Pats-Saints will hold preseason practices in West Virginia
The New England Patriots will join the New Orleans Saints for joint practices in West Virginia in August.
New Orleans coach Sean Payton confirmed the practices Thursday after the Saints' organized team activities Thursday in Metairie, Louisiana. The Patriots will arrive for practices at The Greenbrier resort in White Sulphur Springs before the teams play a preseason game Aug. 22 in New Orleans.
The Saints will report to a training facility at The Greenbrier on July 29. They also spent part of their training camp last summer at the resort.
"I mean listen, we’re sitting here talking about practice, not a game, not a game, not a game, but we’re talking about practice. Not the game that I go out there and die for and play every game like it’s my last but we’re talking about practice, man. How silly is that"? - Allen Iverson, Philadelphia 76ers point guard
The New Orleans Saints and New England Patriots will have plenty to talk about after finishing their two-a-day sessions on the gridiron. Sitting around the luxury suites, the main topics will be BountyGate and Deflategate. The Saints organization was fined $500,000, and forced to forfeit their second-round draft selections in 2012 and 2013. The Patriots were fined $1 million, losing a first round selection in 2016 and a fourth round pick in 2017.
Wikipedia:
Several former players interviewed by Sports Illustrated said that while payments for good hits and sacks were indeed considered part of the game, bounties for intentionally injuring opponents violated an unwritten code.
New Orleans LB Jonathan Vilma and seven witnesses from the Saints testified in front of a federal judge in New Orleans that Roger Goodell got his facts wrong, and there was no bounty scheme.
Saints head coach Sean Payton tried to cover up the scheme. Payton was forced to sit out the entire 2012 season.
By the opening of the dual training camp, DeFlategate should be in the rear view mirror. If it isn't, New England Patriots QB Tom Brady will be busy taking copious notes.
I am quite confident that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell won't be visiting training camp. To say he is not welcome would be an understatement.
Please remove your spikes before entering the dining hall.
Paul Murphy is a freelance writer from New Hampshire. .
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