Suspended New Orleans Saints’ Players Hearings Will Be Heard On May 30th
According to Peter Ginsberg, Jonathan Vilma’s attorney, the suspended New Orleans Saints players will have their appeals heard on Wednesday, May 30th, 2012. Vilma faces the longest suspension at 16 games. Saints’ defensive end Will Smith is appealing his four game suspension, Green Bay Packers’ defensive lineman Anthony Hargrove is appealing his eight game suspension, and Cleveland Browns’ linebacker Scott Fujita is appealing his three game suspension.
It remains to be seen whether or not any of the players’ suspensions will be reduced or not. However, there have been plenty of headlines surrounding the suspensions, especially Vilma’s season long ban. Vilma has claimed that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has no concrete evidence that he participated in the Saints’ bounty program. However, during the investigation it was said that Vilma placed a $10,000 bounty on quarterback Brett Favre during the 2009 NFC championship.
Smith, Fujita, and Hargrove all have lesser suspensions than Vilma and there are some who think that some of the suspensions will be reduced. However, Goodell came down hard on the Saints during this offseason and is not really known for changing his mind once it is made up. It had been assumed that the suspended players would appeal their suspensions as soon as they were announced and if Goodell does not have evidence, as Vilma claims, and then there could be a chance that the players’ suspensions could be reduced.
Whether or not the players’ suspensions are reduced the Saints should be fine with the roster that they have now. The Saints made many acquisitions during the offseason, especially on the defensive end. It is unfortunate that the players were given suspensions but if the suspensions are not reduced the Saints will be prepared for the upcoming season.
Buy New Orleans Saints Tickets | Buy New Orleans Saints Apparel
Leave a Rant
and oh, if you want a pic to show with your comment, go get a gravatar!