Weekend Version Saturday is a “information” program, however anchorman Scott Simon can uncork an occasional liberal commentary known as “Simon Says.” On the Saturday earlier than the Tremendous Bowl, Simon ripped professional soccer as a violent sport, chiding the NFL for mainly abusing its labor power.

The event was the Denver Broncos hiring Sean Payton as its head coach. Payton was a profitable head coach for the New Orleans Saints from 2006 to 2021, main the franchise to its first Tremendous Bowl victory in the course of the 2009 season. Simon editorialized that Payton was by no means punished sufficient for the “Bountygate” scandal again in 2012, when defensive coordinator Gregg Williams instituted a “bounty” system for injuring the opposite staff’s offensive gamers.

SIMON: He turns into the Broncos coach on the finish of a soccer season through which much more consideration has been drawn to the toll the sport can inflict on gamers, particularly after Damar Hamlin, the Buffalo Payments security, suffered a cardiac arrest after a sort out final month. Mr. Hamlin appeared on the NFL honors ceremony this week and spoke of how grateful he feels to be alive. Sean Payton gained seven division titles with New Orleans, in addition to their Tremendous Bowl. He was 2006 NFL coach of the yr. However he was suspended by the NFL for the 2012 season over what turned generally known as Bountygate. 

An NFL investigation discovered greater than 20 Saints gamers arrange money bounties to entice teammates to deliberately injure opposing gamers so painfully and significantly, they’d be taken out of the sport. A thousand money was the everyday payoff if a participant was carted off the sphere on a stretcher, $1,500 if the participant was knocked out. The numbers went up for extra key gamers in playoff video games. Professional soccer is a violent enterprise, however providing gamers money bounties to injure different gamers continues to be in opposition to the principles.

Sean Payton was not accused of orchestrating the scheme or providing his personal money prizes. However the NFL’s investigation discovered he didn’t cease the bounties when he discovered about them or finish the payoffs when so ordered by his staff’s proprietor. The truth is, the NFL discovered that because the investigation deepened, Sean Payton had suggested assistant coaches, make certain our geese are in a row.

Simon famous that Payton was suspended with out pay for your entire 2012 season and misplaced $8 million in wage, however by some means you’d need to guess Simon thought he ought to have been banned from the sport ceaselessly. He closed in a huff: 

SIMON: NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell instructed a press convention this week that accidents within the NFL have been down 6% this yr. However for those who watch the Tremendous Bowl tomorrow — and regardless of many misgivings, I’ll — you would possibly contemplate Sean Peyton’s expensive new contract and surprise if it means the NFL has moved a lot past seeing the breaks, sprains and concussions of its personal gamers as being simply a part of the sport.

Cynicism about sports activities and implying some racial animus is all within the NPR method.