OT: James Harrison threatens to quit over fine

[FalconHeavy]

HA this gets more interesting

James Harrison excused from practice | ProFootballTalk.com

 

[BradyManny]

This guy is one of the biggest pieces of trash/[insert expletive] in the NFL. He won't quit, though I wish he would.

 

[Patriot Missile]

HA this gets more interesting

James Harrison excused from practice | ProFootballTalk.com

Coach probably gave him a day to get his head straight. Like that would help with this guy.

 

[shmessy]

Sure, remove the helmets. It s heading that way anyhow with all the controls being enforced on the players. In due time, they'll all be wearing flags on their hips in which case helmets won't be needed.

As for my take on the injury aspect ...... the game is violent and injuries happen. If a player doesn't want to subject himself to possible injury then he should go play golf instead.

......or maybe learn how to tackle correctly?

 

[shmessy]

I understood your "everytime" comment to mean that Meriweather hits illegally everytime. If not everytime certainly more than just this once.

If this were a case where the player in question had been fined multiple times for helmet to helmet hits then, yes, I see where a suspension is warranted. This was Merwiether's first such infraction. It's not like he's applying helmet to helmet hits all of the time.

Did you see the previous Heap TD?

Brandon may not have been trying to use his helmet, but if that's the case his fundamentals are so badly futzed up that his tackling incompetence is that of a blind busdriver.

BB showed that much on the sidelines afterward - - he was clearly not trying to show him up on national TV but you could see the man was seething and simmering while reading him the riot act without moving his lips.

Either way, if Merriwether can't play solid fundamental football, he's going to be penalized.

It is what it is.

 

[eagle eye]

I just have feeling that people who are saying 'learn how to tackle correctly' never played contact sport. Everybody knows how to tackle correctly but doing it at speed is very difficult and you can mistime your tackle quit easily. I don't believe for one second that Meriweather meant to do what he did. I think he was fully intent on hitting hard but not illegally.

As for Harrison, put your hate aside please. This is not what this is about. Its about the way defenders are being told they can't do this, can't do that like its been done for years. Its a whole new job and its really giving a huge advantage to offensive players. The game is changing and not for the good imo.

And to all you guys saying that its a dangerous job and look at players after they retire etc. Well my response to that is if you want a safe job go get one. If you want to earn the big money in the NFL then understand what might happen.

 

[jmt57]

Considering he has about $20 million guaranteed in his $51 million contract that he signed just a year ago, and the portion of the $10 million signing bonus and $2.5 million roster bonus he would have to return if he quit, I don't think that anybody is taking Harrison's threat to quit seriously. He's going to walk away from all that over a $75k fine? Yeah, right. Him whining about that fine would be like one of us griping about getting short changed twenty cents at the supermarket checkout line.

 

[RayClay]

Actually removing the helmets and other equipment would not be a bad idea. Rugby is just as violent of sport but with less serious injuries because the players are not armed with weapons.

Maybe leather helmets. Those guided missiles they wear on their heads invite tragedy.

 

[RayClay]

But you are presuming malicious intent. How do you, or Godell, know what Meriweather's intent was on that Heap play?

Sure, the hit ended up being head to head but there might not have been any semblance of malicious intent to do so on the part of Merwieather on that play. Meriwether may well have intended to hit Heap with his shoulder but, the nature of the speed and dynamics of the event didn't allow for it to happen that way and he ended up hitting him in the helmet with his own helmet. Do you actually Meriweather thought to himself that he wants to risk serious head injury to himself by hitting his friend in the head with his helmet? Maybe Meriwether's aim was wrong? Maybe Heap moved at the last minute after Merwieather already committed himself? The problem is you've got the league now involved in determining player intent in the matter. That's never a good thing.

Just wait until the league starts suspending players whose aim was as bad as Merwieathers ....... Harrison's recent actions will be tame.

Meriweather launched himself into a player who was already being held.

 

[emoney_33]

That's not what I meant at all, but I probably wasn't clear. What I meant was, the number of hits that are illegal is so minuscule, that cracking down on them and punishing the few offenders severely isn't going to affect 99.9% of the plays, or 99.9% of the players. It's not going to make the game soft, because right now those types of illegal hits are not really part of the game.

