Steve Gleason Upset Over Sean Pamphilon's Release Of Gregg Willliams Recording

Former New Orleans Saints football player Steve Gleason raises his hand to the crowd before the first half of an NFL football game against the Houston Texans, Sunday, Sept. 25, 2011, in New Orleans. Saints quarterback Drew Brees (9) and defensive end Will Smith (91) look on. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

NEW ORLEANS — Former Saints special teams standout Steve Gleason says he never authorized a documentary film maker to release an inflammatory recording of disgraced former Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams.

Gleason, who has ALS, says he feels "deflated and disappointed" over the release of the audio, which film maker Sean Pamphilon got through access he gained through his work on a project to document the ex-player's struggle with his disease.

Gleason played for the Saints from 2000 to 2007 and maintains a strong relationship with the club, which has backed his efforts to improve the lives of those living with the debilitating symptoms of ALS.

Gleason says there was an agreement that he and his family would own the rights to any recordings made of his interaction with the Saints.

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Comments

[butchcliff]

07:09 AM on 04/10/2012

Williams enabled tempt to injure. Watching Favre being bashed was stunning. Payton Manning's first neck injury was another William's doing. Guy should be gone for good.

[TriKyJoKeZ]

12:57 AM on 04/09/2012

Blame the whistleblower?

[Dan Slander]

09:28 AM on 04/08/2012

What cowardly actions on the part of Peyton and Williams who deserves a lifetime ban for attempts to cripple people.

[donia1970]

12:18 AM on 04/12/2012

..no one did anything of the sort. Keep believing Ginger Goodell....

[Dan Slander]

05:11 AM on 04/12/2012

I heard tough guy Williams pep talk about hurting players on ESPN. Easy to be brave when you don't have to put on the pads and can hide on the sideline with headphones behind a clip board .

[Oged Eretle]

06:20 AM on 04/08/2012

Steve, by releasing these tapes the owner of the film and the NFL are taking necessary steps to work on gathering ammunition that will help END all the "Killing of the Head" that this maniacal coach was hunting for.

And Steve, in so doing, maybe this movie producer and the NFL took 1 more step towards outlawing the kind of head hits that have given you this gosh awful disease. We as a nation feel for you and your suffering. We don't want to see someone else suffer the way you and your family has. Don't be angry because this guy felt a moral obligation to help.

I know you have a strong love and dedication to the Saints, who have treated you like family and with support. We know that. But they were wrong in what they did. They need to be punished for what they did! And if this movie owner had to release info (in which all legal rights belong to him), to help move this process along, then in my mind, he did the right thing.

All that being said, I will always continue to pray for you, your family and all others affected by brain injury.

[donia1970]

12:25 AM on 04/12/2012

..and WHO was injured and carted off? WHOOOOOOOOOOO? If anything, it was the Saints who received the short end of the stick. The defense was just okay in 09 - the year in question; however, the last two years, they couldn't hurt a fly - probably why Williams was using such strong language. If you think this sort of thing is isolated to the Saints, you know nothing about football. Many players have come forward saying that in some form - it's rampant in the NFL. Goodell KNOWS this; however, he chooses to scapegoat the Saints into getting everybody else in line. That's a cheap way out when if he like he says is concerned about player safety, this investigation wouldn't stop with the Saints.

It is a known fact that Williams employed this system with every team he coached - why not go after them too? The Packers had a bounty system also. The 49's bragged about having a "stretcher" game with the Saints, and guess what? The stretcher was used for Pierre Thomas - our player! They bragged about taking out all opposing running backs in the 11-12 season. The Giants had a h it on the same 49 player with the concussion. Why is nothing done about that? This is all a farce because of the player suits that are looming, and it's a standard CYA move.

[opprobrious]

04:25 PM on 04/07/2012

Williams should be out for life and if there's more of this it should be stopped. I didn't need the tape to figure this out.

[dave ochs]

11:19 AM on 04/07/2012

I'm glad this clip came out it really illustrates how viscous Greg Williams and the Saints are, and that Sean Peyton and drew brees are outraged and fighting the suspensions shows they have no remorse, i hope the other teams have bounties on the Saints and hit Drew brees, high and low and get their running backs head sideways lots of cheap shots and late hits, hey if your going to dish it out you have to be able to take it.
dave

[Maddy-O]

12:18 PM on 04/07/2012

So...you'd like to see viciousness answered by viciousness. Makes sense.

