Suspensions for hits

[TRUTitan]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=5699517

A couple of people brought this up in the Around the NFL thread. This is a good idea, however Dunta Robinson's hit on Jackson was not illegal IMO. If you go back and watch the hit(and I have several times) you would see it is just a great hit. There was no helmet to helmet contact. It was just a well placed, well timed hit that knocked both receivers out of the game. If you want to punish people for hitting like this you need just to go ahead and put flags on the uniforms.
That said, Harrison's hit on Cribbs was uncalled for and ill intended. To make matters worse that is the 2 time I have seen him someone like that this season. If you go back and look at that hit you would have to agree that it was wrong. Why the media is all caught up on the Robinson hit I will never know, when the real illegal hit happened in Pittsburgh to player on a small market team.

[TitansJonne]

Well that doesn't affect the Steelers. All there hits are legal.

[TRUTitan]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=5699976

This Greg Aielio is an idiot. How can Harrison's hit on Cribbs be legit, but Robinson's not?

[hooktool]

Looks to me like Harrison ought to take the season off if they are serious-it sure looked intentional.

John

[TTP77]

It's hard to judge intent. personally I think the focus should be more on developing helmets and pads that are more effective and providing better health care for current and former players. You can't take the physicality out of the game. and still keep the product as good IMO

[TitansFan23]

http://www.backtobasicstoys.com/images/6295.jpg
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/__6J2KAM-TNY/SfAUVsPhaiI/AAAAAAAAAFE/Lr_8O9vzSNg/s320/4.jpg
http://wegotthiscovered.com/wp-content/uploads/nfl.jpg

[Jones31]

3 fines announced today
James Harrison $75K
Brandon Meriweather $50K (more than his game check)
Dunta Robinson $50K

[Face]

I found a pic from a 2011 NFL game, its look to be the Chargers vs the Bengals.
http://www.cm-life.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/flagfootball.nb.01.jpg

[Titansfan777]

3 fines announced today
james harrison $75k
brandon meriweather $50k (more than his game check)
dunta robinson $50k

bulllllllllllllllllllllllllllllshiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiit

[Johnnyb]

I honestly think Jacksons concussion came from his head hitting the ground. However Robinson wasn't completely innocent, he did lead with the crown of his head which is why he got knocked out.

[titansikou]

Maybe we'll see these defensive players wrapping up instead of trying to look like badasses.

[hooktool]

I've heard a lot of interesting stuff today on TV and radio. One, that helmets are actually so much better these days that players are comfortable using them to hit. Many players are wearing less pads etc. so they can be faster-although I don't see how that would account for head injuries. Another, pointed out here and by many players today, is forsaking tackling for the knockout blow.

Blaine Bishop brought up something interesting-if they are going to start judging "intent", particularly with suspensions in mind, then there should be a panel of former players to help with that as they know better than anyone.

I don't pretend to have any kind of answer. I LOVE the big hits, like most of us, but none of us wants to see players permanently disabled. Its a rough and violent game.:thumbsup

John

[Yvette]

The Pittsburgh Steelers (http://espn.go.com/nfl/team/_/name/pit/pittsburgh-steelers) excused James Harrison (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?playerId=4433) from practice Wednesday as the Pro Bowl linebacker contemplated retirement, according to his agent.

Harrison's agent Bill Parise said Wednesday his client is "very serious" about retiring after getting fined $75,000 for a hit that knocked Mohamed Massaquoi (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?playerId=12581) out of the Steelers' win over the Cleveland Browns (http://espn.go.com/nfl/team/_/name/cle/cleveland-browns). Harrison met Wednesday with Steelers coach Mike Tomlin, who excused his linebacker from the Steelers preparations for Sunday's game against the Dolphins.

"We wouldn't joke about this," Parise said. "This is a very serious issue. James is very concerned about how to play football. If James is going to be fined $75,000 for making a legal tackle, then how do you go play football? It's quite frustrating to James, to Coach Tomlin, to me, to everybody."

