Gronk gets 1 game

[raduray]

Forget the specifics of the hit for a moment; look at the public reaction. Twitter went crazy - not just for that hit but for the whole game. This weekend has become a mini-referendum on the state of the NFL. That kind of public outcry matters to the league office.

After that game last night, no way the league lifts Gronk's suspension.

 

[PatsDeb]

I am not saying Belichick should impose a team penalty on Gronk if he ends up winning the appeal...I’m just saying I think it would be interesting to see what if anything Belichick does in such a scenario. It’s totally up to Belichick, but I could see him sitting Gronk for a series or two against Miami if the league reduces it to a fine.

I don't think he'll do this. He'll say the league has imposed its punishment (whatever that may be) and we're on to Miami.

 

[Ring 6]

I think it was considered illegal because it was helmet to helmet. The taunting was just stupid.

Burfict isn’t defensekess. Hit was legal.

 

[SHOWTIME15]

I don't think he'll do this. He'll say the league has imposed its punishment (whatever that may be) and we're on to Miami.

You’re probably right

 

[Simpelton]

My post copied over from the "Antonio Brown" thread:

Prohibiting this exact type of act is a "point of emphasis" for the NFL in 2017: 2017 Rules Changes and Points of Emphasis | NFL Football Operations

One category of defenseless player:
A player who receives a “blindside” block when the path of the offensive blocker is toward or parallel to his own end line.

Prohibited acts on a defenseless player:
1. forcibly hitting the defenseless player’s head or neck area with the helmet, facemask, forearm, or shoulder, even if the initial contact is lower than the player’s neck, and regardless of whether the defensive player also uses his arms to tackle the defenseless player by encircling or grasping him
...
3. illegally launching into a defenseless opponent. It is an illegal launch if a player (i) leaves both feet prior to contact to spring forward and upward into his opponent, and (ii) uses any part of his helmet to initiate forcible contact against any part of his opponent’s body. (This does not apply to contact against a runner, unless the runner is still considered to be a defenseless player, as defined in Article 7.)
Click to expand...


So what Ju Ju did was textbook unnecessary roughness.

@Tony2046 ; @robertweathers (wanted you two to see the post since you're discussing)

With that explanation I agree, it should have been a flaggable penalty -- but no more. This was not a case of head hunting. It was a hard check on a player whose eyes were elsewhere, the helmet contact was clearly not deliberate.

This is different from the Gronk situation because Gronk's hit was completely unnecessary. The block on Burfict would have been legal had it been executed better. There was a football intention behind the play, to make a clean, hard, otherwise-legal block on a linebacker to make space for the ball carrier.

No form of execution would have made what Gronkowski did legal. It was not a football play at all. He just basically snapped and attacked the guy.

 

[SHOWTIME15]

Apparently Zolak was thrilled with Gronk’s hit

Scott Zolak cheered on Rob Gronkowski after cheap shot to Tre’Davious White

 

[Ross12]

Personally, I hope Gronk does sit a game so he can get his head straight. It’s really sad that things have gotten so bad with him, getting unfairly called for OPI constantly while also being held and interfered with all the time and rarely being called, that it just took one bad instance of the latter to cause him to snap.

I hope that this can generate a larger discussion internally with the team regarding why this happens and what he and the team can do to have things called more fairly and keep his sanity in check a little better over it all, but I am sadly pessimistic about that... I don’t really think there’s anything they can do, and it makes me sad that it will eventually cause Gronk to no longer enjoy playing the game.

 

[Tony2046]

Burfict isn’t defensekess. Hit was legal.

I think what made it illegal was the helmet contact to the chin/helmet.

 

[ForThoseAboutToRock]

With that explanation I agree, it should have been a flaggable penalty -- but no more. This was not a case of head hunting. It was a hard check on a player whose eyes were elsewhere, the helmet contact was clearly not deliberate.

This is different from the Gronk situation because Gronk's hit was completely unnecessary. The block on Burfict would have been legal had it been executed better. There was a football intention behind the play, to make a clean, hard, otherwise-legal block on a linebacker to make space for the ball carrier.

No form of execution would have made what Gronkowski did legal. It was not a football play at all. He just basically snapped and attacked the guy.

My post had nothing to do with Gronkowski. My post was directed at someone who said he did not understand what rule Schuster had broken in hitting Burfict.

Your addition of intent "deliberate" is irrelevant to how the play should be officiated. Intent is not an element of unnecessary roughness against a defenseless player for the refs to consider.

 

[PatsDeb]

Personally, I hope Gronk does sit a game so he can get his head straight. It’s really sad that things have gotten so bad with him, getting unfairly called for OPI constantly while also being held and interfered with all the time and rarely being called, that it just took one bad instance of the latter to cause him to snap.

