In the wake of the whole Saints bounty scandal, audio has now emerged that should pretty much close the door on any arguments that the penalties levied against New Orleans were too stiff.
It should also close the door on defensive coordinator Gregg Williams’ career.
We’ve got the partial audio below. Please keep in mind that it is very not safe for work.
The audio comes before last year’s playoff game between the Saints and 49ers. It was captured by filmmaker Sean Pamphilon Williams who is working on a documentary about former Saints player Steve Gleason. In the audio, Williams says a number of troubling things. He talks about taking shots at Frank Gore’s head, injuring WR Michael Crabtree’s ACL and even about going after WR Kyle Williams, who has had multiple concussions.
“We need to find out in the first two series of the game, the little wide receiver, No. 10, about his concussion,” Williams says. “We need to put a lick on him, move him to decide. He needs to decide.”
Pamphilon put the audio on Youtube and also gave it to Mike Silver of Yahoo Sports. At one point, while talking about hitting QB Alex Smith, Williams says “I got the first one. I got the first one. Go get it. Go lay that out.”
Wow. I am all for players playing hard but telling players to try to give a man a concussion or to tear his ACL isn’t competition, it is telling your players to assault the other team. NFL players sign up to play a violent, physical game. They do so knowing they could unintentionally come to bodily harm. Playing football does not mean you give you consent for your opponent to try to intentionally injure you.
Williams is toast.