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=5706748

and a vid from Schlereth

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=5706315

He has a valid point IMO, especially when you take into account the NFL's own vids for sale.

[zonian]

Wow!

Now the NFL is making money off the players as well as the fans for the same hits...

http://www.nflshop.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2974245&cp=2423043.2418395&pageType=family&parentPage=family

[MrBean]

I would say he had a valid point.... if he wasn't known for this type of play his entire career. If the only way he knows how to play is dirty... of course he is gonna be confused on how to play.

[Yvette]

It's really hard for me but I'm trying not to look at the messenger, just the message ;)

[TitansFan23]

NFL are a bunch of hypocrites. They've been making money for years selling DVD's and photos of these types of hits and had the Harrison photos up for sale before taking them down after being called out on them.

Bunch of dumbasses.

[MrBean]

NFL are a bunch of hypocrites. They've been making money for years selling DVD's and photos of these types of hits and had the Harrison photos up for sale before taking them down after being called out on them.

Bunch of dumbasses.

Hypocrites how? Because back before that they had the information they have now, they marketed it? It's called progressing. If they didn't do anything about it, and we had 3 more weekends like the last, how do you think things would be perceived?

The problem I have is, that the NFL players have moved away from basic tackling fundamentals that are taught since pee-wee football, and no one seems to care. How many long TD's are made because someone didn't basically wrap up the guy because they went for the big hit?

We talk about how this is now the era of offense, but how much of that extra offense is created by bad play of the defense?

[TitansFan23]

Hypocrites how?

They were selling photos of the Harrison hit that he was fined $75,000 for along with the Meriweather hit until they were called out on it this morning. They passed the blame onto someone else and said "oops, our bad".


Because back before that they had the information they have now, they marketed it?

What information did they not have before this past weekend?


If they didn't do anything about it, and we had 3 more weekends like the last, how do you think things would be perceived?

Probably the same way things have always been perceived in the NFL; it's a physical game and injuries happen.

These types of hits have been happening forever. This is just a knee jerk reaction on the NFL's part by people wanting to legislate the physicality of the game and handcuff players who make a living delivering punishing hits fans love to see. Great for the offense, not so great for defenders. I guess the NFL wants a more arena like scoring atmosphere. Why not just incorporate the Pro Bowl rules and regulations into all games? Ban blitzing and the zone defense.

[ZachLV27]

I love defensive football and will take it any day of the week over high scoring affairs. With that said I think suspensions and larger fines are definitely needed.

You don't need to try and take someones head off to play defense. You don't need to try and take someones head off to make a tackle. You don't need to try and take someones head off to intimidate them or get in their heads.

A good player can achieve all of the above while not trying to hurt the opposing players.

[TitansFan23]

I don't believe Dunta was trying to take Jackson's head off.

[TitansFan23]

Also, what about offensive players like RB's that lower their head and run full on into a defender?

How about a hit like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QGKlluCU0o

I hope offensive players are held to the same standards.

[Hammr]

Time to pass out the panty lines

[don28]

If James Harrison wants to retire, go on and file the papers. What else is he qualified to do for a living? There is a difference between clean, hard play and dirty play bordering on dangerous. If he doesn't know the difference and can't play clean, then he should remove himself from the league.

[ZachLV27]

Players like Harrison and Channing Crowder are the guys that these suspensions are being designed for. Just look at what Crowder said earlier today.


"If I get a chance to knock somebody out, I'm going to knock them out and take what they give me," Crowder said Wednesday. "They give me a helmet, I'm going to use it."

There is something seriously wrong with a guy going out there thinking like that.

Dunta Robinson on the other hand was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. If his hit had happened the week prior he probably would have only gotten a small fine and it wouldn't have been mentioned again. Being that it happened the same week as several other brutal hits he got lumped in with them. The league is wrong in fining him like they did, but that doesn't mean fines and suspensions shouldn't be handed out. It just means they need to fine tune the process.

[hooktool]

If James Harrison wants to retire, go on and file the papers. What else is he qualified to do for a living? There is a difference between clean, hard play and dirty play bordering on dangerous. If he doesn't know the difference and can't play clean, then he should remove himself from the league.

