Saints head coach suspended one year for injury bounty program

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell on Wednesday afternoon suspended New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton for one year for the bounty program the Saints defense ran since 2009.

Also, defensive coordinator Gregg Williams was banned indefinitely from the NFL.

Saints general manager Mickey Loomis was suspended for eight games, and linebackers coach Joe Vitt for six games.

The Saints were also fined a $500,0000 and they lost a pair of second-round draft choices in 2012 and 2013.

Goodell said everyone’s accountable for player safety.

“We will not tolerate conduct or a culture that undermines those priorities,” he said.

Vitt was the Green Bay Packers defensive backs coach in 1999.

Payton interviewed six years ago for the job Mike McCarthy now has as Green Bay’s head coach.

In 2009, Williams turned down an offer to be the Packer’s defensive coordinator, a job later given to Dom Capers.

An NFL investigation showed that up to 27 New Orleans players took part in the bounty program, which paid thousands of dollars to defenders for injuring their opponents on offense.

The probe revealed that former Packers quarterback Brett Favre was a target, as was current Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers in last year’s regular season opener which the Pack won 42-34.

Favre was banged up in the NFC title game in the 2009 season. There did not appear to be malicious hits on Rodgers in last September’s game with the Saints.

Bob Uecker to be cast in bronze

Anyone who has listened to Bob Uecker knows that the Milwaukee Brewers Hall of Fame broadcaster would throw some jokes in when reacting to a statue being built in his honor.

The Brewers said Wednesday that a life-size statue of “Mr. Baseball” would be dedicated Aug. 31 at Miller Park, next to the bronze likenesses of Robin Yount, Hank Aaron and Bud Selig.

When a reporter asked why it took so long for the honor, Uecker joked that, “I didn’t have enough for the down-payment.” He also said he posed like Arnold Schwarzenegger for the statue. He said it would invite pigeons for the rest of time.

Getting serious, Uecker said team owner Mark Attanasio approached Uecker about the idea early last season. He said his family and friends are all excited about what’s really a great honor.

Uecker says he hopes the Wisconsin radio listeners have enjoyed his 42 years of calling Brewers games as much as he has, and while he doesn’t like to see the Brewers lose, he’s never had a bad day when going to the announcer’s booth.

Badgers’ Sweet 16 appearance fifth in 10 years

The Wisconsin men’s basketball team has been to the NCAA Sweet 16 a total of five times in the past 10 years.

Only four others have done it more often. Kansas and Duke each made it to the second weekend seven times in the last decade. North Carolina and Michigan State made it six times.

This is the first time in school history that Wisconsin made the Sweet 16 in back-to-back seasons.

Players like Josh Gasser know what to expect. The sophomore guard says the teams are a little better in the Sweet 16. They’re either really good or on a super-hot streak, Gasser said.

Gasser says everyone in the bracket is bigger, athletic and well-prepared. He said the Badgers must be ready for a higher intensity level.

Point guard Jordan Taylor says the Sweet-16 is “not for the faint-hearted, so you have to go in there and just be aggressive.”

The fourth-seeded Badgers play top-seeded Syracuse in the East Regional semifinals Thursday night in Boston. Marquette faces Florida in the West Regional semis in Phoenix.

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