I am back!

It has been a little more than two months since my last blog entry, and a few of things have happened.

First, the Vikings are finally getting a new stadium. All it took was a visit from NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and Steelers president Art Rooney to (finally) motivate Minnesota legislators to do something or risk the franchise relocating to another state. It was a bitter battle and I am not sure what kind of impact this will have on legislators in the November general elections. At this point, my guess is the DFL will take back of the Minnesota Senate, while the Republican Party holds on to the Minnesota House.

Second, as predicted, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney secured enough delegates to become the Republican nominee for the presidential election against President Barack Obama. It's going to be a close race and things seem to be stacked up against Obama at the moment. However, anything is possible between now and then. So brace yourself for a long four-and-a-half months of negative campaign attacks from both candidates and other political action committees.

Third, Texas Congressman Ron Paul is still making an impact on American politics - especially in Minnesota - even though he will not be the Republican nominee in November. Paul's supporters outnumbered traditional Republicans at the Republican State Convention in May. It was there that Minnesota Rep. Kurt Bills of Rosemount secured the nomination to take on U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar in the general election in November. Polls have shown Klobuchar leading Bills by double digits.

Fourth, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker survived a recall election against Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, his 2010 gubernatorial opponent. Democrats and labor groups collected enough signatures for a recall after Walker and a Republican-controlled Legislature stripped away collective bargaining rights for public unions (except for public safety). Democrats and labor groups, however, did a poor job executing their message and even caused some Democratic-leaning voters to vote for Walker out of protest for the recall election. Walker won the recall with 53 percent of the vote to Barrett's 46 percent. Walker will finish his first term as governor and will be up for re-election again in 2014.

My apologies for taking some time away from this post. I will try to get back to the daily grind of writing and analysis on top news stories in politics, sports, and entertainment. Thank you for your continued interest in this blog.

Legislator says Bountygate punishments negatively impact New Orleans

Saints head coach Sean Payton shouldn't be suspended for the entire 2012 season for his role in Bountygate. Instead, he should be fined so that the city of New Orleans doesn't suffer any financial setbacks if the Saints take a competitive dive.

Louisiana Rep. Cameron Henry

At least that's what Louisiana Rep. Cameron Henry, R-Jefferson said in a phone conversation with me Friday. Earlier this week, Henry authored a non-binding resolution asking the NFL to reconsider the punishments handed out to the New Orleans Saints after the team was caught running a bounty program during the 2009, 2010, and 2011 seasons.

According to the New Orleans Times-Picayune, the resolution was passed unanimously in the Louisiana Senate Wednesday (the entire resolution can be read here), and had earlier been passed in the House. It states that the Saints have provided "magical moments" for the city of New Orleans, the state of Louisiana, the Gulf Coast region, while Louisiana taxpayers have helped them with their success by supporting stadium improvements, building new practice facilities for the team, and other incentives.

Henry believes that the punishments are excessive and will have negative economic impacts on the city of New Orleans and the state of Louisiana. Without Payton, Henry said the Saints would not be the winning team they are now and that the suspensions would have a negative economic impact on the region.

Instead, Henry proposed that the NFL impose steep fines on Payton and other coaches instead of suspending them outright  – something that was left out of the resolution, but relayed to me during our conversation Friday.

News of the resolution came the day before Saints head coach Sean Payton, along with Saints general manager Mickey Loomis and assistant head coach/linebackers coach Joe Vitt were appealing their suspensions for their roles in Bountygate. Payton was suspended for the entire 2012 season for over-seeing a program that rewarded players for critically injuring opposing players. Former Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, who was suspended indefinitely, ran the program and is not appealing the punishment. The NFL also suspended Loomis for eight games and Vitt for six games. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is expected to rule on the appeals in the coming days.

As you can imagine, I was a little perturbed with this resolution and took Henry's attempts as a slap on the wrist. I emailed him Thursday expressing my disgust and said why the punishments were justified. An audio of Williams' speech the night before the Saints playoff game against the San Francisco 49ers only added fuel to the fire when he called for Saints players to injure specific players (warning: it contains vulgar language and is not suitable for children).

However, Henry offered to call me directly to discuss the resolution and offer any misconceptions I might have, which surprised since I am not a Louisiana resident.

During our 17-minute conversation on Friday, we hashed out our opinions about the resolution. I maintained that the punishment was justified while he maintained it was excessive and punishes the city of New Orleans and the state of Louisiana more than anything.

