When examining the purpose of all of the major sports that are played in the United States, its clear that football is one of the only sports that not only condones full contact and brutal force, but encourages it. Going back to the beginning of the sport, laying into a competitor is a main factor as to how someone earns their place among the gods of the game. Players like Ray Nitschke and Chuck Bednarik are famous for their intensity and ferocity, and its not shocking that they are on a short list of the best defenders in the history of the NFL.

Now that the game has transformed to favor more high scoring affairs, highlighted by long pass plays and breaking records, the aura of the past continues to haunt the players who continue to play like their forefathers. When the Saints team was recently outed for their use of a bounty system to reward players for big hits, many of the media’s reaction to the news was that of sheer contempt. Reactions like they had were most likely expected, but none-the-less par for the course. Many players came out and gave their own perspective on the situation, saying that a bounty would never change the way they play. To them, it was just like Al Davis was famous for saying – “Just win, baby!”

Without a doubt there are two differing themes that run through the dissection of the Saints and their transgressions. The first is the fact that many of the players believe that it is a rampant practice among their inner circles. Mainly that players consistently offered each other money or rewards for a big hit or a play that resulted in someone getting lit up. For the most part, they were correct in saying this was a common practice, even in college. Players are often awarded stickers for playing above their expectations. However, they are also awarded for things other than just big hits, and there is never an attempt to injure. Additionally, there has never been a proven target of these big hits, just a general recognition for making it happen.

The second school of thought applied to the fact that coaches on the Saints defense were the ones facilitating these rewards. That in itself can bring an organization to its knees, especially in light of the Commissioner’s player conduct policy that was implemented a few years ago. One columnist related it to the difference between a player providing another player with steroids, versus a coach providing the drugs. It’s a completely different situation.

More importantly, when the coaches put knock out/injure/cart off payout scales on certain players, it becomes less about making Top Plays on Sportscenter, and bordering on malicious intent to derail a team. That, in itself, will never fly in any league, no matter how many guys like Dick Butkus roamed the gridiron in prior years.

For the sake of the fans, football has transformed to be an offense driven league. Despite this fact, the fans still revel at a team that is known for taking names on defense. The hits, like the ones on Kurt Warner and Brett Favre that have populated every reactionary news story to these events, will be shown for years to come. Those hits still get players the endorsement deals they need to provide for their families in a sport where careers are shorter than any other sport.

If true, its wrong that coaches tried to endorse the injury of players on the other team. On the flip side, if you take the toothpaste out of the tube, it is close to impossible to get it back in. The advent of media coverage of players being dialed in and blowing a quarterback out of his shoes with a blind side crack will always put these types of things in a hypocritical light. How can the media love the game for what it is or used to be, but not understand how something like the Saints’ bounty system could happen? Players just want to win, and that’s it.

Vince Lombardi is remembered for saying, “Winning is not a sometime thing; its an all the time thing, ” and the players will do what they have to make that a reality. Its just that when it comes to authority on the field, there has to be a line drawn. You cant turn a rabid dog loose and not expect it to bite someone. Bottom line.