January 1, 2012; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams on the sidelines during heir game with Carolina Panthers at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-US PRESSWIRE

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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Jan 14, 2012; San Francisco, CA, USA; New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton watches warm ups before the 2011 NFC divisional playoff game against the San Francisco 49ers at Candlestick Park. The 49ers defeated the Saints 36-32. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-US PRESSWIRE

Forget Thor. Roger Goodell is the one who truly wields the hammer. A hammer given to him by the god of himself. A hammer with which he strikes down all those who damage the reputation of the NFL.

Sean Payton, Gregg Williams, Mickey Loomis and other Bountygate transgressors found themselves on the wrong end of the Hammer of Goodell today. Saints coach Payton got a one-year suspension for his role in the scandal, which involved paying bounties to players for injuring opponents – an illegal system that may or may not have helped cost the Vikings the NFC title game after the 2009 season. Former Saints DC Gregg Williams was suspended indefinitely, which I guess means he can come begging to Goodell at a later date and ask for reinstatement. Saints GM Mickey Loomis got an 8 game ban plus a $500,000 fine. The Saints will also have to surrender a pair of 2nd round draft picks.

There are probably some angry Viking fans out there who think this means vindication for the team. But the truth of it is, they STILL lost the NFC title game. Adrian Peterson still fumbled on the exchange at the end of the first half. Naufahu Tahi still poked his nose into that huddle when he wasn’t supposed to. Favre still threw across his body. So it’s not really vindication. Any comfort this provides is of the cold variety. But if it makes people feel better to think the Vikings were robbed? Let them think that.

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TVA: How legit are the Saints as Super Bowl contenders? Can they take down the Packers in the playoffs? Please say yes.

WDD: Well, to answer your question I would have to say yes — they can beat the Packers — and are a legitimate Superbowl contender. Let’s face it, the Saints have a better all-around offense than the Packers. Defensively you would also have to give the nod to the Saints as I feel that they would be able to apply more pressure and stop the pass more effectively down the road. Now last time these two teams met it came down to the very last play in regulation, and if not for two blown plays by New Orleans and an early fumbnle (Cobb’s kick return touchdown and receiving touchdown, Colston coughing it up) then the Saints would be sitting at 11-2 as the number one seed in the NFC not the Packers. (more…)