Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints QB, says bounty penalties based on 'rhetoric'

In this article, Saints Quarterback Drew Brees delves into the details behind the alleged bounty scandal, a program the league believes funded rewards for players who injured members of the opposing team. More specifically, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is criticized for the punishments being "based upon speculation and rhetoric." Because of the uncertainty that now faces the bounty situation in the eyes of the league, this article attempts to display the effect of these accusations by Saints players on the outlook of the bounty scandal as a whole. The author of this ESPN.com article is speaking to the community that watches and supports the NFL, as the suspensions of Saints players and coaches seems to have played large in the mediocre performance of the team. It was difficult to find the use of rhetorical devices in this article, given that the nonfiction setting makes a writer's top priority to make sure the reader comprehends the event. If the author's purpose was to inform the the reader of the new direction of the bounty system case and leave the feeling of uncertainty surrounding the situation, the writer achieved his purpose, putting the reader at a more informed, but still suspenseful state as they wait for the next shift of momentum in this conflict.