BOUNTY HUNTING IN FOOTBALL.

BOUNTY HUNTING IN FOOTBALL. I posted recently about the claim that in a conference championship game the New York Giants “strategically concussed” a player for the 49ers—targeted him because he had previously had four concussions. Now the NFL has announced that the New Orleans Saints maintained a bounty pool to reward game-ending injuries inflicted on opposing players. The pool amounts were greatest in 2009, when the Saints won the Super Bowl. Comments from several players indicate their belief that this kind of reward system happens a lot. Some players whose careers were ended by injury have said that they thought they were targeted. Other players—usually defensive players—have taken the position that football is a dangerous game and the players understand that. I posted here a year ago about how a lot of fans and players like the danger. The commissioner of the NFL says that there are two issues: player safety and competitive integrity. Certainly if the teams in a playoff game are playing by different rules, the team with the bounty system has a competitive advantage.