NFL-Suspensions for Helmet-to-Helmet Hits

[J.B.]

Originally Posted by Bonnie

I think like Don Banks mentions, if they are going to do this, they need to make it where the call is less subjective by individuals in different games and make a rule that's uniform for everyone to go by (e.g., one player being called for an illegal hit, but for another player in another game that same type of hit being called fair). Banks said players have always been taught to come in under and drive up, and that the league has discussed changing that making from the shoulders to the knees or above the knees the acceptable target area.

I think like the rule, punishment has to be somewhat uniform. They could look at the individual, if he is a repeat offender, and up the ante.

What is your solution JB? If they do nothing, someone like Harrison is eventually going to paralyze someone (maybe himself), or worse...

There is no real solution that is going to stop people from playing the game in a rough and physical manner. They already have "uniform" rules for what is acceptable and what isn't. It's still subject to human judgment, and with that will come errors, no matter what method we use. The refs can get it wrong on the field, and that's why the league reviews plays that are questionable, but even the league makes mistakes. To try and put a rule in place that would suspend any player for a hit that is deemed "devastating" would lead to one of two things...

1. a bunch of teams lose a bunch of players every week.

2. they don't really enforce it universally because of scenario number 1.

Banks is right that players are always taught conventional methods of tackling. That too starts in pee-wee, but he knows damn well that in serious competition players have to make plays if they expect to make it to the highest level. When you got an athletic HB on offense who keeps shredding your defensive line all day, you gotta start putting it on him to get him to cough up that ball or at least knock the wind out of him so he thinks twice about coming into your zone again. When players need to make plays, they are going to throw their bodies out there like sacrificial lambs to make that play. That is just football, and when big guys are running at that speed and plowing into guys with their head down, bad things can and will happen from time to time.

Obviously, we need to be strict on players who repeatedly put others in danger on purpose or are just overly reckless, but what they are talking about right now is way too broad, and that's why hardly anybody agrees with it on the player's side.

[Bonnie]

I wonder why he's coming out now with a less defiant attitude as opposed to what he said Monday (quoted near bottom of article)....maybe the $50,000 fine?

Brandon Meriweather apologizes for hits
[Updated: October 20, 2010, 7:43 PM ET By Mike Reiss, ESPNBoston.com]

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- New England Patriots safety Brandon Meriweather, who was fined $50,000 by the NFL for two helmet-to-helmet hits on Baltimore Ravens tight end Todd Heap in Sunday's win over the Ravens, told reporters in the locker room Wednesday that he was "sorry for the hit" and that he wants to move on.

Meriweather: "Once again, I'm going to say I'm sorry for the hit. I understand the league is trying to protect the health of all our players," Meriweather said before a brief pause in which he might have been fighting to keep emotions in check.

"To be honest, I just want all this to go away. I want to focus, with the rest of my team, on the Chargers and really not let this come up again. I'm going to try my best to play within the rules, like my coach had always taught us. I'm going to hit and play the game like my coaches have always taught us. Even in training camp, we have always been taught the proper way to hit. Just focus on that and try to put it in my game in some way, shape or fashion.

"From here on, I'm focusing on the Chargers. Anything else spoken about this, I will not comment on."

Meriweather was flagged for a second-quarter hit on Heap, who lay on the field being attended to by Ravens medical personnel for several minutes before getting up under his own power. Heap was leaping for a Joe Flacco pass that had sailed over his head when Meriweather thrust himself, helmet-first, into the Ravens tight end.

Reiss: Meriweather has growing up to do

In this week's Patriots mailbag, Mike Reiss writes that he thought Brandon Meriweather's hit was inexcusable. Story

Earlier in the game, Meriweather also hit Heap hard near the goal line. He was not penalized for that hit.

After a weekend full of dangerous hits, the NFL announced Tuesday that it will immediately begin suspending players for dangerous and flagrant hits that violate rules, particularly those involving helmets.

Meriweather had said Monday that his hit on Heap was not intentional and that any punishment handed down by the NFL would not alter his aggressive approach to the game.

"I'm going to be aggressive, point blank," Meriweather said during his weekly interview on Boston sports radio station WEEI. "I won't change my game, period. I'm sorry it happened. Heap is actually a real good friend of mine. I talked to him yesterday and let him know it wasn't intentional and he told me he understood."

Meriweather said he went for the hit because he thought Heap was going to come down with the pass.

"We ran that play a thousand times at practice," Meriweather said. "Every time at practice I broke on the ball and the tight end caught it every time. I thought it was going to be overthrown but the tight end always seemed to go and get it. Instead of me waiting for the ball to see if it was going to be overthrown I just attacked. I wasn't trying for head-to-head contact, or trying to injure anybody, or play dirty in any kind of way. It just happened."

http://sports.espn.go.com/boston/nfl...ory?id=5707041

Here's an article on Dolphins' Channing Crowder's comments:

Channing Crowder to keep using helmet

Updated: October 20, 2010, 8:41 PM ET - Associated Press

DAVIE, Fla. -- Miami Dolphins linebacker Channing Crowder says the only way of preventing helmet-to-helmet hits is to eliminate the helmet.

AFC East blog
ESPN.com's Tim Graham writes about all things AFC East in his division blog.

• Blog network: NFL Nation


Otherwise he's going to use his, regardless of punishment from league officials.

"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."

After several recent helmet-to-helmet hits, several of which resulted in concussions, the NFL ramped up the punishment Tuesday. Three players received big fines, and the league warned that starting with this week's games, violent conduct will be cause for suspension.

There's particular concern about helmet hits, but many players are unhappy about the crackdown. That includes Crowder, who said concussions are a normal part of the game.