He was driving a bus for a while, I heard yesterday. He could go back to that. :)

John

[MusicCityMullet]

what i can't believe is that no one has considered (or talked about, that i've heard of) what other contact sports have implemented...specifically hockey. of course the nfl doesnt want 65,000 fans & hundreds of thousands tv viewers watching when someone ends up a stiff on the 30 yard line...thats understandable. think of the repercussions and lawsuits..so of course they are going to attack this. now my problem is the "after the fact" bs fines and suspensions.

think about it this way: you're a pro-bowler chippy hard hitter. you have a good game and knock some folks around..maybe you lean with the hardest weapon on your body a couple times, the helmet, and a few folks are slow to get up. cheers from the crowd..perhaps a 15 yard penalty if you got unluckily hit from the refs. but your team wins the game and you go out and celebrate at Scores making it rain on girls buttocks. you get reckless drunk and pee on some people...only to have people slap your back at the bars regarding the way you knocked some people the F out. you wake up a week later with a $70,000 fine in the mail from Rog saying what you did the last game...which by this time you can't remember...was in violation of the rules. now if it was 5 Gs, no biggie, thats what you spent making it rain on girls buttocks...but 70!!! daaaaammn, i can't play like that. or better yet, sorry dude, you're out for a few games.

now what if the punishment was more immediate and humiliating? a backwards pavlov if you will. an illegal hit occurs, ref sees it and throws the old yeller, league by rules makes him review it under the hood and he determines that the hit was both illegal AND intentional. instead of the 15 yarder and week later fine, dude gets sent to MCM's version of the NFL penalty box:


http://168.144.136.42/penaltybox.jpg


thats right, he has to walk his merry ass up some steps to a glass penalty box only to watch the player beneath him take a few snaps..or even a few possessions. (haven't worked that detail out yet) sitting there looking at the dude thats gunning for his spot make his own plays...all in front of everyone: his team, the fans, national tv. sitting there wondering, damn that kid is pretty good. thinking, "i bet after the game he's gonna make it rain on some girls buttocks at Scores tonight. he might even pee on some people." all while sitting in a penalty box with nothing to do but think.

that would work.

[Yvette]

I just wish the refs would do a better and more consistent job of officiating. If they had, it might not have come down to this.

[MrBean]

I just wish the refs would do a better and more consistent job of officiating. If they had, it might not have come down to this.

I don't agree with that. So you flag Harrison for 15 yard penalties for those hits.... do you think that really would have changed anything?

[Yvette]

I'd rather see an ejection.

[Comar]

How about we make the players start wearing pads again?

I know helmet-to-helmet hits will still take place, but if you put pads on these guys like they used to wear, it seems it would slow them down a little bit.

I was looking at some old footage of Tennessee and alabama games from the 80's. One thing that stuck out to me were the pads that these guys had on. Hell, Dale Jones looked like he had to Volkswagon Beetles on his shoulders.

It just seems to me that if the NFL made them put on specific size/weight pads from top to bottom it might help.

[ZachLV27]

How about we make the players start wearing pads again?

I know helmet-to-helmet hits will still take place, but if you put pads on these guys like they used to wear, it seems it would slow them down a little bit.

I was looking at some old footage of Tennessee and alabama games from the 80's. One thing that stuck out to me were the pads that these guys had on. Hell, Dale Jones looked like he had to Volkswagon Beetles on his shoulders.

It just seems to me that if the NFL made them put on specific size/weight pads from top to bottom it might help.

The difference in the size of the pads back then and the pads now has a lot more to do with technology than it does anything else. They have come up with ways to make the pads be more effective while being much smaller and lighter.

Now there are also many players who remove additional pads and maybe some of that needs to be addressed but I doubt it would really slow the over game down.

[Yvette]

They have come up with ways to make the pads be more effective while being much smaller and lighter.
And maybe that's part of the problem? I get what Comar is saying.

