Saints coach Sean Payton and general manager Mickey Loomis have apologized for the team's "bounty" scandal, taking blame for violations that "happened under our watch." "These are serious violations and we understand the negative impact it has had on our game," Payton and Loomis said in a joint statement. "Both of us have made it clear within our organization that this will never happen again, and make that same promise to the NFL and most importantly to all of our fans." Payton and Loomis also said New Orleans owner Tom Benson "had nothing to do" with the bounty pool. "We acknowledge that the violations disclosed by the NFL during their investigation of our club happened under our watch. We take full responsibility," they said. The league's investigation said the bounty program was funded primarily by players for the past three seasons and was overseen by former defensive coordinator Gregg Williams.