IMO the potential issues are the fringe hits and subjective definition of "flagrant". The game at real speed is significantly different than the recording and slow-motion replays the "judges" must rely on to make their decisions. A split second can change a perfectly legal hit into a head-on collision. A mistimed step with lots of momentum, a misjudged perception of where a player is or will be, could have a HUGE impact on records/playoffs. The biggest issue is helmet to helmet, but you have a giant sphere of a weapon on your head and it doesn't take ill intentions or illegal tactics to get into a situation that has serious consequences.

 

[Deus Irae]

......or maybe learn how to tackle correctly?

It's impossible to tackle "correctly" every time, because the players involved are making adjustments. Even a player determined to make a form tackle can end up making helmet-to-helmet contact.

 

[shmessy]

It's impossible to tackle "correctly" every time, because the players involved are making adjustments. Even a player determined to make a form tackle can end up making helmet-to-helmet contact.

I agree, which is why Merriwether was probably fined more heavily because that hit was his second leading with the helmet hit on Heap - - he slightly missed the noggin on Heap's previous TD. When there are multiple instances, it is a problem.

Merriwether is probably a nice kid who needs to learn some fundamentals, get some discipline and stop freelancing his way into BB's doghouse.

I am more in agreement with you regarding the Dunta Robinson fine.

 

[BradyFTW!]

Im a fan of the if you injure a player you are out as long as the other guy is out idea. no fines, you give someone a concussion and they are out a month, so are you. simple as that.

Yeah, then the first time Wilfork hits a Jets scrub running back, they'll claim he's been grievously injured and IR him for no good reason, just to get Wilfork off the field.

Not to mention that players get injured on clean hits all the time. Sucks, but it happens. Penalize the hit, regardless of whether or not it results in injury, because the hit is all that the defender can control in the equation. Anything else and you're creating a system that's ripe for exploitation that penalizes players for things that are totally outside of their control.

 

[Deus Irae]

I think Schlereth's rant on the topic sums it up quite well.

NFL will stop selling photos of illegal plays - ESPN

 

[JackBauer]

I think Schlereth's rant on the topic sums it up quite well.

NFL will stop selling photos of illegal plays - ESPN

Damn. I haven't seen an analyst go off like that in a while. Good points, though, on the NFL's hypocrisy.

 

[Haley]

I think Schlereth's rant on the topic sums it up quite well.

NFL will stop selling photos of illegal plays - ESPN

He had a couple decent points but mostly this is hyperbole. No one is advocating the removal of all contact from the sport. Not really sure why people keep repeating that mantra when it so obviously isn't the case.

 

[JackBauer]

He had a couple decent points but mostly this is hyperbole. No one is advocating the removal of all contact from the sport. Not really sure why people keep repeating that mantra when it so obviously isn't the case.

No. It's just adding more arbitrary and capricious rules and emphasis to a league already filled with arbitrary and capricious rules and emphasis.

 

[Deus Irae]

He had a couple decent points but mostly this is hyperbole. No one is advocating the removal of all contact from the sport. Not really sure why people keep repeating that mantra when it so obviously isn't the case.

They are fundamentally changing the game, ostensibly in the name of safety, yet they want to add 2 more games to the season. They are looking into having linemen standing instead of being in stances. They've outlawed high hits on QBs. They've outlawed low hits on QBs. They've outlawed "contact" after 5 yards. They've outlawed even clearly unintentional helmet to helmet contact.

All that and more has been done. You keep fooling yourself about the contact issue if you want, though.

 

[Haley]

No. It's just adding more arbitrary and capricious rules and emphasis to a league already filled with arbitrary and capricious rules and emphasis.

Not really, the rule was already in place. The only change is how it is being enforced.

 

[shmessy]

They are fundamentally changing the game, ostensibly in the name of safety, yet they want to add 2 more games to the season.

Amen. The 18 game thing is ridiculous and should be put out to pasture immediately.

Yet what Haley said is a very cogent point (and I'm glad you edited your first response to him).

There is a difference between a vicious hit and an illegal one.