But unlike the way it's perceived in the resolution, Henry doesn't believe Payton should be let off the hook entirely. In fact, he said he was embarrassed to have this news come out and negatively impact the reputations the Saints organization, along with the city of New Orleans. The fines which he suggested could be in the millions provide a respectable alternative compared to what some Saints fans wearing "Free Sean Payton" T-shirts suggest, which is to exonerate him from any punishment.

Henry conceded that the NFL is going to hand out its decision and that there was nothing he nor any of his legislative colleagues can do to prevent that. But he wanted to let the NFL know how it would negatively impact the region if the suspensions are held. Only time will tell.

Who dat, Saints?

If you play with fire, you get burned.

Sure, it sounds cliché. But New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton didn't believe the message and neither did ex-Saints (and current St. Louis Rams defensive coordinator) Gregg Williams. But after carrying on with a bounty program for the past three seasons and then continuing to lie about it, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell had enough.

Saints head coach Sean Payton and ex-Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams. AP

On Wednesday, Goodell suspended Payton without pay for the entire 2012 season effective April 1, and suspended Williams indefinitely, effective immediately. Goodell will review Williams' status at the conclusion of the 2012 season.

Just to get you caught up, Saints players and Williams ran a bounty program to reward players for hits on opposing players during the 2009, 2010 and 2011 seasons. The program was primarily funded by players and violated NFL rules. According to news reports, the program included bounty payments to players for inflicting injuries on opposing players that would result in them being removed from the game. In some instances, the amounts pledged were big and were directed against specific opposing quarterbacks such as Kurt Warner, Brett Favre, Aaron Rodgers, and Cam Newton.

One of the most egregious offenses was when Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma, a defensive captain, offered $10,000 to any player who knocked Favre out of the NFC Championship game in New Orleans on Jan. 24, 2010.  If you watched the game or seen highlights, you would have seen Favre on the receiving end of cheap, malicious hits from Saints defensive players.

Others suspended included Saints general manager Mickey Loomis and Saints assistant head coach Joe Vitt. Loomis was suspended without pay for the first eight regular-season games in the 2012 season while Vitt was suspended without pay for the first six regular-season games of the 2012 season.
In addition, the Saints were fined $500,000 and will forfeit their second-round picks in the 2012 and 2013 NFL drafts. The Saints and other individuals disciplined are also expected to participate in efforts to develop programs that will instruct on a variety of topics including:
• Respect for the game and those who participate in it
• The principles of fair play, safety and sportsmanship
• To ensure bounties will not be part of football at any level.

As you can imagine, this decision was not met well by Payton, Williams, Saints fans, and even quarterback Drew Brees. Payton was apparently stunned  by the suspension. Williams was said to be remorseful and apologetic about everything. Saints fans took to ESPN and other social media websites defending the bounties by proclaiming every team does it. 

But perhaps the most disappointing response was from Brees, who was  "speechless" and called Payton "a great man, coach, and mentor." He further stated he needed an explaination why Payton was suspended for the entire season as opposed to just four games  – something Payton and the rest of the Saints staff were preparing for due to the seriousness of the investigation.

I am not as sympathetic. And as far as I am concerned, they can all cry me a river.

Payton seemed more concerned about losing out on a $7.5 million salary than acknowledging any wrongdoing. Williams' apology was too little, too late given his history of running bounty programs in the NFL. And since Brees was so quick to defend Payton and his teammates, perhaps he would also like to defend perpetrators of domestic violence too?

Let's face it, the Saints played dirty and got away with it for three seasons, and then lied to investigators. The team and their fans exploited the Hurricane Katrina tragedy for long enough and eventually got their wish from the NFL to bring a Lombardi Trophy home to the Big Easy – tainting whatever special season they had down the drain.

Goodell has not announced punishments against any players involved. But there are between 22 and 27 players involved who will be facing steep fines and suspensions for participating in Bountygate. Given the unprecidented punishment handed down to Payton and Williams Wednesday, any player who is still in the NFL and was a part of Bountygate better have enough money saved up and consider temporary employment elsewhere. Otherwise, it's going to be a long season and eventually an unpleasant retirement from professional sports.

Who dat? Who dat? NFL just beat da Saints, dat who!

NFL must truly go medieval on the Saints, players, and Williams

January 24, 2010 is a day I will never forget.

It was the day of the National Football Conference Championship between the Minnesota Vikings and the New Orleans Saints in New Orleans. It was one of the most exciting playoff games ever in NFL history. But the end result left a bad taste in my mouth.

Vikings quarterback Brett Favre takes a vicious hit by Saints players in 2009. AP

It wasn't just because the Saints beat the Vikings in overtime 31-28. It was also due to the cheap, dirty tactics that Saints players put on Vikings quarterback Brett Favre throughout the game - trying take him out of the game by maliciously trying to injure him.

