NFL bounty-banished Saints appeal suspensions

Four players who were suspended by the National Football League in the New Orleans Saints payoff-for-injury bounty scheme have appealed their bans, the league confirmed on its website Friday. Jonathan Vilma, Will Smith, Anthony Hargrove and Scott Fujita have appealed punishments reimposed by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell on Tuesday. An appeals panel overturned earlier bans issued by Goodell, who tweaked the time frames. Vilma once again received a full-season suspension and a four-game ban was reinstated for Smith while Goodell trimmed the suspension for Cleveland's Fujita from three games to one and Hargrove's ban from eight to seven games. Goodell allowed Vilma and Hargrove, now a free agent, to count the games they have missed while out with injuries to count as part of their bans, with Vilma being able to keep game checks he has received while being hurt. That means Hargrove would miss only two games if signed by an NFL club. Active players will be able to keep playing for their clubs during the appeal process. Vilma has asked that Goodell recuse himself from the appeals process after Goodell named himself as the person to hear the earlier appeals from players. Vilma also has made a US federal court request for an injunction to any ban while a defamation case against Goodell is considered.