Browns LB Scott Fujita Now Calls Bounty Investigation a “Smear Campaign”
Cleveland Browns linebacker Scott Fujita isn’t going to stop fighting the NFL, no matter what happens to his three-game suspension, which will most likely be upheld.
He said the NFL has conducted a “smear campaign” against him and his other former teammates during this bounty program investigation, once again emphasizing his innocence on Monday. And while he so passionately fights the NFL, the situation gets cloudier than ever.
Fujita has maintained his innocence from the start, explaining that he contributed to a pool that rewarded good plays but not hits that knocked opponents out of games. According to evidence released by the league this week, it would appear that Fujita never did directly contribute to the bounty pool. For the NFC Championship Game in 2010, Fujita contributed $2,000 to a general pool and $500 for a sack or forced fumble.
The fact that Fujita did not necessarily directly contribute to the bounty pool isn’t the problem. It’s doubtful that anyone is arguing it from that angle. The issue is that, as a leader of the team, it still feels highly unlikely that Fujita wouldn’t somehow know about the bounty program, especially with it being so prevalent in the locker room. Contributing to a “general pool” would surely contribute to potentially harmful hits, wouldn’t it?
Fujita’s only play at this point is to vehemently deny any involvement in the bounty program. He will maintain his innocence until the bitter end, which might only hurt his cause. If he wasn’t talking so much about it, most of us would have forgotten about this whole thing, right?
The appeal process for the four suspended players will continue until Friday, and commissioner Roger Goodell will not make a ruling until next week.