If NFL commissioner Roger Goodell expected the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) to support his “Bountygate” punishment to players, he better think twice.

League officials met with representatives of the NLPA to discuss possible penalties to be metered out to New Orleans Saints defensive players who are said to have taken part in the bounty program.

Instead of offering their support for the commissioner’s plan, the union has asked the NFL to provide it with all the information from the league’s investigation that revealed that roughly two dozen defensive players (between 22 and 27) were part of the Saints’ pay-for-pain bounty pool. The pool awarded thousands of dollars in cash bonuses from 2009-11 for vicious hits that knocked targeted opponents out of games.

According to the NFL, one example of the Saints bounty program involves linebacker Joathan Vilma, who supposedly offered $10,000 to any New Orleans player who sidelined Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre during the 2010 NFC championship game.

“Our team will meet with the NFL today, ask hard questions and will expect to see all documents and direct evidence of a pay-to-injure scheme,” DeMaurice Smith, executive director of the NFL Players Association, told the website Pro Player Insiders on Monday. “That is what a fair process dictates. I will get a full briefing by our team and after that the next step will be to consult with players about what was learned. Only then will we confer with the NFL. ”

According to the NFL commissioner, the league has given the NFLPA two confidential reports on the investigation.

“I think we all need to move forward,” he said. “We’ve been open about what we’ve been able to find. We released it publicly.”

Now the commissioner and league officials will wait for a recommendation from the NFLPA.

The league should be expect that the NFLPA will do everything possible to protect their union members in this case; not only to protect their own but to prevent their members from possible criminal charges that could result if the players admit to participating in the bounty program.

Don’t expect a quick resolution. Expect the NFLPA to continue protecting their own in Bountygate.

According to the AP, Federal prosecutors are urging a judge to sentence former National Football League player Dana Stubblefield to probation for lying to sports doping investigators about his drug use. 

They say the lenient sentence is warranted because he provided names of players, trainers and others associated with the NFL who he says used and distributed performance-enhancing drugs. Prosecutors say that NFL officials have interviewed Stubblefield and are investigating his claims.  It is expected that Stubblefield will receive 2 years probation when he is sentenced in San Francisco federal court later today.

Stubblefield’s played defensive line for the San Francisco 49ers (1993-1997 and  2001-2002), Washington Redskins (1998-2000) and Oakland Raiders (2003).  He was the NFL defensive player of the year in 1997 while with the 49ers.

Stubblefield’s name and those of several of his Oakland Raiders team members were found on the list of clients of the Bay Area Laboratory Co-operative that had given performance-enhancing drugs to Marion Jones, Barry Bonds and others.

On January 18, 2008, Stubblefield admitted lying to Federal Investigators about using performance-enhancing drugs during his career.