Gregg Williams Audio Keeps Bountygate Discussion Going

Mike Silver of Yahoo! Sports got his hands on an audio clip (warning: clip full of bad words), recorded just before the Saints-49ers playoff game last year, of suspended former Saints DC Gregg Williams profanely imploring his boys to injure 49ers players. Naturally, reaction to the clip has been all over the map. For some it vindicates Roger Goodell and his decision to ban Williams and also suspend Saints coach Sean Payton. For others it’s yet another occasion to point out that football is a violent game and the culture behind football is incredibly ugly and barbaric and everyone needs to just get over it already. I’m sure Chris Kluwe will have a take on it at some point, and it will be thought-provoking and laced with profanities.

In short, it’s unlikely the clip is going to change anyone’s mind about anything. It pretty much reinforces all sides of the seemingly endless debate over Bountygate and its many implications. It keeps that debate alive for a few more days which is great for the ESPN talking head shows and podcasts and blogs. Me, I was ready to move on from all this weeks ago. The Bountygate people got punished, perhaps a little too severely, and Viking fans who feel the need to vent indignation over the whole thing, I guess believing the team was screwed out of a Super Bowl shot because the Saints played too rough, got their chance to do so.

Is everyone satisfied now? Not hardly. This will only go away once the media have decided there’s no more blood to squeeze from this particular turnip. Then it will be on to the next trumped-up controversy. Skip Bayless has to get paid, you know?

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