So many aspects to this:.
- BUT...the league's inconsistency should not be a deterrent for doing a better job going forward. For example, literally every punishment levied post-Ray Rice looks absurd (and by extension, 'unfair') in comparison...but that doesn't mean that the league shouldn't legislate domestic violence cases harshly now. Suh may have only gotten one game for his actions, but maybe that was too lenient, and maybe the league is reaping what it sews on this issue for not brandishing a big enough stick on chronic, consistent offenders who repeatedly attempt to deliberately injure players.
If past punishments were too lenient, then there's a process that the league has to follow to fix that. The NFL should have to go into the next round of CBA negotiations demanding harsher standard punishments, and be ready to concede something in order to make that happen. I'm willing to bet that the NFLPA would accept harsher punishments in exchange for player discipline being taken out of the commissioner's unilateral hands.
But when the league just decides that was only made a penalty a few years ago is now worthy of a 3 game suspension, it'd better be prepared to fight that battle--and lose--in court. Because if Burfict is willing to take it that far, he will win.
Regarding Burfict, IMHO I think people looking at this particular play in isolation may be missing the point. For a player not named Vontaze Burfict, we might apply some benefit of the doubt. But suspensions do fact in a player's history...and every piece of prior history suggests that Burfict is a guy out there trying to injure other players. Consider that:
I agree that Burfict is a scumbag, he's one of my least favorite players in the NFL. Not quite on the level of Hardy and Suggs, since AFAIK he at least keeps his violence on the field, but he's pretty far down there. By all means I should've been rooting for the Bengals this past weekend, because I'd rather the Pats played them than the Chiefs, but I flipped to rooting for the Steelers just because I didn't want to see Burfict's BS rewarded.
Having said that, that still doesn't make
this the right occasion for a three game suspension. Suspend him for a game or two after he he tries to rip Cam Newton and Greg Olsen's ankles off with after-the-play gator rolls in the
same game. If he'd been given a 6 game suspension for that, I wouldn't have had any problem with it at all, because that **** shouldn't be tolerated.
But going shoulder-first into the helmet of a receiver who's lowered his head going over the middle? I'm sorry, but I just can't get on board with that. If that's worthy of a 3 game suspension now, then we might as well just start playing flag football. I don't love that any leading-with-the-shoulder hit can be a 15 yard penalty now, especially since the league only did that to appear tough on head trauma. But I can live with that rule. The 3 game suspension precedent, though, has officially made it impossible to defend receivers over the middle. It simply can't be done, if that's the precedent for a receiver lowering his helmet into your shoulder.
That all said, put yourself in our shoes: as Steelers' fans we've seen a LOT of Burfict over the years, and we have a pretty good idea of what he's about. Just this year, he's taken out Bell on a very dangerous (if legal by the rules) tackle, and subsequently took a below-the-knees, after-the-throw shot on our franchise QB. The fines he's received have done nothing to curb his behavior (and in fact, as stated before he almost appears to be escalating at this point). So we all went into the playoff game wondering -- "is this guy going to take one of our guys out?"....And then he did.
I'm with you there. I can't stand the guy, and he hasn't even really targeted anyone on my team. If he'd successfully taken out both my QB and RB on probably dirty plays, and WR on a play that I don't think was dirty but admittedly might if it happened to my own guy, I can see how you'd hate him 10x more than even I do. But FWIW, I totally agree that Burfict's a scumbag. I really really don't want to defend him, but the punishment was so over the top that now I kinda feel the need to.