Though New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton wasn't directly involved in the bounty scheme, he didn't stop it when he learned about it. Cary Edmondson-US PRESSWIRE

Today’s news that the New Orleans Saints players and coaches were involved in a bounty payoff system in which money was pooled and exchanged for various on field actions is disturbing … especially in light of the fact that defensive coordinator Greg Williams and head coach Sean Payton were nearly hired by the Green Bay Packers before they took over in New Orleans.

While bounties are hardly something that’s not been a part of football over the past century, today’s announcement by the league is the first such case in recent memory. Given the incredible amounts of money paid to these athletes, it’s unusual to see this type of behavior occurring in the NFL.

According to published reports, Williams is said to have helped manage the scheme and that while he wasn’t directly involved, Payton didn’t stop the action when he was told about it. Williams was a finalist for the Packers’ defensive coordinator’s job a few years back before Green Bay hired Dom Capers and Payton is known for saying he really, really wanted the Green Bay head coaching job before the Packers hired Coach Mike McCarthy.

What will happen with the Saints is not known, but the league clearly has its sights on some sort of punitive action.

League commissioner Roger Goodell will determine the appropriate punishment.

He had this to say today:

Nick Hill in action with the Orlando Predators

If you’ve been a fan of the Green Bay Packers for the past 20 years, you know there has not been a shortage of quarterbacks who have come through Titletown – quarterbacks who haven’t been named Brett or Aaron.

You can go back to the days when Favre was in his first season with the Packers and trace a line right up until today’s Packer unit. There have always been quality quarterbacks in the Packers organization. They haven’t always play. No, in fact, most of them have sat. You can start with Favre himself who initially sat behind Don Majkowski. You can add to the list Kurt Warner, Ty Detmer, Mark Brunell, TJ Rubley, Jim McMahon, Doug Pederson, Steve Bono, Matt Hasselbeck, Aaron Brooks, Aaron Rodgers and Craig Nall.

All of them weren’t all-pros, but they were decent players in their own rights.

Now that it looks like the Packers organization is going to lose another quality backup in Matt Flynn, the team is left with just two on the roster – Rodgers and Graham Harrell.

Enter a guy by the name of Nick Hill.

See more after the jump … and don’t forget to Like Lombardiave.com on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

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AJ Hawk will probably be fined for flipping the bird in full view at Lambeau Field Sunday. Raymond T. Rivard photograph

I looked over at my wife and asked, “Did I see what I just thought I saw?”

“Yes” was the answer I quickly heard.

All I could do was giggle a bit and post my tweet about what I saw.

What I and everyone else saw was the single finger salute given by AJ Hawk toward his own sideline.

It wasn’t until after the game when queried about it that it all came clear – it was an inside joke, wasn’t done with malicious intentions and seemingly harmed no one. Remember, these are football fans watching these games. For the most part, these people are immune to gestures like this … at least one would hope.
Will he be fined? Probably. Should he be fined? Probably not.

But if he’s dumb enough to do it in a stadium filled with cameras, well I guess he should pay the price.
“I guess it was on TV,” Hawk said after the game, according to a report in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “I definitely wasn’t mad or upset with anybody. It was kind of a running joke with a couple of my teammates. I got caught up in the emotion of the game.

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Well, we all know what happened in that game and the Super Bowl.

With their win, the Packers earned the right to pay the president a visit … Something they did last month.

And so, because the 2010 Bears couldn’t make the trip, the president opted for the next best thing … Inviting the 1985 Super Bowl-winning Bears to visit the White House this fall.

That’s very thoughtful of the president, considering the ’85 Bears team never made the trip to Washington, D.C.

However, there was one member of the ’85 Bears team that did make the trip to the White House after a Super Bowl win – Jim McMahon, who visited in 1996 with the Packers. At that visit, McMahon is purported to have worn his Bears’ jersey.

The burning question is whether McMahon will turn the table when he visits with the Bears and wears his Packers’ jersey.

While I don’t expect Cutler to be out mooning helicopters anytime soon (the Broncos team bus seems like a much more likely target), there should be one side effect of playing quarterback in Chicago he should be wary of.  Due to the pounding quarterbacks in Chicago have to take, he could have some trouble with some, ahem, man parts:

I’m not exactly sure Jay knows what he’s in for in Chicago.  Look for him less than 20 years after is career ends to be popping the magic pill trying to get what he lost playing quarterback for the Bears.  Yes, it’s that kind of job.  Sure, if he leads the Bears to a quarterback, he’ll be remembered for that, but then again, he’ll also be remembered for needing pills to help him with the ladies.

You’ve had your warning Jay.  You’re going to want to wish you stayed in Denver.

And don’t forget your cup when Week 1.