NFL Punishes Saints For Bounty Program; Aspirin May Cut Cancer Risk
COSTELLO: The NFL is coming down hard on the New Orleans Saints for their bounty program. Head coach Sean Payton has the stiffest punishment. He has been suspended for the entire season. One year without pay, that's a hit of $7.5 million. Saints' quarterback Drew Brees reacted on Twitter. This is his tweet. He said, I am speechless. Sean Payton is a great man, coach and mentor. The best there is. I need to hear an explanation for this punishment. Commissioner Roger Goodell provided one to the NFL network.</s>ROGER GOODELL, NFL COMMISSIONER: I don't think you can be too hard on people that put at risk our players' health and safety. That is a critical issue for us going forward and has been in our past. We will always protect that. We will always make the decisions best for the game long-term and our players.</s>COSTELLO: Bobby Hebert played quarterback with the Saints from 1985 to 1992. He now co-hosts a sports talk show on WWL radio in New Orleans. Bobby, welcome.</s>BOBBY HEBERT, WWL SPORTS TALK HOST: Thanks for having me.</s>COSTELLO: We appreciate your being here. So do you think the punishments were too severe?</s>HEBERT: Well, I think it's so severe because it all goes back to not addressing it from the get go when the commissioner to the sports organization. Really, if you look at the NFL and the way it's structured with Commissioner Goodell, if you are confronted with a problem you have to deal with it. You can't sweep it under the rug. You can't lie to the commissioner. I think it's similar why the NFL came down so harsh on the Saints, what happened with Michael Vick. It's almost like you growing up, you have that father figure, dad in my life, you might do something I don't like or I'm wrong. But if I confront you, you better tell me the truth. I think that was the problem with the Saints organization. I think from the get go, if they would have addressed it, this probably would have been taken care of behind the scenes. The ongoing process going back to 2009 when the Saints won the Super Bowl, that's why it had to come forth in the public to nip it in the bud. The commissioner to say as far as always being concerned with players' safety, that's as of late in the potential lawsuits and what's going to come about kind of looking into the future. The commissioner taking the approach it's about player safety. He has to take that approach because of the potential lawsuits and liability of that. That's where all that comes from.</s>COSTELLO: So you're really saying that it was more the cover-up that angered the NFL, not so much the bounty program?</s>HEBERT: That's what I think as far as the stiff penalty with Sean Payton. We all thought realistically he was going to be probably four games, maybe eight games a season of that's a real fine. Sean Payton has basically paid I want to say between $7 million, $8 million. You look at players with big hits get fined $50,000. You're making millions, how significant is that? When you're talking about taking away a man's living for a year, $7 million, $8 million that speaks volumes, where does that place the fans? Who that nation the Saint's fan base, what about us? It's like when you are growing up, you're a fan of the "Rolling Stones," you don't mind to pay $100 to go see Mik Jagger perform on stage for the "Rolling Stones." All of a sudden he's not available. I want a refund. What about the Saints fans going forward next year? We're hosting the Super Bowl. Everyone thinks we're as good as it gets to go to the Super Bowl, now one hand tied behind their back.</s>COSTELLO: Let me ask you something else. I know the people of New Orleans are really upset, but some NFL players are really upset too for whoever snitched. In fact, former NFL star, Warren Sapp responded to a Twitter follower who asked who was the snitch? Sapp tweeted just heard who the snitch was Jeremy Shockey. As you know Jeremy Shockey played with the Saints. He's now free agent. He tweeted back and said how about I take a lie detector test on ESPN. So there's all this ugliness going on within the world of football, too. So how much damage has this done?</s>HEBERT: Well, you know, a lot of people might take the approach the troops out, is there any wrong exposing something that's not right. All I know in a locker room, you hear the commercial what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. Basically, as far as players are speaking, what happens in the locker room stays in the locker room. All I know is whoever that snitch is, you do not want to be a snitch. The players will look upon that like you got to be kidding me. They would view that person as sellout. Like I say, I don't know Warren Sapp's sources, but a lot of players do trust an individual like Warren Sapp. They both went to the University of Miami. I don't know if he has a beef to pick with Shockey. But for him to say that, he said he trusts his sources. I mean, at times Shockey has not always been the most upstanding citizen as far as how he's been in the locker room. He was outstanding in the Saints locker room. I don't know if he was bitter when they got rid of him. I know the players look upon that --</s>COSTELLO: We can only speculate. Bobby Herbert, thank you so much for being with us this morning. We appreciate it.</s>HEBERT: Thanks for having me.</s>COSTELLO: Still to come on NEWSROOM, the Trayvon Martin story and 1.6 seconds of the 911 case that has some saying race has everything to do with the shooting. Also ahead, coping a plea. Dharun Ravi refuses to do it and now he faces prison time for spying on his roommate via web cam. He explains this decision in his first interview since the trial.