NFL March Madness

Photo courtesy of zimbio.com. In a wild day for the NFL, New Orleans Saints Head Coach Sean Payton (pictured above) has been suspended for the entire 2012 season.

By Josh Kramer

I always was under the impression that March Madness only applied to college hoops.  I was wrong.  The past couple of days have been simply ludicrous in regards to America’s favorite sports league, the NFL.  Let’s recap.

Peyton Manning signs with the Denver Broncos

-I fully understand this mega-signing.  There are many appealing factors to the Mile High City and the Broncos organization.  Namely, they are a team who plays in a weak division and they have John Elway.  Elway can act as a mentor to Peyton and help him become the unquestioned GOAT (Greatest-Of-All-Time) in terms of NFL quarterbacks.  If I were Peyton, I would have signed with the 49ers.  San Francisco is a Super Bowl contender in 2012 with or without Peyton Manning.  They also play in a very weak division. Not to mention they have arguably the best coach in the NFL today, Jim Harbaugh.  5 years and 96 million though may be enough to get me to settle on Denver over San Francisco though.

Goodell shakes up New Orleans

-The suspension merry-go-round continues. I am disgusted by what the New Orleans Saints did from 2009 to 2011.  A bounty system has no place in football at any level.  Nobody should ever “try” to injure opponents on an athletic field.  If one tries to injure people off the field, they typically end up in prison.  But does anyone else feel as if the punishments are just a tad bit excessive?  Here is the rundown.

The Saints have been fined $500,000 and must give up two second-round draft picks (2012 and 2013).

Sean Payton  has been suspended for the year.

Saints GM Mickey Loomis has been suspended for eight games.

Saints assistant coach Joe Vitt has been fined $100,000 and suspended for six games.

Former Saints defensive coordinator and current Rams defensive coordinator Gregg Williams has been suspended indefinitely.

Does anybody else think this punishment is way excessive?  I understand where Commissioner Goodell is coming from.  He wants to set an example.  Bounties have no place in professional football.  I fully agree with this.  But these punishments seem just a bit over the top.  I guess the saying goes, if you want to do the crime, then you have to do the time.  All parties involved in the “Bounty Scandal” are now going to do the time.

Tebow hits the big city

-Eli Manning breathed a sigh of relief when brother Peyton signed with the Denver Broncos (and not the New York Jets).  So did Mark Sanchez (though the Jets were a long shot to nab Peyton).  Today, Mark Sanchez is no longer breathing easy.  The New York Jets have signed one of the NFL’s most popular players, Tim Tebow.  In the present, Mark Sanchez is without question the current starter for the Jets.  But so was Kyle Orton way back when in Denver.  It has already been a tumultuous off-season for Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez.  Well things just got real.  Tebow has supposedly been brought in to help with “Wildcat” packages and for situational use.  You can’t tell me that his arrival will not make Sanchez even more uneasy than he was before though.  In year number four, people are going to expect some more from former USC star Mark Sanchez.  If not, Rex Ryan and Co., may have to show Sanchez the door.

The past couple of days have truly been “NFL March Madness.”

Stay tuned for the next edition of TheSportsKraze.

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