Helmet To Helmet Hits

[UNHWildCats]

The NFL has fined players for helmet to helmet hits, as they should, now the NFL appears set to change the punishment to suspensions, and they are warning that suspensions could be handed down for hits this weekend before the possible change in punishment.

Patriots safety Brandon Meriweather is one player facing a possible suspension, but is it fair to change the punishment and then hand down the new punishment for a offense that already occurred?

Others now facing suspension are Steelers linebacker James Harrison, and Falcons cornerback Dunta Robinson.

[clenz]

Fines don't deter players.

Last night Rodney Harrison said he set aside 50K every year just for fines for hits he was going to put on other guys, so he could get/keep his reputation.

[Wedgebuster]

Enough of this crap. Take the pink tutus off the QBs as well, the sport is being ruined by pansies and is less manly already than basketball, shit.

[UNHWildCats]

Fines don't deter players.

Last night Rodney Harrison said he set aside 50K every year just for fines for hits he was going to put on other guys, so he could get/keep his reputation.

yes, I think suspensions need to happen if they want to end or at least significantly cut the helmet to helmet hits, the issue is whether its fair to use new policy retroactively.

[93henfan]

Dunta Robinson's hit was malicious. I don't root for injuries, but I'm glad he was injured on the play (short of paralysis of course) to serve as a self-taught lesson.

This is just ugly, leading with the helmet on a completely defenseless player. Disregard the comment by the announcer stating the hit was with the shoulder because you can see on the reverse angle replay that he is dead wrong. There's no room in the game for this kind of crap. I'm all for hard hits, but only if they're clean. I'd support a multiple-game suspension from the league for this. The video is a bit misleading in that it's edited to show Jackson being helped up after a minute or so. I was watching live on TV and both players were down through all the replays, a full commercial set, and then several more replays. Probably ten minutes in total. Jackson has full memory loss of the incident:

[youtube][/youtube]

[Willie]

If you don't want to get hit in the head, don't play the game.

[Wedgebuster]

Maybe the NFL should move to France.

[Ursus A. Horribilis]

Maybe the NFL should move to France.

Dude the NFL lost me as a fan when they started all this pussy shit a while back. They are changing it to make it more palatable for the newer softer face of men, and the women that watch it.

If it's a malicious hit then hell hand out whatever punishment is appropriate. Take a look at the language on this thread from football fans already...it's accepted and now is going to go even further because that's the way football should be played I guess.

Fucking men become more feminine everyday in this country.

We probably ought to start watching out for MMA and boxing and make sure that there are no longer any head shots allowed. A punch in the chest or the shoulder is what would be allowed in the fucking females with penises and the females without penises get it all sorted out for us.

[93henfan]

Maybe the NFL should move to France.

Dude the NFL lost me as a fan when they started all this pussy shit a while back. They are changing it to make it more palatable for the newer softer face of men, and the women that watch it.

If it's a malicious hit then hell hand out whatever punishment is appropriate. Take a look at the language on this thread from football fans already...it's accepted and now is going to go even further because that's the way football should be played I guess.

Fucking men become more feminine everyday in this country.

We probably ought to start watching out for MMA and boxing and make sure that there are no longer any head shots allowed. A punch in the chest or the shoulder is what would be allowed in the fucking females with penises and the females without penises get it all sorted out for us.

Ursus, I'm pretty sure spearing has been illegal for decades, no? I mean, call me a fag if you must, but I think there should be some sensibility, even in a violent sport. Why does MMA not allow eye gouging or crotch shots? Are they pussies?

[Ursus A. Horribilis]

Dude the NFL lost me as a fan when they started all this pussy shit a while back. They are changing it to make it more palatable for the newer softer face of men, and the women that watch it.

If it's a malicious hit then hell hand out whatever punishment is appropriate. Take a look at the language on this thread from football fans already...it's accepted and now is going to go even further because that's the way football should be played I guess.

Fucking men become more feminine everyday in this country.

We probably ought to start watching out for MMA and boxing and make sure that there are no longer any head shots allowed. A punch in the chest or the shoulder is what would be allowed in the fucking females with penises and the females without penises get it all sorted out for us.

Ursus, I'm pretty sure spearing has been illegal for decades, no? I mean, call me a fag if you must, but I think there should be some sensibility, even in a violent sport. Why does MMA not allow eye gouging or crotch shots? Are they pussies?