[dave ochs]

12:34 PM on 04/07/2012

well Brees is outraged and wants an explantion of hey his coach s. peyton is being suspended, Peyton if appealing his suspension and the Saints fans are behind them, my point is if they think they've done nothing wrong, then they shouldn't think its wrong if its done to them...i don't think thats hard to understand. d
ave

[nightfly4257]

07:59 AM on 04/07/2012

If Gleason owns the right as he claims, should those tape not be release to protect your fellow NFL players. Is he so concern about protecting Greg William and the Saints organization that he would hide or destroy the recording. Yes the Saint have being good to him, but loyalty can not be this blind. If I was his fellow NFL players, especially the ones that got injured by the bounty, I be rather piss at him for suggesting the tapes should not have been release.

[Meerkatx]

12:48 AM on 04/07/2012

Gleason it doesn't matter if you did or didn't authorize this in the end. It's more important that the public and media get to see videos like this, than the sanctity of the locker room.

The professional sports locker room has become a refuge for vile and hateful words and actions. This video just confirms that human decency is lost on those who buy into the jock lifestyle.

[Johnathan Edmonds]

01:53 AM on 04/07/2012

He has every right. This guy entered into a contract with Gleason, with the understanding of documenting his struggles and raising awareness of ALS. This information would have been way more useful before the verdicts were issued, but now the speech is moot. The decision of Gregg Williams had been made. All this did was raise Sean Pamphilon's public profile and detract from Gleason's noble cause. Now, for the sake of beating a dead horse, the documentary out lining his struggles and attempts to raise awareness are dead; I read a quote from Pamphilon "The material I shot with Steve this past year was unbelievably compelling and there was no doubt this film would have been HUGE,". So where now what was said before one game, Gregg's status is unaffected, Sean gain publicity, and Steve's noble battle amounts to nothing.

[shanghaislim]

02:19 PM on 04/10/2012

Pretty selfish response.

What about the other affected players and their families?

[LSULinebacker64]

08:32 PM on 04/06/2012

Let these stories keep being made and coming out with more.... The draft is this month here.... But all this will continue til the next Superbowl that will be in NEW ORLEANS in 2013....

[doctorj2u]

09:14 PM on 04/06/2012

Goodell better bring his own food with him because I hate to think what the waiters will put in his food. They are already planning it.

[Kid Notorious]

05:36 AM on 04/07/2012

I'm curious... How on Earth do you people feel that you're the aggrieved parties here? This is tape that could be used in a criminal trial if need be.

You're no better than Raiders fans. Actually, no, Raiders fans know that they're a-------.

[LSULinebacker64]

03:16 PM on 04/07/2012

I can care less what's going on... I'm in Louisiana but never paying attn to it like people like yourself I guess...

[MMSpooner]

06:37 PM on 04/06/2012

If the video (audio) didn't come to light - would Gleason have granted release by it for the greater good of the sport? If not, why not?

[doctorj2u]

09:11 PM on 04/06/2012

No, he would not because he is a Saint and a New Orleanian, always and forever, however short that may be.

[ralle]

05:19 PM on 04/06/2012

Steve should sue the hell out of him so that whatever money he made will be eaten up in lawyers fees.

[JohnnyLawson]

06:29 PM on 04/06/2012

Assuming he signed the standard "your likeness may be used..sound recording..yada yada" form then the filmmaker didn't need permission to release it..

[ralle]

09:39 PM on 04/06/2012

Steve Gleason issued a statement saying the tapes could not be made public without his permission, He owns the rights to all materials. Check out his statement.

[doctorj2u]

09:50 PM on 04/06/2012

Steve should, but he has very little time left on this earth. Would you want to spend it with lawyers? Just asking.

[ralle]

09:57 PM on 04/06/2012

I wouldn't let him get away with what he did, but that's me.

[doctorj2u]

04:13 PM on 04/06/2012

Steve Gleason is a hero to me. I am so upset he was taken advantage of my someone he trusted, and for money no less.

[LzyStormtrooper]

08:57 PM on 04/06/2012

what money? its on youtube

the filmmaker did the right thing and didn't violate anything concerning gleason.

Gleason is just upset that his former team is going to get hurt by this audio, it's as simple as that.

He didn't post any intimate moments of this guy gleason and his family he posted a speech by an idiot.

[Meerkatx]

12:52 AM on 04/07/2012

I'm sorry, what money?

This video needed to be seen and heard. I don't understand why people get their nose in a crook over the truth of a vile locker room culture being exposed.