For years, the National Football League and other NFL fans had ignored this fact and passed it along as the way football was meant to be played. It should also be noted that New Orleans was still rebuilding from Hurricane Katrina in 2009, and the Saints "magical" season provided a feel good story heading into Superbowl XLIV, in which they defeated the Indianapolis Colts 31-17.

But after numerous complaints from opposing players and a lengthy investigation by NFL's security department, news came out Friday that Saints players and their defensive coordinator Gregg Williams maintained a bounty program to reward players for hits on opposing players during the 2009, 2010, and 2011 seasons. The program was primarily funded by players and violated NFL rules.

According to news reports, the program included bounty payments to players for inflicting injuries on opposing players that would result in them being removed from the game. In some instances, the amounts pledged were big and were directed against specific opposing players.

Vikings quarterback Brett Favre gets hit by Saints players in 2009. AP

One of the alleged bounties was from Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma who offered $10,000 to knock Favre out of the NFC Championship Game. Favre was hit numerous times throughout the game - at times after he got rid of the ball. He also sustained a hit to the leg after throwing an interception that briefly took him out of the game to get his ankle treated on the sideline. It was an interception that should have been overturned at the time, NFL officials said after the game.

According to the report, Saints general manager Mickey Loomis failed to stop the bounty program when directed to do so by team owner Tom Benson. Head coach Sean Payton was also aware of the allegations but did not pursue them or take steps to stop the program, according to the report.

The report also said Williams ran a similar bounty program when he was a defensive coordinator for the Washington Redskins. The Washington Post interviewed four players who admitted Williams ran a system. Only one of them - former defensive lineman Philip Daniels - went on record to admit to the program, but defend Williams.

Vikings running back Adrian Peterson had also complained last season about the Saints trying to re-injure his ankle during a home game at Mall of America Field in December. Unlike 2009, some in the NFL actually listened. Other players also spoke up and were interviewed for the report - which re-opened an initial investigation whether the Saints played dirty during the NFC playoffs in 2009.

The report's findings are now in NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell's hands and severe punishments could be in store for the organization, coaches, and players involved. Those punishments include fines, suspensions, and even forfeitures of draft picks for the 2012 draft in April.

Let me be clear: I hope Goodell goes medieval on the asses of everyone involved. I don't care if this cripples the Saints organization for years. They chose to play cheap and dirty. It is time for Karma to do her work and offer payback to the organization, its players, and current and former coaches during the 2009 season.

Then-Saints Defensive Coordinator Gregg Williams

One of the best ways to do this is to strip the Saints of all their draft picks for 2012. It should be noted that the Saints traded their first round pick to this year's draft to the New England Patriots. In addition, Goodell should seriously consider stripping the organization of its franchise tag for 2012. The move force the Saints to either sign quarterback Drew Brees to a long term contract, which would cripple the team's salary cap space. Or, it would allow Brees to become an unrestricted free agent and sign with another team.

Williams, who is now a defensive coordinator for the St. Louis Rams, took full responsibility for the program and apologized Friday. But he only apologized after getting caught, and I doubt his apology is sincere. And for that, Goodell should consider banning Williams for an entire season without pay.

As for the players, I expect to hear them to shoot the messenger, deny the allegations like former Saints defensive back Darren Sharper, and even admit and enable that behavior by saying that it's been going on for years, as Sharper pointed out.

I understand that football is a tough, physical game people play to win. But many of these athletes and coaches are supposed to be good stewards for their communities on and off the field. That means being good role models for children and playing the game ethically.

This report not only confirmed my belief that Saints players play dirty to win. It put a black eye on the NFL and tainted the Saints "winning" season. If Goodell is at all concerned about player safety and integrity of the game, send a message and by making examples out of these clowns.

Editor's note: I need to disclose that I am a Vikings fan and am a little biased.

The one true word to describe Romney: Arrogant

Voter misconceptions about a candidate can carry a lot of weight in elections.
No matter how much momentum and money a candidate has, it's important to at least acknowledge any misconception voters might have and for them to correct it. Unfortunately for Mitt Romney, who is still the frontrunner for the Republican nomination, it's a message he still doesn't get and I hope it comes back to bite him hard.

Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney

CNN held the final scheduled debate for Republican presidential candidates in Mesa, Arizona. Toward the end of the debate, moderator John King asked the candidates what voters' biggest misconception about them was.
Ron Paul acknowledged that voters had the misconception that he couldn't win the general election against President Barack Obama. He blamed myths being perpetrated by media outlets and insisted that polls showed him beating Obama head-to-head in a general election compared to his Republican opponents. At least he was honest in his response.
Newt Gingrich, for his part, wanted people to know about his work on welfare reform and balancing the budget. The misconception is that he could do it quickly, when in reality, it took a while to accomplish.
But then things got a little murky. Neither Romney nor Rick Santorum offered any misconception voters might have of them but insisted they were the best candidates to beat Obama. Although Santorum showed he was thin-skinned at times, at least he wasn't arrogant or dumb enough to offer a response like Romney.
Romney, who had earlier described himself in one word as "resolute", began talking himself and would not offer any misconceptions voters had about his campaign. When King interjected by trying to get him to answer the question, Romney's response was: "You get to ask the questions you want. I get to answer them however I want."
Romney then continued to praise himself insisting that he had the background and the skills to be President of the United States. But he offered no misconception of what voters might have of him heading into next week. In fact, he wouldn't even offer a cop-out response like, "That's a question for voters to answer."
Sure, a cop-out response is weak. But it's a lot more forgivable compared to the arrogant response he provided to King – something Santorum should have pointed out while responding to King's question.
Romney's response showed me that he is not a candidate who holds himself accountable for his actions or words. More importantly, Romney doesn't seem concerned about "changing the way Washington works" – a familiar line we often hear from candidates running for national office but rarely see.
Could you imagine if Obama would have offered a similar response like Romney had he been asked the same question? I would be willing to bet that it wouldn't sit too well with conservatives, nor would it sit well with independents and even a few liberal voters who hold Democrats accountable for their actions.
My guess is that the Romney campaign will be able to diffuse this issue quickly. But if I was a candidate running against Romney, I would play that sound bite over and over again in negative campaign ads to point out how arrogant and out of touch he is with the public. If he's not willing to show a little humility and answer a great question, it makes me wonder how many questions he would dodge if he becomes the next commander-in-chief.

Celebrity endorsements: Do they matter?

I hate to admit this, but I enjoy reading what celebrities have to say during the election season. Whether it's tabloid trash or intelligent conversation with news reporters, any endorsement or words of praise can go a long way for candidates in today's society.

The other day, my brother sent me a link to a Politico story about eight celebrities endorsing Republican candidates running for president.

Megadeth singer Dave Mustaine is a supporter of Rick Santorum for President.

The story included endorsements of Ron Paul from pop singers Kelly Clarkson and Michelle Branch, Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry, and singer/actress Juliette Lewis. It also included a light-hearted endorsement of Mitt Romney from Kiss bassist Gene Simmons.

At the bottom of the article was what seemed like an endorsement for Rick Santorum's campaign from Megadeth singer Dave Mustaine. Politico cited a Feb. 14 article on MusicRadar.com in which Mustaine said, "… You know, I think Santorum has some presidential qualities, and I'm hoping that if it does come down to it, we'll see a Republican in the White House... and that it's Rick Santorum."

But the following day, he sent a statement to Billboard saying he was not ready to vote for any candidate just yet. "Contrary to how some people have interpreted my words, I have not endorsed any presidential candidate," he said in the statement. "What I did say was that I hope to see a Republican in the White House. I've seen good qualities in all the candidates but by no means have made my choice yet. I respect the fact that Santorum took time off from his campaign to be with his sick daughter, but I never used the word 'endorse.'"

That's an interesting reversal from Tuesday and that he chose to hone in on the key word "endorse" as his excuse to un-endorse Santorum. But it was newsworthy nonetheless and made me wonder if celebrity endorsements truly make a difference in any election.

Not so, according to a 2010 study from North Carolina State University. In the university's news release, researchers did two separate studies involving more than 800 college students and evaluated whether endorsements from celebrities would affect voting behavior if they endorsed a political candidate. The studies concluded that celebrity endorsements do not help political candidates - but they can hurt them and the celebrities themselves.

However, researchers also noted that celebrity endorsements can help candidates distinguish themselves from a crowded field of candidates during the primary season. That prompted me to look up celebrity endorsements of current Republican presidential candidates for the upcoming election in November.

Singer Barry Manilow is a big Ron Paul fan, but is backing Obama in 2012.

I spotted a handful of endorsements on Wikipedia for each of the remaining candidates, along with others who supported former candidates like Michele Bachmann, Herman Cain, Jon Huntsman, and Rick Perry. I was amused and even puzzled by some endorsements of political candidates. They included actor Kelsey Grammer's endorsement of Bachmann, singer Barry Manilow's praise of Paul (although he has since clarified his remarks and plans to support President Obama's re-election campaign), and country singer and self-proclaimed "Jewish Cowboy" Kinky Friedman's endorsement of Perry.

