Apparently, the NFL can go so far as to need the cane, a seeing eye dog, and the glasses, even after laser eye surgery.
Check out this article before you do anything else. Read it a million times over.
Now, check out this video. Watch it closely, and as many times as needed to get every single flipping detail in:
For clarifying purposes, the defender who hit Cardinals wide receiver Anquan Boldin from behind is Jets safety Kerry Rhodes. The safety who collided head-on into Boldin is Eric Smith.
Now, you tell me. Exactly which safety should be getting fined; Smith, or Rhodes? Comment on this; it’s gonna be a full-blown discussion. This conversation is hopefully gonna last longer than the more intelligent ones I tried to start. Hell, maybe Derek will actually freakin’ comment this time too. It doesn’t take much brain to see who truly is the one who actually deserves the fine.
Yeah, that’s very very clear. If you watch the video, you see that Boldin was hit from behind first (by Rhodes) and that hit from the rear actually pushed his helmet into Smith’s helmet. It was Rhodes who committed the original helmet-to-helmet spear.
Smith was fined $50K by the NFL and got a one-game suspension besides. According to the article, he said he didn’t know if he was going to appeal but I hope he does. This is just plain wrong. Rhodes is the one who should be getting disciplined, not Smith.
Geez, what’s wrong with these people???
Comment by Me — September 29, 2008 @ 11:33 pm
Now you know I’m not into football, but ouch that had to hurt!
Looking at the replays I’d say both players were in the wrong. Both jumped at the receiver at almost the same time, by the looks, and nether could have not hit. If they were going to cite unsportsmanlike conduct and safety rules… Well I would have suspended and fined both Smith and Rhodes for that play. Although I doubt that ether could see what the other was doing at the time.
Comment by MercenaryD — September 29, 2008 @ 11:39 pm
Actually, Smith wasn’t in the wrong. He was coming in with a clean tackle.
What happened was Rhodes came up behind and very clearly speared Boldin’s helmet with his own from behind. That hit pushed Boldin’s head forward and into Smith’s. That part couldn’t be avoided, and I find it completely bullshit that they’re calling out Smith for something that was completely Rhodes’ fault.
Comment by G — September 29, 2008 @ 11:45 pm
Actually, Derek, if you watch the video carefully, you see that player coming from the rear comes up, starts to reach out with his arms and then, evidently, changes his mind and goes it head first. That is a very clear violation of NFL regs. I have a feeling he was thinking that he was just going to do what he had to do to prevent a touchdown, no matter what.
Once Boldin got hit from the rear, nothing could have kept his helmet from making contact with Smith’s in the front. But I think there would not have been any helmet to helmet contact between Smith and Boldin (or if any, it would have been standard fair in a standard tackle) if Rhodes hadn’t knocked Boldin’s helmet into Smith’s from the rear to begin with.
Comment by Me — September 29, 2008 @ 11:47 pm
IMO, it was totally unavoidable. The person from behind was going for the ball and the one in the front was going for the block. In a 1 on 1 it would not have happened. Based on the speed, there was no way helmet to helmet contact could NOT have happen.
The receiver’s head was coming down/forward and the front blocker was coming up/forward (classic blocking) and based on the angles, it WAS going to happen in that situation.
A warning and review, not a fine should have been applied. I really don’t believe there was any ‘intent to cause bodily harm’ in either defender. Both played their positions as they should have been played.
Comment by Dad — September 30, 2008 @ 4:52 pm