Players and their ridiculous excuses for illegal hits

[DaBruinz]

This is just ridiculous.

T.J. Ward says that he may have been fined if he hit Rob Gronkowski up high | masslive.com

Basically Ward admits to going at Gronk's knees because he was afraid of getting fined for tackling Gronk "high". Last I looked, Gronk is damn near 6'7 and he's got a pretty big torso.

Contrary to what others have said, it's plain as day that Ward went at Gronk's knees. There were 2 other players there. Had Ward hit Gronk at the waist and wrapped up, Gronk was getting taken down by the other two. Plain and simple.

This excuse that he had to go at another player's knees is BS and is going to cost someone their career..

 

[Archeryaddict12]

Goodell and his rules have created this problem.

When players had leather helmets and cheap pads, did they have this many injuries that took players seasons away from them??

 

[PatsFan2]

This is just ridiculous.

T.J. Ward says that he may have been fined if he hit Rob Gronkowski up high | masslive.com

Basically Ward admits to going at Gronk's knees because he was afraid of getting fined for tackling Gronk "high". Last I looked, Gronk is damn near 6'7 and he's got a pretty big torso.

Contrary to what others have said, it's plain as day that Ward went at Gronk's knees. There were 2 other players there. Had Ward hit Gronk at the waist and wrapped up, Gronk was getting taken down by the other two. Plain and simple.

This excuse that he had to go at another player's knees is BS and is going to cost someone their career..

And Mr Expert please tell us how was Ward suppose to tackle that mountain of a man???

 

[Archeryaddict12]

And Mr Expert please tell us how was Ward suppose to tackle that mountain of a man???

So you say its alright to try and tackle a man with a hit that can ruin ones season? Gronk is hard to tackle period, but you don't cheap shot someone by going for their legs and possibly tearing ones knee up. So what you give up a few more yards, but you want to save 5 measly yards and possibly destroy the players career. Come on man

 

[ALP]

even if there were no rules against going high...Ward would have gone low, because he is a defensive back, and gronk is a huge TE....and Ward knows if he went high we would have been blown up

 

[PATRlOT]

It makes me sick how someone could think they're doing the right thing by throwing their 200+ pound body at another guy's knees. It's unbelievable. Even worse is how the league is practically encouraging this based off the "rule changes" and ridiculous fines & penalties they hand out for hits that should be allowed.

If I were a player, I'd publicly make it clear that I'd pay your fine if you tackle me CLEANLY to the upper body (head obviously excluded) and somehow end up with a fine. There is seriously such a huge area defenders have to tackle a guy. Upper highs to the chest is more than enough of a target to hit a guy. Even up until the shoulders, although slightly risky depending on the angle.

Aside from a blatant SHOULDER OR HEAD to HEAD hit, the last place I want to be tackled is at the knees, or ankles. 2 extremely vulnerable places that can easily end a season.

In hockey, simply GLIDING your knee to another guy's leg/knee is a penalthy (potential fine). How is throwing your entire body at the knee, lead by your rock hard helmet followed by wrapping your arms around the knee, NOT illegal!?

 

[PatsFan2]

So you say its alright to try and tackle a man with a hit that can ruin ones season? Gronk is hard to tackle period, but you don't cheap shot someone by going for their legs and possibly tearing ones knee up. So what you give up a few more yards, but you want to save 5 measly yards and possibly destroy the players career. Come on man

See post 5 in thread!

 

[PatsFan2]

It makes me sick how someone could think they're doing the right thing by throwing their 200+ pound body at another guy's knees. It's unbelievable. Even worse is how the league is practically encouraging this based off the "rule changes" and ridiculous fines & penalties they hand out for hits that should be allowed.

If I were a player, I'd publicly make it clear that I'd pay your fine if you tackle me CLEANLY to the upper body (head obviously excluded) and somehow end up with a fine. There is seriously such a huge area defenders have to tackle a guy. Upper highs to the chest is more than enough of a target to hit a guy. Even up until the shoulders, although slightly risky depending on the angle.

Aside from a blatant SHOULDER OR HEAD to HEAD hit, the last place I want to be tackled is at the knees, or ankles. 2 extremely vulnerable places that can easily end a season.

Tell that to Roger Good-Hell!

 

[manxman2601]

DaBruinz, do not take this the wrong way because I'm only commenting on the coincidence and pertinence but after reading your comments to Brady6 about never having practiced in another thread and then reading this thread I then went on to twitter and saw this straight after from Bucky Brooks:

@BuckyBrooks: Sometimes, I wish observers could put on pads and see how tough it is to hit a guy that outweighs you by 70+ pounds in a split-second

It seemed relevant.

 

[Archeryaddict12]

See post 5 in thread!