I hope that this can generate a larger discussion internally with the team regarding why this happens and what he and the team can do to have things called more fairly and keep his sanity in check a little better over it all, but I am sadly pessimistic about that... I don’t really think there’s anything they can do, and it makes me sad that it will eventually cause Gronk to no longer enjoy playing the game.

I think his head is pretty straight. He immediately apologized after the game and will either be much lighter in his wallet and/or sitting a game already. I also think he'll be out there with his enthusiastic play and big spike as soon as he can. He's never lost it before and I think we can trust him to have learned his lesson. The Pats can't do much about the league other than continue to send in the tapes and keep winning. Gronk will be fine and his enthusiasm for life won't be dimmed by this incident.

 

[Simpelton]

My post had nothing to do with Gronkowski. My post was directed at someone who said he did not understand what rule Schuster had broken in hitting Burfict.

Your addition of intent "deliberate" is irrelevant to how the play should be officiated. Intent is not an element of unnecessary roughness against a defenseless player for the refs to consider.

Not to how the play should be officiated on the field no, I agree with the violation of the rules. But it should have a very large impact on how it's handled by league discipline, and that's why I wanted to draw the distinction. Someone who is trying to make a football play and puts a toe out of line is one thing. What Gronk did is something else entirely. It's two completely different kind of infractions in my mind and the latter should be taken FAR more seriously by the league office even if they have the same outcome.

 

[ForThoseAboutToRock]

Burfict isn’t defensekess. Hit was legal.

Defenseless Player | NFL Football Operations

9. A player who receives a “blindside” block when the path of the offensive blocker is toward or parallel to his own end line.

Here, Schuster's path is parallel to his own end line.

Burfict fits the definition of defenseless player. There is a list of things you cannot do to a defenseless player, one of which is to hit that player in the head / neck area with a shoulder.

 

[ForThoseAboutToRock]

Not to how the play should be officiated on the field no, I agree with the violation of the rules. But it should have a very large impact on how it's handled by league discipline, and that's why I wanted to draw the distinction. Someone who is trying to make a football play and puts a toe out of line is one thing. What Gronk did is something else entirely. It's two completely different kind of infractions in my mind and the latter should be taken FAR more seriously by the league office even if they have the same outcome.

The latter being Gronk's play?

 

[Joker]

Personally, I hope Gronk does sit a game so he can get his head straight. It’s really sad that things have gotten so bad with him, getting unfairly called for OPI constantly while also being held and interfered with all the time and rarely being called, that it just took one bad instance of the latter to cause him to snap.

I hope that this can generate a larger discussion internally with the team regarding why this happens and what he and the team can do to have things called more fairly and keep his sanity in check a little better over it all, but I am sadly pessimistic about that... I don’t really think there’s anything they can do, and it makes me sad that it will eventually cause Gronk to no longer enjoy playing the game.

Please...stop with the academic dissertation. This is FOOTBALL. It's an emotional, violent sport. Players get heated, they make mistakes.You make it sound like Gronkowski is the first NFL player in its history to have his sanity mandated.

 

[A Defiant Goose]

I'm not happy but I'm not mad. Kinda expected and I'm really not too bent out of shape about it TBH. Hopefully this is Dwayne Allen's chance to show us what he's got

 

[Triumph]

Speared? What game were you watching?

Jumped on him and elbowed in the head.

 

[Triumph]

Andy Reid is ambiguous whether to discipline Marcus Peters.

The Chiefs are a clown shoes organization and Gronk is not Kelce.

 

[Ring 6]

I think what made it illegal was the helmet contact to the chin/helmet.

That is only for a defenseless player not a wr blocking a LB

 

[ForThoseAboutToRock]

That is only for a defenseless player not a wr blocking a LB

LB's can be defenseless players, per my previous response to you.

It's a point of emphasis for the NFL in 2017 to limit blindside blocks.

2017 Rules Changes and Points of Emphasis | NFL Football Operations

 

[Ring 6]

Defenseless Player | NFL Football Operations

9. A player who receives a “blindside” block when the path of the offensive blocker is toward or parallel to his own end line.

Here, Schuster's path is parallel to his own end line.

Burfict fits the definition of defenseless player. There is a list of things you cannot do to a defenseless player, one of which is to hit that player in the head / neck area with a shoulder.

It wasn t a blindside hit.
If he are going to call blocking a lb head on a couple of yards from the ballcarrier an illegal hit just because he decleated him we might as well make this flag football.
Burfict has a responsibility to defend himself
This is football. Juju is supposed to knock him on his ass.
Were you calling for Floyd to be suspended last year?