The NFL's season-long suspension of Jonathan Vilma for his role in the New Orleans Saints' bounty program is making waves throughout the NFL, and Steelers defensive players James Harrison, Ryan Clark and LaMarr Woodley are among those who are shocked about it.
↵↵↵↵↵Ridiculous, and nobody really sees why the punishments have been so severe over the past 3 4years! Lawsuits and 18 games???
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↵↵↵WOW! Couldn't imagine missing a year of an already short career nor could I imagine taking money to end 1! What can you do?
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↵↵Vilma suspended a whole yr FOR PLAYING FOOTBALL???? cmon man!!!!!
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The Steelers' opinions about this are surely influenced by their own experiences with the NFL's disciplinary whims. While the NFL has correctly identified player safety as a serious problem, its punishments have seemed arbitrary at best and completely unfair at worst, and Harrison has been treated, mostly unfairly, as the poster boy for the NFL's concussion issue. None of this justifies Vilma's behavior, though, obviously.
↵Via Adam Schefter.
↵For more on the Steelers, check out Behind The Steel Curtain.