Packers Defensive Backs May Have Violated NFL Bounty Rule

The NFL has been void of scandal for a while now. It's been months since a player has been caught fighting dogs or a coach has been caught filming opposing teams playcalling. But we are trying our best to make do. Terrell Owens waving around a touchdown towel, I guess we can try and make that work. Referees reviewed a field goal, which is technically not reviewable. It was a bizarre play, but not exactly an earth shaking scandal.

But the Green Bay Packers defensive backs have stepped up to the plate. It appears that by offering their own teammates, more specifically the defensive linemen, $500 a head to hold Adrian Peterson under 100 yards, they have violated the "bounty law". Possibly. Maybe.

The NFL is investigating the charges, but it's not even certain if the players violated the rule. In fact I'm not even sure if an actual complete NFL Rulebook exists. Unlike the MLB, NHL, or NBA the NFL does not offer anything more than the "for dummies" look at the rules online. Plus there's the whole Tuck Rule thing.

The intention of the bounty rule is thought to be to prevent the organizations or staff from offering bounties on injury opposing players. And it appears that the practice of motivating teammates performance with a reward, such as a couple hundred dollars, while illegal, is and has been a common place practice in NFL locker rooms.

Detroit Lions quarterback Jon Kita, who will face the Packers this Sunday, doesn't seem to find anything wrong with it, granted there is no intent to injure.

Although Adrian Peterson was in fact injured in the game against the Packers, there is thus far nothing to indicate there was a bounty for anything more than holding Peterson to under 100 yards.

The most famous instance of the Bounty Rule was when Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones claimed following a 1989 match-up with the rival Philadelphia Eagles, that Eagles coach Buddy Ryan offered his players a bounty for knocking out Cowboys QB Troy Aikman or kicker Luis Zendjas.

Colin Campbell Hands Down 20 game Suspension

It's the new thing. Like celebrities adopting third world orphans. Like movie studios putting out exorbitant summer three-quels. Like politicians desperately attempting to appear hip with guerrilla Internet campaigns. League officials levying out heavy-handed judgments has been in vogue every since Roger Goodell sat "Pacman" Jones for the entire season And NHL's Senior Executive VP of Hockey Operations, Colin Campbell, is the newest member of the "it" crowd.

Philadelphia Flyer's prospect Steve Downie has become an example to the rest of the players that the league is serious about it's efforts to crack down on hits to the head. And he's got one of the longest suspensions in the history of the game as evidence.

Last season it became apparent that hits to the head were becoming an increasingly larger problem across the NHL. Players were being seriously injured by hits, that according to the rulebook, were completely legal.

Before the preseason began, the league sent a video to each club outlining rule changes, including how hits to the head would be called. A player could expect to be suspended if when hitting they:

- hit an unsuspecting player in the head
- target the players head
- injure a player
- hit a player late
- launch

It's the first three that are most interesting, as the latter two, late hits and launching, were already illegal. With this criteria the league is left to do the judgement call on whether they feel a player was unsuspecting, and whether the hitter was specifically targeting the head. This approach is essentially how Major League Baseball approaches a check-swing or a balk, there isn't any black and white definition, but you'll know it when you see it. Which can lead to confusion if the league isn't absolutely consistent.

Which leads to the third criteria, "Injuring a player". I have never agreed with the idea that a player should face a higher punishment if an illegal hit injuries a player. When the league does this, and they do often, they are sending the signal that it isn't the action, but the result that brought the punishment. Instead, the league needs to buckle down and dish out fines and suspensions anytime a player unleashes an illegal hit, regardless of injury.

As far as Downie goes, he was probably just a kid feeling the pressure of being on the bubble towards the end of preseason, and looking to make a name for himself. But with his reckless play he managed to break every aspect of the rule, and put the livelihood of another player in serious danger. And for that he deserves every minute of the 20 game suspension. But let's just hope that the league sticks to their guns when this happens again, perhaps with a more veteran player and down the playoff stretch. Because that's the only way this kind of play will be eradicated from the NHL.