what”.

Whether an athlete is playing a sport for pride or money there is always a premium bounty on the opposing team.

As a sports fan I would not root for my favorite team if I did not believe that the players on my team were not trying to destroy the opposing players by any means necessary while maintaining the rules of the game.

I am not advocating or condoning ‘cheap shots’ or illegal hits.

But if you are trying to eliminate and destroy a player with a legal hit and your coach gives you an incentive or reward for doing so, its all good!

What is the difference in giving out a game ball or 1000.00 at the end of a game for the player that made the biggest difference in the game?

If that means you get the reward for hurting an opponent so be it. If taking the opponent out legally was the means to the victory the rewarded player deserves the reward.

Every athlete on the Football field understands the opposing team is going to try and destroy them. Honestly they would want nothing less.

The bounty programs in Football have been going on for years and have not been a well kept secret. It might not be the popular moral opinion. But it is the reality of the game. To reward a player in excess for doing his job only makes the player play harder.

To compensate for the bounty system on the opposing end the NFL has fined players for excessive violence and cheap shots on defenseless players.