You have like 36" of his trunk to hit. So you stop a 5 yard gain but take a player out for a season. Have some common sense and integrity for your fellow co-workers. Players tackle to injure now, and its sickening.

 

[manxman2601]

I would firstly contend that Ward targeted the knee as he hit him in the thigh in the main and I would secondly wonder why no-one is as angry with the Patriot (Logan Ryan?) who actually did hit a player directly on the knee not long after.

 

[PatsFan2]

I love Gronk as a player too but this is not the First Time he's been injured and I fear it wont be the last. If you are a Beast you're going to get hit like a Beast.

 

[chasa]

1.) it was not an illegal hit, no flag was thrown, and no penalty is forthcoming.

2.) its not really a ridiculous excuse, this is what the players asked for.


was the hit? dirty? yes. illegal? nope.

 

[PATRlOT]

DaBruinz, do not take this the wrong way because I'm only commenting on the coincidence and pertinence but after reading your comments to Brady6 about never having practiced in another thread and then reading this thread I then went on to twitter and saw this straight after from Bucky Brooks:

@BuckyBrooks: Sometimes, I wish observers could put on pads and see how tough it is to hit a guy that outweighs you by 70+ pounds in a split-second




It seemed relevant.

That's dumb to say. These are professional athletes. Defenders can either get stronger or accept the fact the best they can do is slow him down and have another guy help. Big guys like Gronkowski shouldn't have their knees be taken out because his defender(s) are being out-muscled by him.

 

[DaBruinz]

And Mr Expert please tell us how was Ward suppose to tackle that mountain of a man???

Ok, Mr. Sarcastic. It's plain and simple. Hit him in the thighs 6 inches higher. Then no injury and Gronk still goes down. Or, wrap him up. That would slow him down just enough for Jackson to get in on the tackle.

Do everyone a favor and put me on your ignore list so no one has to listen to your ignorance in response to legitimate posts.

 

[manxman2601]

That's dumb to say. These are professional athletes. Defenders can either get stronger or accept the fact the best they can do is slow him down and have another guy help. Big guys like Gronkowski shouldn't have their knees be taken out because his defender(s) are being out-muscled by him.

You take out a big guy like Gronkowski by taking out his legs. It's the best way to tackle (watch some rugby where smaller guys take on bigger guys all the time). And Ward didn't target Gronk's knee unless it's located in his thigh.

Edit: Having just watched the gif, it's less clear what he was targeting because there was contact at the knee area. But it's impossible to say what part of the body Ward was targeting. But it's clear that going low was probably the best and maybe only way to stop a Gronk in full flight like that.

 

[Ring 6]

This is just ridiculous.

T.J. Ward says that he may have been fined if he hit Rob Gronkowski up high | masslive.com

Basically Ward admits to going at Gronk's knees because he was afraid of getting fined for tackling Gronk "high". Last I looked, Gronk is damn near 6'7 and he's got a pretty big torso.

Contrary to what others have said, it's plain as day that Ward went at Gronk's knees. There were 2 other players there. Had Ward hit Gronk at the waist and wrapped up, Gronk was getting taken down by the other two. Plain and simple.

This excuse that he had to go at another player's knees is BS and is going to cost someone their career..

The hit was legal. To suggest a defender has time to survey who else is there to make the tackle if he gets plowed over is silly.
Wards job was to make that tackle and he did what he consider the best attempt he had to make the tackle.
Football is a violent game, it isnt ballroom dancing.

 

[DaBruinz]

even if there were no rules against going high...Ward would have gone low, because he is a defensive back, and gronk is a huge TE....and Ward knows if he went high we would have been blown up

He doesn't have to "go high". In fact, he could have hit Gronk anywhere from Gronk's thighs to waist and Gronk would have been knocked off balance enough for Jackson and Skrine to finish him off.. A look at the replay shows that.

 

[Ring 6]

Ok, Mr. Sarcastic. It's plain and simple. Hit him in the thighs 6 inches higher. Then no injury and Gronk still goes down. Or, wrap him up. That would slow him down just enough for Jackson to get in on the tackle.

Do everyone a favor and put me on your ignore list so no one has to listen to your ignorance in response to legitimate posts.

You cannot have ever played football if you are saying it was an illegal hit because he should have aimed 6 inches higher.

 

[ausbacker]

And Mr Expert please tell us how was Ward suppose to tackle that mountain of a man???

Backs in Rugby League and Rugby Union tackle forwards who are considerably bigger than them all the time. The onus is on the NFL and its systems to teach tackling technique to the players. He's bigger than me really isn't an excuse.

Hell, Mike Ditka said just today that current "tackling" in the NFL is the worst he's ever seen.