New Orleans Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma is no longer suspended for a so-called "bounty" scheme that the NFL says paid Saints players under the table to injure opposing players, but Vilma appears to be ready to continue his defamation lawsuit NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.
While the ruling settles the issue for most of the other players suspended in the bounty case, Vilma still has a federal defamation lawsuit pending against the commissioner in federal court here in New Orleans. Vilma's lawyer, Peter Ginsberg, says they're still pursuing it.
"What Commissioner Goodell has done to him and to his reputation has no basis and is inexcusable," Ginsberg told WWL-TV. "Jonathan is going to do everything he can to hold the commissioner responsible and to clear up his name."
Tulane sports law program director Gabe Feldman said that won't be easy, considering NFL appeals arbitrator Paul Tagliabue put in his ruling that even though he's vacating the suspensions, he thought the league had credible evidence that the players participated in a pay-for-injury scheme.
"Now we have a new person coming in and saying, 'look, I looked at the evidence, and I think that Jonathan Vilma did put a bounty on (Minnesota Vikings) Brett Favre,'" Feldman explained.
So the as much as the league might want the bounty issue to go away, for now, it's not going anywhere. Vilma has a deadline today to inform the court of his plans.
He will be entering his tenth season in the National Football League this season in the same uniform that he began his career in back in 2004. The lone player that is still on the Saints roster from the previous coaching staff will get a new look at...
After a season in which the Saints did not have their head coach, in which the club limped through to a very disappointing 7-9 record, New Orleans will hit the field this week as off season practices get underway. The media will get to attend an OTA...
Yes, I know that all coaches and most players say it, but it's true! When it comes to football, championships are won in the off season. Saints Offensive Guard Ben Grubbs is also in that number.
"I believe that the road to the Super Bowl does...
A lot of special moments are expected this weekend as the #2 ranked LSU Baseball Tigers take on the Ole Miss Rebels. Head Coach Paul Mainieri told me and Bobby Hebert that even though his team has sewn up the SEC West, they are in no way going to relax...
Saints Head Coach Sean Payton joined Bobby Hebert and me for a chat following the team's rookie minicamp on Airline Drive.
Coach Payton told us the session went well.
"You have a short period of time to do that and the three days we had gave...
Kristian@wwl.com
The Payton factor: The media got their first look at the Saints during their third Organized Team Activity session this morning at the team's training facility on Airline Drive. Very few people have as strong a presence at their...
Kristian@wwl.com - In a new defensive alignment, Saints veteran Will Smith is starting Organized Team Activities today at outside linebacker.
"On paper it's outside linebacker, but it's still defensive end. I'm cool with it," Smith told...
Starting this Tuesday, the Black and Gold get underway with Organized Team Activities, which is a fancy phrase for "practice." These workouts are voluntary, but as in previous years under Sean Payton, attendance at OTA's are expected to be...
It's hard to believe but Lance Moore is the elder statesman of the Saints wide receiver corps. Moore joined the Saints back in 2005 as an undrafted free agent out of Toledo and has been mainstay since the 2006 season as perhaps the Black and...
Kristian@wwl.com - Let me start by saying Tim Tebow might just be the greatest college player of my generation. He was fantastic at Florida, winning two national titles. Tebow seemed to WILL the Florida Gators to win after win. Tim Tebow displayed...
E-Mail
Print
