Eli blasts Saints' bounty system
New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning (10) passes under pressure from New Orleans Saints strong safety Roman Harper (41) during the second quarter on Nov. 28, 2011. Credit: AP
While many NFL players seem to be shrugging off the Saints' bounty scandal, at least one prominent player has come out strongly against them.
How prominent? How about a two-time Super Bowl MVP with a name that resonates strongly in New Orleans?
Eli Manning, who attended the premiere of the DVD "Super Bowl XLVI Champions: New York Giants" in Times Square Monday, blasted the practice, saying there is no room in the NFL for such activity.
"Obviously it is a big deal, what's going on," Manning said of the Saints, for whom his father, Archie, played and for whom he rooted. "It's not good for football and can't be a part of football. I know Roger Goodell will do a good job figuring all this out and making sure this doesn't happen again."
Manning said he's been in meetings with defensive teammates talking about getting hits and sacks. He understands that in opponents' locker rooms, defensive players say the same thing about him.
"But when you start talking about injuring a guy, carting him off and trying to end his season or career, that's not what this game is about," Manning said. "I think we should have more respect for the game than that. It can't be a part of football."
Manning said he never recalled taking a hit from the Saints that he thought was dirty or intended to hurt him. This past season, though, Hakeem Nicks took a violent hit from Saints safety Isa Abdul-Quddus. Was he trying to injure Nicks and possibly collect a bounty?
"The way he was celebrating, you would probably think that," Nicks said at the DVD event.
Some players around the league have suggested that the bounties take place everywhere, and some sounded most upset that their existence had leaked from the locker room. The Giants denied that anything like the bounty program in New Orleans takes place on their team.
"I've never been a part of that," safety Antrel Rolle said at the theater. "It's not good character. There's no price you can put on the health of an opponent. That's just the way I look at it."
Notes & quotes: WR Mario Manningham said he hopes he can return to the Giants but expects he'll become an unrestricted free agent next week. Negotiations have not been progressing, he said. "I feel like we can do a lot of damage in these next four, five years because we're all young," he said. "It's not up to me. I want to stay." . . . The Giants placed a franchise tag on punter Steve Weatherford but will continue negotiating with him on a longer-term deal. Weatherford, who would have been a free agent next week without the tag or a new deal, will make around $2.5 million in 2012 . . . Rolle will be at the FYE in Levittown from 2 to 4 p.m. Tuesday signing copies of the DVD, which goes on sale Tuesday.
