Brian Spurlock-US PRESSWIRE

These days anytime Dennis Allen enters a room there’s an elephant following him around. That elephant’s name is Bountygate. Fair or unfair, Allen’s time as a defensive coach with the New Orleans Saints links him to the most scandalous event to hit football since Bill Belichick snuck a camcorder into opposing teams practices.

Though Allen had no direct connection to the pay for pain scandal his proximity to the issue makes for a continuous line of questioning that isn’t going away anytime soon thanks to the now infamous Gregg Williams audio recording.

Initially Allen kept a low profile once the news began to break on bountygate. Of course being that he was a newly minted head coach he did have other fish to fry. Problem was he knew at some point the time would come that he’d have to address that elephant.

Perhaps making the early effort to distance himself from the scandal, Allen’s first comments on bountygate were of praise for Roger Goodell and his hardline stance.  Allen also expressed his sadness at seeing men he’s worked with being pushed out of the game via suspension.

Yesterday Allen again took another step towards getting away from that elephant. He took a little time to talk about his first official week as an NFL coach and as you’d expect that elephant again came up in conversation. When asked if he felt bountygate in any way tainted the championship the Saints won Allen gave the following answer.

What I’m going to say about it is, No. 1, I’m proud of the success that we were able to have there, and No.2 , I’ve moved on, and I’m really a lot more interested in what’s happening with the Oakland Raiders and trying to prepare ourselves for the upcoming season. What’s happened in the past, I’ve really moved on.

Clearly Allen is none too enthused about having to discuss the topic. While he can’t do anything about the past there is plenty Allen can do going forward.

To begin Allen is already laying the groundwork to ensure nothing like this will ever happen during his watch in Oakland. He’s addressed those that were in attendance for this week’s voluntary workouts and he’ll do it again once the entire team is gathered later. Also, Allen has a reputation for being a strict disciplinarian. Now that he’s a head shot caller in the league Allen will be able to lay down his version of the law. If form follows function then not only will the Raiders remain scandal free but the miracle of all miracles could occur – the Raiders might become one of the least penalized teams in the league.

Derick E. Hingle-US PRESSWIRE

It’s the audio recording the football world is burning on. Its Gregg Williams putting the final nail in the bountygate scandal and it’s the moment that will officially end the old school ways of pro football.

What Williams said would be considered mild a few decades ago. A bygone era when illegal hits were both taught and encouraged. An era that will never again exist in a lawsuit happy world.

I’m not in any way giving Williams a pass for instructing his men to “kill the head”. However he is a defensive coordinator and it is his job to motivate grown men to sacrifice their bodies. Now at days that message apparently must be delivered in a more PC way.

Protecting the players has become the mantra of the new NFL. That means no more unnecessarily aggressive play, whatever that means. That means less contact in a contact sport, however that’s possible. That means men like Williams are being weeded out of the game, for better or worse.

For decades the Oakland Raiders ran on the platform of terror and physicality. Al Davis didn’t invent the approach, he only refined it. Until the NFL becomes two hand touch the game will remain a physical contest. A game in which the aggressor is rewarded.

Football isn’t going to change in nature. The men who play it and coach it will have to though. That is what the Gregg Williams audio ultimately means. Now coaches must be hyper aware of their surroundings when instructing their players. Fiery speeches have suddenly become evidence.

The times are changing and those that do not change with them will be sent to pasture. Gregg Williams is likely done as an NFL coach, his career boiled down to a warning for all others. Old school football is dead and bountygate killed it, for better or worse.

Brian Spurlock-US PRESSWIRE

How much Dennis Allen knew of the New Orleans Saints bounty program during his time with the organization is still unclear. His name never came up in any of the reports and he’s certainly not talking about any specifics of his tenure under the now infamous Gregg Williams. But that doesn’t mean he can’t share his opinion of the fallout from Roger Goodell’s harsh punishment handed out.

Last night Allen finally spoke publicly about the scandal during an interview with Sirius radio. While he obviously feels terribly for his former colleagues in the Big Easy, Allen by no means gave his cohorts a pass. In fact Allen went as far as to give Goodell some props for his decision.

“In general, I feel badly for everybody that’s been involved with the whole situation. It’s kind of an unfortunate situation, but the commissioner has made it clear that those type of practices are not acceptable and I support his decisions and what he decided to do from a punishment standpoint.”

Allen also went on to say that he exchanged text messages with the now suspended Sean Payton. No doubt he offered his sentiments for Payton’s one-year exile from the game. Now mind you Allen didn’t go all Drew Brees and cry outrage at what has occurred in the wake of the entire incident. As a coach he’s got to see the big picture in the NFL’s changing climate.

Regardless of his connections to New Orleans, Allen is now his own man. He can be thankful to Payton for the opportunity provided but Allen’s own merit is what’s taken him from defensive assistant to NFL head coach in only a few years.

With all due respect to what’s going on with the Saints, Allen has his own team to be concerned with. No matter his feelings on the matter he’s now in a position to potentially accomplish what Payton has – winning a Super Bowl. In light of what we now know of that championship team in New Orleans you can expect Allen to go about building a winner in a much different fashion.

I think you have to always be forthright with your team and be kind of one step ahead of everything. I think you can play this game in a physical manner without the intent to injure and I think that’s really at the end of the day what the NFL is trying to accomplish.