With The First Pick
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NFL Network’s Brian Baldinger Calls for Bounty on Zeke Elliott

By Blake Yagman

November 29, 2015; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Brian Baldinger before the game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Arizona Cardinals at Levi
November 29, 2015; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Brian Baldinger before the game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Arizona Cardinals at Levi /
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With the NFL trying to create a safer sport and better image, there’s no reason to go there!

On Friday morning, NFL Network analyst Brian Baldinger called for a bounty on Ezekiel Elliott on a Philadelphia talk show.

Yes, a bounty.

In appearance on 97.5 the Fanatic, Baldinger imitated a coach giving a pre-game speech to the Eagles defense before playing Dallas. Baldinger went way too far and now could be facing termination from the network. Most significantly, he stated:

"“[Elliott] is the guy we gotta hurt. This is the guy we gotta get out of the game.”"

Many of his other comments were sort of bizarre, self-loathing and envious. Baldinger attacked Elliott’s clothing at the draft. Then he created a weird narrative about the Cowboys generally:

"“[Zeke] hasn’t been hit by an Eagle yet. He hasn’t been tattooed into the pretty little turf that Jerry built down there. Where the ball comes apart from the body. There it is attached to the rib, and it becomes an appendage just floating around inside of AT&T stadium.”"

If the NFL is going to survive it’s current issues with player health and safety, this sort of crap has to stop.

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Is Baldinger unaware that the NFL is being sued for billions of dollars due to concussions?

As an analyst, he lacks discretion– especially in light of more bounty allegations coming forward this very week. NFL Network is owned by the NFL, so it should be interesting to see how the league approaches Baldinger’s comments.

If they do nothing, are they condoning bounty programs and things they want to eliminate?

What does it say about the NFL if they choose to have Baldinger terminated?

Shouldn’t the NFL’s journalistic arm have enough freedom to say and report as they please?

Or did Baldinger’s behavior cross the line because it deviated so far from reporting actual football news?

Anyway you slice it, these comments are problematic. The NFL is trying to repair it’s image, but unconscionable comments like Baldinger’s help to keep the old image in tact.

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