Fujita speaks

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BEREA, Ohio (AP) Cleveland Browns linebacker Scott Fujita says he is innocent in the New Orleans Saints' bounty scandal.

Fujita, who spent four seasons with New Orleans, was suspended for three games by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell for his alleged involvement in the pay-for-hits program. Fujita said he knows what actually happened and that it's been difficult being on public trial for something he says he didn't do. He's disappointed his reputation has been affected by the league's assertion he contributed money to the ''bounty'' pool.

Fujita is appealing his suspension and hopes to be vindicated because ''my reputation is a lot more important to me than three game checks. My track record speaks for itself.''

Fujita, an executive committee member with the players' union, says ''there will come a time when I'll be willing to share everything.''

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Well, he is certainly defending himself. But, in no way does he make it sound like there wasn't actually a bounty program. Tired of this shite.

Exactly....

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But, in no way does he make it sound like there wasn't actually a bounty program

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It has been pretty much proven that the Saint had some sort of illegal incentive-based program going on in the locker room (and it has been revealed that it goes on in pretty much every locker room in the NFL and has been for decades)

However, the players have all stated it was not a pay for injure "bounty" program like the media and Goodell have portrayed it since the beginning.

We have not seen/heard any bit of proof that it was a pay for injure program and all we have at this point is the word for the Goodell and his "tons of evidence"...and certainly not enough to warrant (at least yet) a full year suspension for a player

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He doesn't strike me as the type to rat former teammates out.

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Question: Is responding to national sports blogs something that special ed teachers have their students do as part of their therapy? It certainly seems like it given some of the responses.

Yes, and I've made that point several times to Saints beat writers. I'm angry that the NFL has been able to get away (with what I think) is a complete misnomer.

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The media uses the word bounty to mean both a pay-to-injure and a pay-for-performance system.
In that way, they can paint us guilty in one rather broad stroke.

But doesn't the word bounty sound more like an injury thing?

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I have maintained this throughout. Calling it an "incentive program" would be just as effective as "bounty program"...but using the word "bounty" gave a nice, juicy angle to story from the beginning (Bountygate, Bounty Culture SI cover, etc)

And like you said, they have used it for both and they never really distinguish even though the two are both very different

Well yeah, the media is always going to use words to sell a story. Bontygate, Spygate, etc.

And I'm not sure the NFL has said anything about injury, it seems more like the media is saying that, especially after the Williams tape was released. The NFL seemed more focused on "big hits" which again goes back to their lawsuits.

Just my take on it though, although I've been avoiding it as much as possible.

I think we're witnessing a mutiny on the bounty.



Sorry, had to do that.

Thanks for the video.

He says that he first found out about the investigation from the media while he was in the hospital for the birth of his daughter.
The investigation had gone on for years, but that was the first time he'd heard anything.

The NFL is shady as frick, if nothing else.

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I want to speed up time 70 something days.

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At least wait until your Euro-adventure is over to wish something like that.