When did a contact sport become a crime? That's the question every National Football League (NFL) fan has been asking in light of former Saints defensive coordinator (DC) Gregg Williams' "bounty program." No one has faced this question more than NFL Commissioner Rodger Goodell. Goodell faced an ethical decision that will shape his tenure as NFL commissioner; his decision will become a priority for many commissioners after him. Using the RESOLVEDD decision-making strategy developed by Raymond Pfeiffer and Ralph Forsberg (2005), this article will examine the scandal, examine the decisions made, and determine whether the NLF commissioner took the right action for the league. The RESOLVEDD process, represented by “R”, stands for “consider the case” (Pfeiffer and Forsberg, 2005). The NFL began investigating the New Orleans Saints after their Super Bowl victory in 2009, when accusations arose that the organization ran a cash bonus scheme for injured players. The extra payments are against league rules, prohibiting out-of-contract bonuses. Furthermore, these bonuses do not pay for performance; but more specifically withdrawals, concussions and knockouts. The amounts of these payments reached as much as $50,000 during the 2009 playoffs. Initial investigations fizzled out when security personnel questioned players and coaches; they all denied the existence of such a program (National Football League, 2012). At that time, the league could not prove these allegations, but Goodell wanted to make sure the league understood that this type of program would not be tolerated. The league would send semi-annual letters to all teams, reminding them that out-of-contract bonuses are illegal...... middle of paper ......imes.com/2012/03/22/sports/football/nfl -delivers-harsh-punishment-to-saints-over-bounty-program.html?pagewanted=allCherry, E., Sealey, D., & Mangialardi, L. (1991). Understand the risks. Journal of Sport Management, 5(2), 198. Kahn, L. (2009). Sports, antitrust enforcement and collective bargaining. Antitrust Bulletin, 54(4), 857-881. Retrieved April 24, 2012, from EBSCO Host Database. National Football League. (2012). "Full statement from the NFL on the bounty program operated by the New Orleans Saints. nola.com. Accessed May 1, 2012, at www.nola.com/saints/index.ssf/2012/03/full_nfl_statement_into_bounty .htmlO'Rourke, M. (2011). Risks on the ground and in the headlines Risk Management, 58(3), 37. Retrieved April 24, 2012 from the EBSCO Host database. and Forsberg, R. (2005). Workplace Ethics: Cases and Strategies (3rd ed.)..