I can hear the Steelers players complaining here in Washington following news Monday that Richard Seymour has been fined just $25,000 - according to NFL.com - for his cheapshot punch in the face to Ben Roethlisberger in Sunday's 35-3 whipping of the Raiders.
James Harrison has a very legitimate point on this one.
If the league is going to fine or possibly suspend players for things that happen during the course of a play, how can it allow Seymour - who is a repeat offender himself - to walk away with a slap on the wrist on this?
It shouldn't matter what, if anything, Roethlisberger said that caused Seymour to do it. And Seymour has said he didn't hear Roethlisberger say anything. He was reacting to being bumped.
But this isn't the NHL. This is the NFL. And the league really messed this one up.
It's us against the world Dale.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if that type of anger and pent-up frustration can carry a team to a title, but we might all find out this January.
I wonder if James Harrison would have only received a $25k fine if he would have punched Tom Brady in the head in similar fashion? My guess is he would have received a 2 game suspension.
ReplyDeleteI know the campaign to pay Harrison's fine didn't amount to much but I think there were too many going and it only appealed to a subset of Steeler fans. Can you imagine if there were one place where people could donate to put a bounty on punching Brady? "Punch Brady, we'll pay your fine and anything left over is yours." I'd get another job to donate to that.
ReplyDeleteIf he did that to Brady, the commissioner would hold a public execution.
ReplyDeleteIt wasn't a punch; it was a palm-strike
When 300-pound men "palm strike" it's a punch.
ReplyDeleteIn fact, when linemen are taught to punch, that's how they do it, with their palm.
Same thing with a karate punch.
what more proof do you need that the NFL is subjective in its treatment of players and fines and biased against the steelers.
ReplyDeletebut, i love it. i love knowing other people are so jealous of the franchises' success they have to break the rules and make themselves look like bafoons. i love knowing it will make these steelers play even harder with an even bigger chip on their shoulder. i love knowing every time the steelers blow up a QB it's a penalty because they hit "too hard."
btw, not long ago, wasn't there a player who was suspended for a game for stepping on another player's head after a play? a lineman i think.
also, i'm not sure when seymour got ejected last year, but i'm betting it's safe to say the nfl has a player who has been ejected twice in the last 12 months and the nfl is choosing not to suspend him.
ReplyDeleteis anyone going to bring this up with the league?
dale, any feelings on this coming from the coaches?
thanks.
Dale, I wasn't trying to minimize it, but ESPN called it a slap. The Palm-strike has killed people, and the "open-hand punch" made it seem like nothing. He put full-force into to it, hence, palm-strike.
ReplyDeleteI dunno, Seymour knocked down a 6'5" 240lb man with the "open palm". Whatever kind of hit one wants to characterize it as, it was pretty powerful.
ReplyDeleteESPN claimed that was the maximum allowable fine for fighting.
ReplyDeleteIt's pretty screwed up when there is no limit to a fine on a football play that the NFL deems dangerous, but there is a limit on fighting.
actually, the NFL said that they considered the event a "fighting incident" and since it is seymour's second offense, the minimum fine is $25,000.
ReplyDeletesome fight. a sucker punch.
what's great is that here is a player who has been ejected twice in the past 12 football games for punching someone after the play and he only gets a $25,000 fine.
wait a minute, i just read that in 2006 seymour stepped on a player's chest after a play and was fined for that as well.
ReplyDeleteso let's see here:
2006 - stepped on player after play and penalized.
2009 - hit player after play and ejected.
2010 - hit player after play and ejected.
i guess that's not enough of a pattern for Goodell. if i were the rooney's i would be blasting goodell right now.
Not sure how it is in college, but in high school, get a fight or throw a punch and you sit the next game regardless. There is a black and white rule the NFL would do well to adopt.
ReplyDeleteI'm also agree with an opinion I heard a few weeks ago that the crackdown on hits has little to do with actual player safety and everything to do with avoiding future individual or class action lawsuits over long term brain injury.
If you look at the NFL's actions in that light, they make perfect sense.
it does make sense. i also believe it is because the CBA is coming up and they want to extend the season, but players are complaining about safety. therefore, the NFL needs to hammer anything that has to do with safety.
ReplyDeletehowever, it is clearly the result that is driving this punishment and not the act. for example, what if that same punch wouldn've broken #7's nose or jaw. seymour easily would've been suspended multiple games. and therin lies part of the problem, it should be the act that is punished, not the outcome.
the vicious hits by players can be scary looking, but perfectly legal hits. however, it's because they look so bad that flags and fines are being levied. again, if the act is legal, the outcome shouldn't matter in terms of penalties or fines.
another reason for less enthusiasm towards the nfl.
ReplyDeleteno sunday ticket this year, haven't bought steeler merchandise for about four years and will not attend a game anymore
Against New England Woodley should have held up on that late hit, counted to 10 and then punched Brady in the helmet. He could have saved $2,500.
ReplyDeletehaha to the above poster. That really summarizes how ridiculous this situation is.
ReplyDeleteWell put friend, well put.
"Against New England Woodley should have held up on that late hit, counted to 10 and then punched Brady in the helmet. He could have saved $2,500.
ReplyDeleteOMG, this is so true it's sad! He would have been ejected butgame was out of reach already
and of course, unlike ben,no one would be saying he "deserved it"
I'm beggining to hate the NFL, and many fans, this days
This league is a joke. Even though we were winning easily I felt a strong desire not to watch football anymore.
ReplyDeleteIke keeps a receiver from getting to the ball. Harrison crushes the QB with the full weight of one arm. Woodly..., well he had the nerve to get close to the QB.
I think the clear change in tactic is for Harrison to punch out the other teams best player between plays instead of bothering with tackling or anything like that.
I don't recall ever being this disqusted after a win.