Brees backs players in bounty case
The New Orleans Saints are doing their best to block out the ongoing drama surrounding linebacker Jonathan Vilma and defense end Will Smith. That doesn't mean Drew Brees and the 1-4 Saints aren't thinking about it.
Brees said Thursday the reissued suspensions were "a sham." He disagrees with the basis for the punishment handed down to players and coaches for the pay-for-performance plot under defensive coordinator Gregg Williams and believes the courts will have the next say in the matter.
"This could go on for a while, because, certainly, our players are not satisfied with some of the things that Commissioner Goodell has claimed or said," Brees told NFL Network. "It seems like so much of his suspensions have been based upon speculation and rhetoric and maybe the testimony of some pretty unreliable sources. So that's the unfortunate thing. It seems like his decision changes quite a bit, or at least the reasoning behind what his decision is. So that's the disappointing part of it for all of us. Now that we're in the middle of the season, we just want to play football, we want to focus on winning games. It's been a tough road, but we're really just trying to compartmentalize this, block it out so we can focus on the season."