Something else I'm thinking -- decisions in the last two minutes come from above, an executive decision so to speak. Why not have the same thing for these types of hits throughout the game? If players are that dangerous to the game and each other, why let them stay in and keep playing?

[ZachLV27]

And maybe that's part of the problem? I get what Comar is saying.

Something else I'm thinking -- decisions in the last two minutes come from above, an executive decision so to speak. Why not have the same thing for these types of hits throughout the game? If players are that dangerous to the game and each other, why let them stay in and keep playing?

I get what Comar is saying as well and I also see how what I said contradicts itself.

I don't know enough about the pads to know if the technology is truly better or worse in the long run, but I would guess it's better.

I don't think the size of the pads really have much to do with what is being addressed lately by the NFL. I think this entire topic has everything to do with how these players are taught to tackle when they are younger and how they continue to think there is nothing wrong with what they were taught.

[don28]

And maybe that's part of the problem? I get what Comar is saying.

Something else I'm thinking -- decisions in the last two minutes come from above, an executive decision so to speak. Why not have the same thing for these types of hits throughout the game? If players are that dangerous to the game and each other, why let them stay in and keep playing?

That is the root of a problem that exists not just in football, but in hockey as well. There has been a loss of respect for your opponent as a human being. Too many players think nothing of hitting someone with a cheap, dangerous, dirty hit to make Sportscenter or to become an intimidator.

[hooktool]

Our favorite oft-concussed player-turned-analyst, Merrill Hoge, said the other day that a lot of players are wearing much less than they should be, trying to gain speed. He was pretty convincing in his argument, so while Zach is right about modern technology, there doesn't seem to be much doubt many are as stripped down as possible.

John

[MrBean]

Our favorite oft-concussed player-turned-analyst, Merrill Hoge, said the other day that a lot of players are wearing much less than they should be, trying to gain speed. He was pretty convincing in his argument, so while Zach is right about modern technology, there doesn't seem to be much doubt many are as stripped down as possible.

John

It's really noticeable when you see that most players no longer have thigh pads in.

[don28]

Our favorite oft-concussed player-turned-analyst, Merrill Hoge, said the other day that a lot of players are wearing much less than they should be, trying to gain speed. He was pretty convincing in his argument, so while Zach is right about modern technology, there doesn't seem to be much doubt many are as stripped down as possible.

John

What shocks me is that almost no one wears an athletic cup. You couldn't get me to play any physical sport without protection for the frank and beans.

[hooktool]

What shocks me is that almost no one wears an athletic cup. You couldn't get me to play any physical sport without protection for the frank and beans.

Jeezuz, my boys just jumped up in my stomach reading that.

John

[MrBean]

Have you ever had someone put a helmet to your cup? trust me, it would feel much better without it. The cup has a tendency to just pinch the outside of both balls and then get shoved into your pelvis. As a lineman I have been hit both ways. Don't care for either, but a lot less painful without the cup.

[hooktool]

Have you ever had someone put a helmet to your cup? trust me, it would feel much better without it. The cup has a tendency to just pinch the outside of both balls and then get shoved into your pelvis. As a lineman I have been hit both ways. Don't care for either, but a lot less painful without the cup.

There they go again, damn.

John

[Old Oilers Fan]

http://www.bangcartoon.com/2010/meanwhile9.htm

[Titansfan777]

What shocks me is that almost no one wears an athletic cup. You couldn't get me to play any physical sport without protection for the frank and beans.

I wore one my first game or two in football and baseball...but after that I realized I didn't have to wear them and it became much easier to run and go at full speed...never had a problem either.

[GoPats]

As a Pats fan, I was really disgusted with Merriweather's hit on Heap two weeks ago. It was probably the worst of the bunch, and I don't want players on my favorite team playing that kind of game. I think he got the message though.

Overall he's still kind of a punk, IMO. I'm not sure if he's long for NE... my sense is that Belichick is tired of it, and that he's playing his last season here.

[Titan723]

http://www.bangcartoon.com/2010/meanwhile9.htm

LMAO at Bob Sanders.