Saturday, June 16, 2012

NFL turns over some evidence in appeals

FILE - In this Oct. 30, 2011, file photo, New Orleans Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma watches from the sideline during an NFL football game against St. Louis Rams in St. Louis. An arbitrator has ruled that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has the authority to discipline New Orleans Saints players for their role in a bounty system. The NFL Players Association challenged Goodell's power to impose penalties for what the league says was a three-year bounty program that targeted specific players. Goodell suspended Vilma for the entire 2012 season (AP Photo/Seth Perlman, File)

FILE - In this Oct. 30, 2011, file photo, New Orleans Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma watches from the sideline during an NFL football game against St. Louis Rams in St. Louis. An arbitrator has ruled that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has the authority to discipline New Orleans Saints players for their role in a bounty system. The NFL Players Association challenged Goodell's power to impose penalties for what the league says was a three-year bounty program that targeted specific players. Goodell suspended Vilma for the entire 2012 season (AP Photo/Seth Perlman, File)

FILE - This Aug. 2, 2010 file photo shows NFL commissioner Roger Goodell speaking during a news conference at the New Orleans Saints' football training facility in Metairie, La. An arbitrator has ruled that Goodell has the authority to discipline New Orleans Saints players for their role in a bounty system. The NFL Players Association challenged Goodell's power to impose penalties for what the league says was a three-year bounty program that targeted specific players. Stephen Burbank, a University of Pennsylvania law professor, says Goodell has the power to punish the players under the collective bargaining agreement reached last August to end the lockout. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert, File)

Cleveland Browns linebacker Scott Fujita stretches before practice at the NFL football team's headquarters in Berea, Ohio Tuesday, June 5, 2012. (AP Photo/Mark Duncan)

Green Bay Packers defensive end Anthony Hargrove jokes around during an NFL football minicamp, Tuesday, June 11, 2012, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Mike Roemer)

(AP) ? The NFL turned over some evidence to the four players suspended for the Saints bounty program, but lawyers for the players said Friday they are seeking more information.

Current Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma and defensive end Will Smith, Green Bay defensive end Anthony Hargrove and Cleveland linebacker Scott Fujita will have their appeals heard Monday by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.

"We have followed the procedures set forth in the CBA on appeals of commissioner discipline," league spokesman Greg Aiello said.

Those procedures include the parties exchanging "copies of any exhibits upon which they intend to rely no later than three calendar days prior to the hearing," Aiello added.

Evidence presented included some 200 pages of documents, with emails, power-point presentations, even hand-written notes, plus one video recording. But a ledger that reportedly documents payments of $1,000 for plays called "cart-offs" and $400 for "whacks," as well as $100 fines for mental errors, was not in the material.

Vilma has been suspended for the 2012 season, while Smith got four games. Hargrove was suspended for eight games and Fujita for three.

Previously, Goodell suspended Saints coach Sean Payton for the season and assistant coach Joe Vitt for six games. Saints general manager Mickey Loomis got eight games, while former defensive coordinator Gregg Williams ? who has apologized for his role in the scandal ? was suspended indefinitely.

Vilma's lawyers, Peter Ginsberg, said the evidence the league provided did little more than reflect Williams' approach to firing up his players.

"The league provided no evidence to us in a timely manner," said Ginsberg, who also is representing Vilma in a defamation lawsuit against Goodell. "It has provided no evidence to corroborate the accusations, and yet the NFL furthermore has told us it doesn't plan to present any witness at the hearing."

Ginsberg said requests by the players' union to have Payton, Williams and Vitt at Monday's hearing were ignored by the league.

Aiello said the league is "not commenting on the details or potential details of Monday's proceeding."

The players already have lost two grievances filed with arbitrators that challenged Goodell's authority to impose punishments in the bounty cases.

The NFL's investigation of the Saints found Williams ran a system for three years in which bounties were set on targeted opponents, including Brett Favre and Kurt Warner. The program was in effect from 2009, when New Orleans won the Super Bowl, until last season.

___

AP Sports Writer Brett Martel in New Orleans contributed to this story.

Associated Press

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