The same Google search resulted in a Facebook page detailing endorsements of Paul. I doubt the Ron Paul campaign has anything to do with the site, but at least it gives his supporters more excitement about his candidacy.

In the photos section, there is an album titled "Celebrity Praise, Support & Endorsements" listing 51 photos of celebrities from numerous backgrounds and links to support that claim. It's broad enough to fool even the most naive of Paul's supporters to believe these are endorsements of his candidacy. Unfortunately, the photos and even subsequent links show the problems of exploitation of celebrities words to fool those who can't distinguish praise from endorsements.

Take, for instance, "endorsement" from David Letterman. Sure, Letterman said he was going to vote for Paul in 1988. But how about now?

There's also praises from the likes of actor and martial artist Chuck Norris (who wound up endorsing Newt Gingrich) and Bachmann, who hasn't even endorsed anyone yet. Sadly, some Paul supporters took those as endorsements and the site gave them false hope that their candidate had a shot at winning the Republican nomination.

Finally, there was Paul's endorsement from the late Ronald Reagan. The site's creator pulled a Reagan quote in 1978 stating that,“Ron Paul is one of the outstanding leaders fighting for a stronger national defense. As a former Air Force officer, he knows well the needs of our armed forces, and he always puts them first. We need to keep him fighting for our country.” An article that accompanied the photo has a video boasting Paul's candidacy and mentions praise from "The Gipper" for extra support to his congressional candidacy that year.

What's interesting to know is that Paul essentially cut ties with Reagan and the rest of the Republican Party in 1987 over what he saw was growing deficits and little effort reducing the size of government, according a Washington Post article. I doubt Paul would receive such an endorsement from Reagan if he were alive and healthy today.

Now I don't factor in endorsements from celebrities and hope you don't either. But if you do, make sure the celebrity is informed on all the issues and instead of reciting catch phrases like "hope and change", "take our country back", and "vote for freedom". 

Also, make sure you look at websites like the Facebook page with a critical eye. Just because the creator says there is an endorsement or support for a particular candidate doesn't necessarily mean it's true.

Editor's note: I commented on the Michele Bachmann picture pointing out she hadn't actually endorsed anyone and asked when the video was made. The site's administrator replied that it didn't matter when the video was made, but that she had already spoken very favorably of Paul. So much for integrity.

Santorum wins Minnesota, gains momentum against Romney

Former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum banked on Minnesota becoming a game-changer for his campaign and got more than he bargained for.

Santorum was declared the winner of the Minnesota caucuses Tuesday night, according to the Minnesota Secretary of State's website. As of this writing with only 73 percent of precincts reporting, Santorum was leading with 45 percent of the votes, followed by Texas Rep. Ron Paul with 27 percent, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney at 17 percent and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich at 11 percent. According to the Associated Press, Santorum also won Missouri.

Rick Santorum was the big winner in Tuesday's elections.

In 2008, Romney won the Minnesota caucuses with 41 percent of the vote while the eventual nominee John McCain only garnered 22 percent. Even though Santorum won Tuesday's contest, delegates to the Republican National Convention won't be decided for several months. But pundits and political junkies can expect this to be the game-changer Santorum needs to be a serious contender against Romney and President Barack Obama.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I don't stand here to be the conservative alternative to Mitt Romney. I stand here to be the conservative alternative to Barack Obama," he told a crowd in Missouri Tuesday night.

Since the eve of the Florida primary, Santorum made seven campaign stops in Minnesota, including one in Blaine earlier Tuesday. Meanwhile, Paul made five campaign stops and Romney and Gingrich only visited once.

Folks, this race is anywhere but over. If you would have asked me who would have won the Minnesota caucuses a week ago, I would have said Romney based on the political machine he has. But speaking to voters and Republican activists on the campaign trail this week, many said they were not convinced Romney could beat Obama because he's too moderate. And each candidate made drove that point home during their campaign swings in Minnesota.

Another point that a friend of mine posted Tuesday night is that former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty is no longer the political heavyweight in this state he perceives himself to be. After Pawlenty dropped out of the presidential election in August, he endorsed Romney and has been campaigning for him ever since. He even tried convincing voters that Santorum lacked fiscal discipline and was once a supporter of health mandates - something Santorum denied.

It's also worth noting that Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann, a former candidate in the field who also proclaimed herself last week to be the best candidate to defeat Obama, did not offer an endorsement to any candidate prior to the caucuses. I doubt she will place her bets on Gingrich the way former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin did during the South Carolina primary two weeks ago.