Goodell’s wrath and R.I.P Ron Erhardt

Roger Goodell lowered the sonic boom on the Saints yesterday.  The Saints got hit hard with the loss of 2 second round picks in 2012 and 2013, $500k, Payton 1 year suspension and 6 8 game suspension of their GM.  Was this a power play by the commissioner of the most powerful organized sports league in the world, or a justified action?  We have heard a lot from the Commish’s office over the last couple of years about player safety with severe public fines such as his poster boy Steelers’ Harrison.  The League is undergoing pressure with a slew of lawsuits from former/retired NFL veterans on concussion related injuries including one recently from Jim McMahon.  But, why was the levy so harsh?  Let’s not be naive, as we all know that bounties are not uncommon in the NFL.  One has only to infer that the Saints lied through their teeth to interfere with the investigation in order to get levied in this way. 

In other related news, the snitch has been speculated to be none other than former TE Jeremy Shockey.  The alpha male has been singled out by Warren Sapp, which makes sense in terms of a) what we’ve experienced with his outbursts on being out-coached and b) his exact tenure with the Saints.  Yet, Pro Football Talk questions Sapp’s source.

Team Tebow has landed in our shared building.  It makes a lot of sense to the Jets, whose current OC (Toney Sparano) started the ‘wildcat’ scheme with the Dolphins.  Expect Tebow to be utilized solely in that role, but knowing Jet fans you might see a billboard on the Jersey Turnpike soon lobbying for Tebow as their starting QB.  Broncos, how did that work out for you 2 years later?  Tebow was a 1^st rounder in 2010 and traded away for a 4^th rounder in 2012.  By the way, how many are you peeved with the Texans giving up DeMeco Ryans for a 4^th rounder to the Igles?

On a sad note, the late Ron Erhardt passed away yesterday at the age of 80.  We honor Erhardt for bringing us 2 Super Bowl rings.  He had a conservative offensive game plan, but with great defense, he delivered the bottom line with 2 trophies that we celebrate up there on the banner.  Besides the Lombardi trophies, I respected how he utilized Bavaro in his system and I give credit to him for the development of Phil Simms.  An interesting historical note, Erhardt gave Bill Parcells his second NFL job as LB coach with the Patriots in 1980 in between stints with Perkins.  R.I.P. Ron Erhardt.