Rodgers Reportedly Target Of Saints' Bounty Program

Mike Ornstein, a fixture with the Saints since 2006, reportedly offered money for a "knockout blow" to Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

From Jeff Duncan of the Times-Picayune:

One name stood out among the accused parties in the Saints' bounty scandal. Mike Ornstein.

Ornstein officially has never been employed by the Saints but his implication in the scandal -- his emails pledging money for the bounty pool reportedly were turned up in the NFL's investigation -- speaks to the cozy relationship he had with the team.

His ties to the Saints date to 2006 when he worked as the marketing agent for Reggie Bush, who the club selected with the second overall pick of the NFL draft.

Ornstein became fast friends with Sean Payton and a fixture around the Saints' facility and at games. While the club never listed him as an official employee, his fingerprints were all over the organization.

The depth of Ornstein's involvement in the latest scandal varies depending upon on the source.

Citing an internal NFL memo sent to all 32 teams about the bounty scandal, CBSSports.com reported that Ornstein on at least four occasions pledged rewards of $5,000 to $10,000 to the Saints' bounty pool from 2009 to 2011.

Among the 18,000 documents league investigators examined is an email from Ornstein to Saints' coaches last season in which he pledged money for a knockout blow to Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers before the NFL kickoff game, according to a source familiar with the situation.

That same source insists Ornstein sent the message in jest. Payton reportedly told NFL investigators last week he did not read the email.

Whether the NFL buys either claim remains to be seen. This isn't a court of law. The league can and will rule on its own volition.

I admit I thought something like this would come out the moment the NFL dropped its press release regarding the bounty program. The Saints repeatedly went after Rodgers' head in that opening game, with linebacker Jonathan Cassilas being an obvious offender. From the first sack of the game and throughout, the memo the Saints defense had seemed to receive was "Rodgers had two concussions last year. Go get him."

Now, its pretty commonplace in the NFL to go after a guy who is coming back from injury. If he has a knee injury, you dive at his knee. I get that. But to intentionally go after a guy's head, if that's what the Saints were indeed trying to do, after all the extra attention that has been given to the lingering effects of concussions in guy's post-playing days, is way over the line.

It will be interesting to see if anything more comes of this...

 

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Comments (42)

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Doug In Sandpoint's picture

March 09, 2012 at 12:33 pm

The Saints will be coming to Lambeau this year. It will be interesting to see if any of our surly linemen will take exception. Perhaps a LB knee or two will be fair game.

The hunters will be the hunted.

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Oppy's picture

March 09, 2012 at 12:56 pm

Yeah, that's a great idea, Doug.

Let's be just as disgustingly pathetic and wrong as they are.

Good game plan!

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Doug In Sandpoint's picture

March 10, 2012 at 10:31 am

I know. I'm ashamed that my mind goes there. Luckily our team has more class.

But I do love it when the line gets protective of their quarterback... within the rules of course.

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FITZCORE1252's EVO's picture

March 10, 2012 at 02:46 pm

Doug, have you ever been to Silverwood? I know it's in your neighborhood. Thinking of making a trip there this summer with the fam for two or three days. Would you recommend it?

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Doug In Sandpoint's picture

March 11, 2012 at 10:47 pm

Silverwood's a blast. I'm not sure it's worth three days, especially with the lakes and mountains and other stuff we have in Northern Idaho. But the water park is fun and the rides are good. It would be a step below a 6 Flags, but great for this area.

Let me know if you want to go waterskiing on Lake Pend Oreille.

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FITZCORE1252's EVO's picture

March 15, 2012 at 12:46 pm

Just might do that Doug. Thanks!

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DD-393's picture

March 09, 2012 at 12:49 pm

They missed.

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Mojo's picture

March 09, 2012 at 12:54 pm

I even think its crappy to go after someones knee who had a previous knee injury. Do players really enjoy winning that way? Aren't they in the same boat so to speak?

Anyway, it appears this Saint's bounty thing was pretty wide spread among the organization. Dat Saints gonna get it.

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jeremy's picture

March 09, 2012 at 01:47 pm

I question if it's even productive to play that way. If your going after some guys knee your not going after the ball, or filling your gap, or covering your zone.

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IowaPackFan's picture

March 09, 2012 at 01:24 pm

I watched that sack mentioned in your article, and it really didn't look particularly dirty to me.

Not saying they didn't go after him at all in the game, but that sack looked fairly clean to me.

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PackerAaron's picture

March 09, 2012 at 01:34 pm

It's a clean sack. I just think he's trying to throw Rodgers' head into the ground toward the end.

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IowaPackFan's picture

March 09, 2012 at 03:14 pm

OK - I can buy that.

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pkrNboro's picture

March 09, 2012 at 01:48 pm

NFLicus Spartacus: the game's going back to it's roots!

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Alex's picture

March 09, 2012 at 03:04 pm

It looks like he had a ton of momentum... Not dirty at all plus he didn't even look back at Rodgers to see if he had "cashed in"

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jimicos's picture

March 09, 2012 at 03:31 pm

You're insane if you think that hit is an example of anything dirty.

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PackerAaron's picture

March 09, 2012 at 05:01 pm

And you're insane if you think the only way players intend to injure someone is via a dirty hit.

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Jeremy's picture

March 09, 2012 at 06:18 pm

I think I read a few times that the bounty was for legal hits that knocked a player out.

