Bounties, however you want to define them, have been part of football since leather helmets and checkerboard gridirons.
However, political correctness aside, in the wake of stunning revelations stemming from the NFL's investigation into the New Orleans Saints' alleged bounty system, it is time to take the issue seriously.
"From youth football to high school to college, look at the back of a kid's helmet," said East Aurora coach Kurt Becker, a former two-time All-America offensive lineman at Michigan who played for eight years with the Chicago Bears.
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"What do you see? Stickers. Rewards for hits, tackles and big hits. They have been around forever. The only difference is they put money on it in the pros."
And because of NFL rules, they aren't allowed to put stickers on the backs of their helmets.
In high school, coaches reward players with silver or gold helmets and establish "Hitters" or "Maulers" clubs for exhibiting brute force and over-the-top aggressiveness on the field...as in a ball-carrier who runs over a linebacker or a defensive lineman who sacks a quarterback, knocks a running back off his feet or separates him from the ball.
"Nobody is asking a player to deliberately injure another player," one coach said. "Football is a contact sport. At times, it gets very violent and very personal. It's all about hitting. It's all about blocking and tackling. Ask a kid why he enjoys playing football and he'll say he likes to hit people. But he isn't out to break somebody's leg."
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Apparently the New Orleans Saints have been out to do just that, according to tapes of former defensive coordinator Gregg Williams. NFL officials are looking into reports that the Saints aren't the only team that uses bounties as a motivational tool. An Illinois High School Association official said his organization was on the alert for reports of such behavior among its members.
As athletes have gotten bigger and stronger and faster over the years, the game has gotten more physical and more violent by its very nature. Becker said bounties weren't an issue when he played but it was obvious that some players approached the game with a more aggressive attitude than others.
"Every play for Dick Butkus was a bounty. That's the way he played the game and everybody understood that. He was respected and feared for how hard he tackled opponents. They made an entire NFL film on the subject," Becker said. "But when you create paid bounties (as the Saints allegedly did), then it takes you out of the framework of the game."
Are helmets safe? Do they protect athletes from concussions?
"Helmets protect you superficially. But no helmet, no matter how well it is constructed, will prevent concussions. There isn't a helmet that will protect you from getting a concussion," Becker said.
He recalled how former Bears teammate Doug Plank and former All-Pro cornerback Jack Tatum of the Oakland Raiders, whose violent hit left former Marshall star Darryl Stingley paralyzed for the rest of his life, had reputations for hitting with their heads. Some coaches were known for teaching and encouraging spearing.
"That's the way the game was played then. We didn't know better," Becker said. "Today, we must coach the game differently. We must be aware of keeping the head out of the game."