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Picture Of Dog The Bounty Hunter: Damning Piece Of Evidence, Or The Most Damning Piece Of Evidence?

The NFL Players Association released 16 exhibits that the NFL used in today’s hearings against the players they suspended, including Jonathan “I’m Outta Here” Vilma. Up to this point, players like Vilma and Browns linebacker Scott Fujita have tried arguing that the NFL is making “unsubstantiated” claims and being “irresponsible.” Now, we can see for ourselves what the NFL has been using a basis for suspending players.

And yeah: It’s not pretty. The exhibits, which consist of hundreds of slides, are mostly defensive schemes and game plans (which for some reason include things like a picture of Family Guy’s Peter Griffin vomiting, and reminders to clear your trays after lunch). But Adam Schefter broke down some of the proof against the Saints on SportsCenter today:

“I want my money” on NFL Films audio? That’s bad. But a picture of Duane “Dog” Chapman, with the words “Collect bounty money” and “Let’s go hunting” next to it? Brudda, that’s just the worst.

The NFLPA, for its part, had a pretty paltry reply to the Dog reference (emphasis ours):

[Gregg Williams] used the above slide as a tool to teach by using popular culture to draw players in. It gave players a point of reference that they were familiar with.
Unfortunately, “Dog the Bounty Hunter” was a poorly chosen and ironic example to use but life plays havoc on us at times.

Brudda, are you serious with that one? Life plays havoc on us at times? That has to be the lamest reasoning for Dog the Bounty Hunter appearing on a game plan sheet — with the words “Collect bounty money” on it — ever. Also, the fact that Dog is said to be a “point of reference” is, if anything, a point for the NFL. (Don’t know what a bounty is? Tune in to A&E with Dog to find out! He’ll teach you what it means to perform an unenviable task for money.)

There are a few other ugly pieces of evidence, including people’s names (such as Vilma, Fujita and Vitt) with dollar amounts attached to them. But you’d be hard-pressed to find anything as outlandishly hard-to-refute as a picture of a television bounty hunter on your game plan slide. Maybe they should say it was a joke?

We aren’t judges or a jury, but Roger Goodell sometimes pretends to be both, and he’s got hefty smoking gun to play with on this one.