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ceallaigh's picture

March 10, 2012 at 07:16 pm

This. You're more likely to be successful in a bounty hit if you fly under the radar and play the legal but lethal game. You can inflict a lot of damage with a perfectly legal sack if the intent isn't field position but to inflict injury.

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FITZCORE1252's picture

March 09, 2012 at 03:57 pm

Again... I'm done listening to the players bitch about an extended season and how it would just be too much for their poor bodies to handle. Bullshit. It's a ploy, nothing more.

GBP 4 LIFE

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AJKUHN's picture

March 09, 2012 at 04:35 pm

Ah, between this, the contract issues with Brees and the fact that they are supposedly interested in Randy Moss, me thinks the Saints will be a mess this year. (but they will still have Sproles)

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Rocky70's picture

March 09, 2012 at 04:38 pm

"... the memo the Saints defense had SEEMED to receive ...."

"...IF that's what the Saints were indeed trying to do ..."

In other words, you really don't know. All you've done is combine innuendo with another conspiracy theory. Believe me, I'm not defending the Saints but pretty soon we'll be blaming the Saints for the high cost of petro.

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PackerAaron's picture

March 09, 2012 at 04:58 pm

Pretty sure I used those words on purpose. Let me check.

Yep. I sure did.

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Rocky70's picture

March 09, 2012 at 05:20 pm

Somehow waiting for a few facts to surface would seem prudent.

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PackerAaron's picture

March 09, 2012 at 05:38 pm

You must be new here. ;)

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FITZCORE1252's EVO's picture

March 09, 2012 at 08:31 pm

LOL. What are these "facts" he speaks of?

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Rocky70's picture

March 09, 2012 at 09:20 pm

Facts probably won't surface but I'd still prefer 'no information' than 'misinformation'. All the innuendos only serve to fuel a 'bounty system' frenzy.

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PackersRS's picture

March 10, 2012 at 01:04 pm

It would've been "misinformation" if he hadn't used the words IF and SEEMED.

But he did.

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cow42's picture

March 09, 2012 at 09:32 pm

"bounty system frenzy" would be a kick-ass name for a band.

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mark's picture

March 10, 2012 at 12:38 am

The Saints repeatedly went after Rodgers' head in that opening game, with linebacker Jonathan Cassilas being an obvious offender. From the first sack of the game and throughout, the memo the Saints defense had seemed to receive was "Rodgers had two concussions last year. Go get him."

************

That video isn't dirty, so where's the obvious head-hunting you're referring to? And do note, I'm not saying it doesn't exist, I'm just asking where you saw it.

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Pack66's picture

March 10, 2012 at 09:38 am

Oh..boo hoo hoo....

Poor Rodgers can't get his school pants dirty..and you people whine, whine, whine..like Bear fans..

Did you see what the Saints did to FAVRE in the championship game a few years ago...??

Now that was criminal...

And now you swine treat Peyton Manning like a hero when he wants to go to another team, but Ball-less Ted who didn't have the 'NADS to tell Favre that they didn't want him had to pull all of his backdoor, sleazy, scummy shenanigans...and Favre was the bad guy?

That's why I can't stand you hypocritical so called, "Packer fans" and your OVER-RATED management...

You guys will lose a few more playoff games, and won't get to the big dance again with this lameass crew...hahahahaha...

And it will serve you right...

Once that a**hole Thompson is gone, I might consider being a Packer fan again...(as I had been since the late 1960's...)

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Doug In Sandpoint's picture

March 10, 2012 at 10:39 am

Wow. Thanks. I never thought of it that way. You are very convincing. I will begin searching for another team to root for immediately. One with better management. Maybe pretty uniforms.

Naw. I think it's better to stay right here. Sure all the people here are swine, but they are my swine.

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PackerAaron's picture

March 10, 2012 at 10:42 am

Thanks Pack66. I needed a good laugh. You never disappoint.

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bryce's picture

March 10, 2012 at 12:42 pm

If the blog makes you that angry, why do you visit it? Sure it's fun to kick up dust every now and again, but you seem a little too upset.

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FITZCORE1252's EVO's picture

March 10, 2012 at 02:43 pm

JJ! Where ya been ya dum-sum-bitch? We need more comic relief around here!

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Oppy's picture

March 10, 2012 at 05:01 pm

Um, Peyton Manning didn't want to play for another team. He wanted to be a Colt. He also didn't retire, and then say "Aw, well, I changed my mind and I want my job back."

See the difference? No, I know you don't.

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ceallaigh's picture

March 10, 2012 at 07:21 pm

Uh, Hi?

And what was your point again?

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Point Packer's picture

March 12, 2012 at 11:18 am

Favre loving TT hating former Packer fans are the worst kind of scum. It gets no lower.

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joshywoshybigfatposhy's picture

March 12, 2012 at 11:25 am

this city deserves a better class of criminal.

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PackersRS's picture

March 12, 2012 at 01:06 pm

I call shenanigans that you're older than 12.

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packsmack25's picture

March 12, 2012 at 03:15 pm

Obvious troll is obvious.

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bryce's picture

March 10, 2012 at 12:43 pm

Goodell better come down real hard on that entire organization. Severely hard.

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petr's picture

March 10, 2012 at 03:26 pm

"in which he pledged money for a knockout blow to Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers before the NFL kickoff game"

So they were trying to knock Rodgers out of the game before the game kicked off? Get him in the warmup sessions?? I've heard of late hits, but shirley this would be an early hit?

I say Gregg Williams blitzing 8 in the pre-kickoff warmup sessions goes too far!

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