Citing anonymous sources, ESPN is reporting that suspensions for four players connected to the New Orleans Saints bounty scandal have been overturned by a three-man arbitration panel. If true, the ruling should clear Jonathan Vilma, Will Smith, Scott Fujita and Anthony Hargrove to start the season. An NFL investigation found the New Orleans Saints operated a bounty system rewarding between 22 and 27 players for hard hits and injuring opposing players. “Victory is mine!!!! -stewie griffin,” Vilma tweeted this afternoon. The panel’s decision affects the players only, not suspended coaches Gregg Williams, Sean Payton and Joe Vitt. A team source previously told ESPN’s Ed Werder that Vilma planned to attend Sunday’s season opener against the Washington Redskins, but believed he was at least a week or two from being ready to play because of a knee injury. Read the full story here.
ESPN: Bounty bans overturned, sources say
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