You're the one guy that I gave an out to because as I said there are instances where it is necessary to flag a guy that is being "unnecessarily rough" and trying to do real damage.

The spearing is part of what I just alluded to. Are they or are they not calling any helmet to helmet contact now even if it is in the course of a normal tackle and the helmets collide? That ain't the fuckin' same as spearing.

I know you have to keep control of things as in your example of eye gouging, etc...but these are violent sports that have been very popular because of the danger and the kind of fella that is willing to participate with a certain reckless abandon and take the risks.

Seriously can you imagine boxing with the head being off limits? You ain't a pussy, that ain't what I was saying. I'm saying that this shit is getting out of hand with the way everything has to be safe and sooner than later this is gonna be a god damn game of soccer.

I honestly don't watch a minute of the NFL anymore unless I see something on SC so I'm just jumping in with an opinion be it uninformed or not.

[BlueHen86]

Just take the helmets off. Seriously. Give them old fashioned leather helmets. Players will stop leading with their heads.

Like it or not the NFL needs to do something. Can them, and me, a pussy if you want, but something needs to be done about the concussions. Players are bigger and faster than they have ever been, as a result the hits are more violent and the concussions are becoming more of a issue.

[93henfan]

There was a time when football had no rules, up until 1905 to be precise. Eighteen players died that season until perhaps the gayest president of all time, Theodore Roosevelt , demanded a hiatus until rules could be implemented to protect players.

So, there you have it. The bull moose pussification of football started 105 years ago.

[siuham]

Just take the helmets off. Seriously. Give them old fashioned leather helmets. Players will stop leading with their heads.

Like it or not the NFL needs to do something. Can them, and me, a pussy if you want, but something needs to be done about the concussions. Players are bigger and faster than they have ever been, as a result the hits are more violent and the concussions are becoming more of a issue.

Who was it that said that? Jimmy yeah? It sounds ridiculous but it'd work. Rugby can get away with it yeah?

I never played football, so I can't really say, but it just seems like it'd be smarter to get your arms out in front of you wrap up a player as you tackle if you're diving rather than just trying to pound your head into your rib cage to get him down.

[Ursus A. Horribilis]

OK then, it's not.

[SDHornet]

Just take the helmets off. Seriously. Give them old fashioned leather helmets. Players will stop leading with their heads.

Like it or not the NFL needs to do something. Can them, and me, a pussy if you want, but something needs to be done about the concussions. Players are bigger and faster than they have ever been, as a result the hits are more violent and the concussions are becoming more of a issue.

Who was it that said that? Jimmy yeah? It sounds ridiculous but it'd work. Rugby can get away with it yeah?

I never played football, so I can't really say, but it just seems like it'd be smarter to get your arms out in front of you wrap up a player as you tackle if you're diving rather than just trying to pound your head into your rib cage to get him down.

Seriously siuham, if you are going to post something then do it, but stop wasting thread space with a blank post with nothing but bouncing tits to show for it.

[SuperHornet]

Ursus, I'm pretty sure spearing has been illegal for decades, no?

Yes, spearing has been illegal for a long time. I still remember Dan Fouts getting called for spearing a defenseless DB prone on the ground after being tackled post-interception. That was in the early '80s.

[andy7171]

Who was it that said that? Jimmy yeah? It sounds ridiculous but it'd work. Rugby can get away with it yeah?

I never played football, so I can't really say, but it just seems like it'd be smarter to get your arms out in front of you wrap up a player as you tackle if you're diving rather than just trying to pound your head into your rib cage to get him down.

Seriously siuham, if you are going to post something then do it, but stop wasting thread space with a blank post with nothing but bouncing tits to show for it.

Seriously. I didn't read a single word he typed. That said I hope he posts more often.



I was going to answer the poll honestly until I read that last option. FU Travis. I voted STFU.



He did lead with his shoulder. Your head is connected to your shoulders. If you plant your shoulder into someones chest, odds are your helmets are going to touch. The whole reason you wear a helmet and facemask is because your head and face are going to receive contact. This helemt to helmet bullshit is supremely pussifying the game. I don't see how Dunta Robinson could have done his job without this outcome. From what I have seen on replays, from all angles, it was perfectly legal.

Blame the QB for hits on defenseless receivers not the fact two helmets touched.

[bluehenbillk]

Somebody ask the kid from Rutgers his opinion....

[93henfan]

He did lead with his shoulder.