He thinks he gets one every week and often keeps playing.

"If I'm knocked out, I don't know where I'm at, I can't say my name, now I can't play football," he said. "If I get hit in the head and black out for a second and now I get back up dizzy, OK, I'm ready to go."

Crowder missed the first four games this season because of an injury -- to his groin -- before rejoining the lineup last week. He said he has been getting concussions since high school, but in six NFL seasons he has missed only 13 games, none because of a concussion.

Crowder said the NFL is "making a big deal about nothing" and cited money as the motivation.

"They want to save the receivers and quarterbacks because they sell all the jerseys," Crowder said. "They don't give a damn at all about defensive players because we don't sell as many jerseys as them. ...

"If they want to change football to a graceful sport, change it all the way to a graceful sport. Don't try to save the quarterbacks and receivers because they make the money, which that's what they're doing," he said.

Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=5708701

[Bonnie]

Deleted my previous comments cause Logrus has made me see the light and the error of my thinking.

Steelers' Harrison Considers Quitting The NFL
Oct 20, 2010 8:41 pm US/Eastern

NFL Fines Harrison $75,000 For Illegal Hit PITTSBURGH (KDKA) ― Click to enlarge 1 of 1 - Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
numSlides of totalImages Related StoriesNFL Store Pulls Online Picture Of Harrison's Hit (10/20/2010)

Agent: James Harrison Will Appeal $75K Fine
(10/20/2010) Related LinksPittsburgh Steelers NFL

James Harrison makes his living hitting hard. He's been taught from a young age how to do it, and he's one of the best in the world at it. But after the National Football League fined Harrison $75,000 Tuesday for a hit against Browns wide receiver Mohamed Massaquoi, Harrison feels he may no longer have a place in the NFL.

"I'm really considering if I can still play football in the NFL by the rules that they are starting to make. If not, I may have to give up playing football," he said in an interview with Fox Sports Radio's Tony Bruno. "If it comes back, 'Well this is how it is and, you know, nothing's going to be done,' then I'm going to seriously have to try and consider a career change, or whatever it may be."

Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin met with Harrison Wednesday morning and asked him to take the day off. "I met with James this morning, prior to the official start of the day, in my office. We had a conversation, a very productive conversation. At that time, I thought it was beneficial to him and us if I gave him a little time to cool off and gave him the day. I excused him at that time.

"Needless to say, this is a very emotional thing for James. He's a very disciplined and regimented guy. He's passionate about the game of football. It bothers him, maybe, that he's being perceived as a dirty player. He doesn't desire to be. He simply wants to play the game and play it extremely well."

That emotion carried over to Harrison's teammates in the locker room as well.

"It's a contact sport, and I've always said that, especially the Steelers, that even before I was born, that we were known for being a hard-nosed, physical football team.

"And you know, it's not a game for wimps, if you will. I mean, I don't mean to be saying things like that, but it's not. You can't come out and play this game if you think you're going to get hurt and worry about it too much," quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said.

Roethlisberger also said that he hopes Harrison is back Thursday. Both Tomlin and James Farrior said they do expect him back, but that may not be the case. Harrison's agent said Harrison is serious when he speaks of a possible retirement.

"It is what it is. James is quite serious, and this is not fun and games. I mean, he's very, very serious. How do you play football when, if you tackle someone, you get a $75,000 fine, and the penalty," Harrison's agent, Bill Parise said.

"I don't want to be suspended, but I really feel like I'm really gonna need to, like I said, have a sit-down talk with my coaches and maybe even the league as far as their rules go, to get a clear understanding of how I can play this game," said Harrison.

http://kdka.com/steelers/steelers.li...2.1973103.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HokdZ...eature=related

[Bonnie]

I really like that song.

I get it, I get it! That's how football is played.

Hey, it's not my neck (literally) on the line. These guys make millions of dollars; hopefully they're putting enough of it away for a rainy day.

Originally Posted by Bonnie

I really like that song.

I get it, I get it! That's how football is played.

Hey, it's not my neck (literally) on the line. These guys make millions of dollars; hopefully they're putting enough of it away for a rainy day.

ESPN had a good in depth look at it. If I approach with a proper tackle and the player is straight up then its a clean it. If the player decides to brace for the and compacts his body then the clean hit from earlier is now illegal.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlLjPswUfRs

Mark Schlereth is awesome, He called out the NFL about how it cares for its players saftey and yet refuses to pay 135 players workmans comp cases .

[J.B.]

Originally Posted by Bonnie

Steelers' Harrison Considers Quitting The NFL

Umm yeah...sure your not James.

The league wouldn't care if you did quit, and you wouldn't be hurting anybody but yourself and your team-mates.

Jim Rome said it best, "Hey James, I will trade you $75,000 for the 6 million left on your contract"

[J.B.]

Reggie Bush tweeted this today

As an offensive player I have to say I disagree w/ the enforcement of the rule. I'd much rather get hit up top then down low in the knees.

Originally Posted by J.B.

Reggie Bush tweeted this today

He has a point, look how many key players are out with knee injuries and leg injuries.

[J.B.]

Originally Posted by logrus

He has a point, look how many key players are out with knee injuries and leg injuries.

I agree, knee injuries are very serious business.

However, Bush does kind of sully that great statement with the ill-logic in his next tweet...

Worst case scenario you get hit up top=concussion. Worst case scenario you get hit down low=knee surgery or possible end of career.

He is right about career ending knee injuries...but I think we all know that concussions are not the worst case scenario for getting hit it in the head.

There is also a bit of chest thumping to his statement too. Nobody wants to be the guy that sounds like a cry-baby. That is another unwritten part of football.