Former Saints safety Darren Sharper took to the airwaves yesterday, claiming the NFL was tipped off about the bounty program by a disgruntled snitch and former Saints staff member with a personal vendetta:
Someone who was formerly hired and was formerly working for the saints and that was relieved of his duties (who) has a vendetta...Trying to get back, upset about the fact that he was let go by the saints, and is trying to make an issue about something that was in-house, something that we did.
In light of this nugget of information, I immediately wondered if the snitch in question was none other than former Saints director of security, Geoff Santini. You might remember him from such legal battles as his Vicodingate lawsuit, or his breakout role in the Edwiin Edwards trial. He fits Sharper's description and he's certainly got a motive.
In his first ever display of decent sports reporting, however, Bobby Hebert actually asked Sharper directly if the snitch was, in fact, Santini, to which Sharper said no. So he's out of the question. But could the former FBI agent still be tied in to Bountygate somehow, someway, perhaps to corroborate evidence or validate stories?
Doubtful. Gregg Williams was hired by the Saints in January of 2009. Meanwhile Santini resigned from his position in August later that year, meaning the two would have only been in the same building for a period of seven months, all of which were during the off-season. Santini was long gone by the time the Saints were making their championship run and the NFL began their investigations.
So when Geoff Santini, in his one and only interview during the Vicodin lawsuit two years ago, alluded that there was more wrong-doing happening behind closed doors that we didn't even know about...
There's more than just this (lawsuit). What I thought I was dealing with initially was a theft and a cover-up. As it turned out, there was much more. I can't go into that.
...it's doubtful he was referring to Bountygate.
So who is this snitch with a vendetta? Ladies and gentleman, start your speculations!