The NFLPA Hires Legal Counsel For New Orleans Saints Players Involved In ‘Bounty Gate’ [AUDIO]

As the NFL continues their investigation into the New Orleans Saints "Bounty Gate," the NFL Players Association has hired a legal counsel for the players that may be involved in the allegations.  The NFL has said that 22 to 27 defensive players were part of the Saints' pay-for-pain bounty pool, which awarded thousands of dollars of cash bonuses from 2009-11 for vicious hits that knocked targeted opponents out of games.The NFLPA has advised some of the players that may have taken part in the bounty program that the NFL could bring criminal charges down on them in the near future. With that said, the association has already hired an attorney to represent them if need be. NFLPA also suggested that players have a lawyer and union representative present when they are interviewed by NFL investigators.

"While I will not address player conduct at this time, I am profoundly troubled by the fact that players - including leaders among the defensive players - embraced this program so enthusiastically and participated with what appears to have been a deliberate lack of concern for the well-being of their fellow players," Goodell said.

The NFL has already suspended head coach Sean Payton for one full year and suspended the organization's General Manager, Mickey Loomis, for eight games in the 2012 season. Assistant coach Joe Vitt has been suspended for six games, plus the NFL has taken away two future second round draft picks and fined the Saints $500,000. The appeals process will begin this week in New York at the NFL headquarters.

As this case/story continues to develop it only puts the Saints and the NFL in a negative spotlight. Sure, what the Saints did was wrong, but was it really criminal? A few of the callers on the show, audio below, stated that if this type activity would happen "on the streets" it would be illegal. Thus, what makes a bounty on the football legal? In any case, this is about to get really ugly in the courtroom and this will only keep what the Saints would like over with as a relevant top story.