New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees has been openly critical of the bounty suspensions since the NFL first announced them. The courts eventually became involved, and the players have appealed their bans for the second time.
Brees told Yahoo! Sports' Doug Farrar the NFL is out of control.
"I don't believe this process has been executed fairly from the beginning," Brees said. "I feel that there have been biased opinions this entire time, and I think there's an agenda at play here, I feel that there's ego and arrogance involved as well. I feel that there are some personal issues, beyond the facts.
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"I don't believe many of these decisions were based on facts -- certainly not credible information. This is based on speculation, rhetoric and the testimony of two pretty unreliable sources.
"So, that part really disappoints me, and I'll say this in all honesty. As a guy who's been in the league for 12 years, I have seen a lot from an experienced player's perspective, the NFL seems a little out of control right now, in the way it's being conducted and run from the top on down. When you look at the way this replacement referee situation was handled through the first four games ... it wasn't until a game was actually lost (that a deal was reached). And the amazing thing was, the NFL actually came out and backed the call. made by the referee, when everybody in America -- fans and players, except for maybe Seattle fans and Seattle players -- would sit there and tell you that was an interception. 'I don't care when the rule says' -- maybe you'd better change the rule, then. Because if every player in the NFL, and every fan in the NFL, knows that was an interception, and you're backing the call that says it wasn't, maybe we need to change the rule. Or, it's just a lack of accountability.
"I've found that throughout this (bounty process), as well -- there's been a real lack of leadership and a lack of accountability. From the top down."
As a former Super Bowl MVP and one of the all-around good guys in the NFL, Brees' words carry more weight than most. It's interesting how adamant he has been on this topic and how consistent his message has been.
One thing is clear: Brees truly believes there is something wrong with the inner-workings of the league right now.
Follow Kareem Copeland on Twitter @kareemcopeland.