I'm not sure which of the hits you're referring to, but if it's the DeSean Jackson hit, go back to the video I posted and stop it at the 36 second mark and you'll see that the helmet was the first thing to hit Jackson. Robinson was lucky not to have a serious neck injury.

Here's a screenshot I put together for quick reference; click to enlarge:

[SDHornet]

Somebody ask the kid from Rutgers his opinion....

The Rutgers kid made a piss poor tackle. I feel bad for him as this incident is awful and very tragic, but from the replays I saw, he completely lowered his head (something they teach you not to do as early as pop warner) so that the top of his head was the first thing that made contact. Combine that with two players running at close to their top speed and this happens. With that said, I sure hope he regains the use of his extremities and can recover.

This is football, sh!t happens. These players know the risk they take every time they step onto the field.

[andy7171]

He did lead with his shoulder.

I'm not sure which of the hits you're referring to, but if it's the DeSean Jackson hit, go back to the video I posted and stop it at the 36 second mark and you'll see that the helmet was the first thing to hit Jackson. Robinson was lucky not to have a serious neck injury.

Here's a screenshot I put together for quick reference; click to enlarge:

From what I saw, #23 made every effort to redirect his head to hit the up field shoulder of #10. It's physically impossible for your head to not initiate contact before the shoulder in most cases, short of throwing a cross body block. If he really wanted to blow is ass up, he wouldn't have redirected and kept forward motion and placed his left shoulder pad into Jacksons face. He even used his right forearm.


As for the Rutgers player. Each of my 5 summer campsstarted off the first night before actual practice with a meeting showing a 30 minute film on not putting your head down. Over and over on the spine's reaction to head up and head down hits. Head down, your vertabrae are aligned and vunerable to being crushed. They scare the sh!t out of you for the entire 30 minutes. If you don't heed the warning, it's your own fault. A DL going full speed should be able to knock out a KR without lowering his head.

Atlanta's #23 had his head up, so I have no idea why the Rutgers guy is being called as a witness.

[ChickenMan]

It' not just the helmet to helmet hits that are the problem.. it's the fact that players are continually making themselves into flying projectiles in an attempt to get that 'ESPN Sports Center' highlight hit. There is far too often no attempt to wrap up a ball carrier and actually attempt to tackle him.. instead players ball themselves up into a flying projectile resulting in a spear shot to an often totally unprotected opponent. This unwillingness to 'wrap up' when tackling has been a pet peeve of mine for a long time and has resulted in an avalanche of missed tackles at all levels of football. If players were required to use their hands and arms when tackling rather than balling themselves into a projectile.. there would be far less missed tackles and certainly far less serious injuries. But for that to happen the NFL will have to legislate the flying projectile type hits out of the game.. as it's obvious that the players don't have enough respect for each other to accomplish that change on their own.

[AppStateAlumQC]

This is football, sh!t happens. These players know the risk they take every time they step onto the field.

And that's why they get paid the big bucks.

[GannonFan]

He did lead with his shoulder.

I'm not sure which of the hits you're referring to, but if it's the DeSean Jackson hit, go back to the video I posted and stop it at the 36 second mark and you'll see that the helmet was the first thing to hit Jackson. Robinson was lucky not to have a serious neck injury.

Here's a screenshot I put together for quick reference; click to enlarge:

I agree - it's getting out of hand how many times guys are leading with their helmets. Forget the whole "well, he was leading with his shoulder, but his head got there first" stuff - guys are using their helmets as weapons, plain and simple. Harrison's comment that he wants to hurt players when he hits them (as opposed to injuring them apparently) is just further evidence of the problem. Almost every one of those questionable hits this weekend were with guys who had their heads lowered and were hitting the opponent with the helmet first. Not a single one of those guys could see what they were hitting.

Football's going to start going down a dangerous path if this keeps up - finding out the amount of brain damage that can occur from concussions (and even non-concussions like with that kid from Penn, one of their captains, who committed suicide as a result of severe brain trauma that went unnoticed since he never had a concussion) is going to really make people think twice about the sport. I love football, but I'm really questioning if I want my three boys to actually play the game.

[Wedgebuster]

If a player lowers his head when he hits, he is going to get racked up, maybe permanently. This is usually performed by either an inexperienced player, or one that is afraid to hit properly. People need to keep their heads up, eyes open and make contact with facemask and shoulder at the same time.

Oh yeah baby!