Brees shocked, Williams remorseful after bans

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees was shocked at the NFL for imposing the harshest penalties in league history against his team Wednesday, including a 2012 season ban for coach Sean Payton. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell imposed fines and suspensions in the wake of a bounty system uncovered earlier this month in a league investigation, bans that will leave the Saints scrambling to fill key roles for next season. "I am speechless. Sean Payton is a great man, coach, and mentor. The best there is," Brees said in a posting on his Twitter website. "I need to hear an explanation for this punishment." Payton will miss an entire season while Saints general manager Mickey Loomis was banned for the first eight games of the 2012 campaign and Saints assistant head coach Joe Vitt was suspended for the first six games of next season. The Saints were also fined $500,000 and lost second-round picks in the next two NFL Drafts for using the bounty scheme between 2009-2011, with players getting payoffs for inflicting hits that forced rivals out of the game. In addition, Gregg Williams, the former Saints defensive coordinator now in the same role for the St. Louis Rams, was banned indefinitely for creating and funding the bounty system. He must meet with Goodell after the 2012 season to even be considered for reinstatement. "No one is above the game," Goodell said. "Respect for the game and the people who participate in it will not be compromised. "A strong and lasting message must be sent that such conduct is totally unacceptable and has no place in the game." Brees led the Saints to the 2010 Super Bowl title and last season had the most prolific passing season in NFL history, but the bounty scandal has tainted the success of the Saints, whose fans reveled in the NFL crown after years of rebuilding in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. "We recognize our fans' concerns and we regret the uncertainty this episode has created for them," the Saints said in a statement on Wednesday. "We are humbled by the support our organization has received from our fans in the wake of this announcement and we ask them to continue to stand with us, as they have done in the past, when both our team and our city have overcome greater adversities. "To our fans, the NFL and the rest of our league, we offer our sincere apology and take full responsibility for these serious violations. "It has always been the goal of the New Orleans Saints to create a model franchise and to impact our league in a positive manner. "There is no place for bounties in our league and we reiterate our pledge that this will never happen again." Williams responded to the punishment imposed upon him in a statement as well, repeating the apology he gave in the aftermath of the NFL probe. "I would like to again apologize wholeheartedly to the NFL, (Rams coach Jeff) Fisher, the entire Rams organization and all football fans for my actions," he said. "I apologize to the players of the NFL for my involvement as it is not a true reflection of my values as a father or coach, nor is it reflective of the great respect I have for this game and its core principle of sportsmanship. "I accept full responsibility for my actions. I'll continue to cooperate fully with the league and its investigation. I'll do everything possible to re-earn the respect of my colleagues, the NFL and its players in hopes of returning to coaching in the future." The NFL crackdown comes as the league faces safety concerns about heavy hits and concussions and the measures needed to safeguard players against brain damage, as well as lawsuits from families of players. Oakland Raiders linebacker Aaron Curry pondered the hypocrisy of the bans given the promotion of hard hitting by the league in a Twitter posting. "Get paid to do it and it's frowned upon! Do it on your own will cuz of your mindset and get fined! Yet they'll glorify it on tv! #confused," Curry said.