Coming from the Twitter account of Greg Aiello, spokesman for the NFL, is a statement

seemingly from Paul Tagliabue regarding the Saints’ players implicated in the ongoing bounty gate scandal.

“Tagliabue affirms factual findings of Commissioner

Goodell concludes Hargrove, Smith, Vilma “engaged in conduct detrimental” and vacates all player discipline,” Aiello tweets.

“Unlike Saints’ broad organizational misconduct, player appeals involve sharply focused issues of alleged individual player misconduct in several different aspects. My affirmation of Commissioner Goodell’s findings could certainly justify the issuance of fines. However, this entire case has been contaminated by the coaches and others in the Saints’ organization.”

“Having reviewed the testimony very carefully, including documentary evidence that is at the center of the conflict, and having assessed the credibility of the four central witnesses on these matters, I find there is more than enough evidence to support Commissioner Goodell’s findings that Mr. Vilma offered such a bounty (on Brett Favre).”

Basically to sum up Paul Tagliabue’s statement he says that there is no grounds on which to punish the Saints’ players even though it is clear that they did something wrong. And with that the suspensions of Jonathan Vilma, Will Smith, Scott Fujita, and Anthony Hargrove have been overturned.

He then issues the NFL’s response via twitter.

“We respect Mr. Tagliabue’s decision, which underscores the due process afforded players in NFL disciplinary matters. This matter has now been reviewed by Commissioner Goodell, two CBA grievance arbitrators, the CBA Appeals Panel, and Mr. Tag as Commissioner Goodell’s designated appeals officer. The decisions have made clear that the Saints operated a bounty program in violation of league rules for three years, that the program endangered player safety, and that the commissioner has the authority under the CBA to impose discipline for those actions as conduct detrimental to the league. Strong action was taken in this matter to protect player safety and ensure that bounties would be eliminated from football.”

It seems as if the players have won.

Another NFL Spin Zone feature.

The very unpopular Roger Goodell is considering making another unpopular decision regarding the NFL and the

sport of

football. Many have criticize him for his rule changes that have made the sport less competitive and harder for defensive players to make plays they’re accustomed to while trying to protect the offensive players.

The NFL recently moved the starting position of kick offs to encourage more touchbacks in an effort to reduce the number of injuries that occur in the often chaotic and penalized kick off returns. That change increased the number of touchbacks from 16.4% to 43.5% last year according to Elias Sports Bureau.

But in a interview with Time magazine, Roger Goodell says the NFL has at least one suggestion for replacing kickoffs that came from Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Greg Schiano. Schiano was previously a coach at Rutgers and saw his player Eric LeGrand paralyzed during a kickoff return in October of 2010.

“I believe that day will come,” coach Schiano said in an interview with ESPN Magazine in September about removing kickoffs from professional football. “Unfortunately, it will probably take more players being seriously hurt. But I think there’s another way to do this.”

So Schiano, the man famous for blowing up the victory formation, suggested an alternative to the kickoff. The team that would be kicking off, instead gets the ball on their own 30 yard line in a 4th and 15 situation. The team would punt the ball away or instead, could go for it, replacing an onside kick. If they failed to convert, the opposing team would get great field position.

Goodell, according to Time magazine, even discussed the idea with the head of the league’s competition committee, Rich McKay.

“The fact is, it’s a much different end of the play,” Goodell said, according to Time magazine. “It’s different and makes you think differently. It did me.”