Meriweather

[sebman2112]

Some of you think Meriweather's dirty, and hope he gets shipped out this offseason, because none of the good ole' Patriots from past SB winning teams ever went in helmet first... "He's a Stomper I tell ya!"

Not surprisingly, this message board just like the stadium the Patriots play in, has become pathetically overrun with the wine and cheese crowd, who are seemingly always looking for the next guy to run out of town for not meeting their high moral standards. Get over yourselves, humps.

I was a huge Rodney Harrison fan from the early part of his career on up, and I get the feeling he's just towing the company line on this one. Even toward the end of his career he was still flying into receivers forearm first, delivering shots to the side of their helmets. He would also throw those bows after piling on an already down receiver, real clean. Ray Lewis likes to throw forearms, and clothesline players, but because he's not "Stomper" Meriweather, as some hump like's to call him, it's glossed over, and he rarely gets penalized for it. That's not to say I'm all for playing dirty, but let's get real here, stuff like this happens all the time, and the most experienced players are among the guilty parties.

 

[captain stone]

Disclaimer: Sorry if this idea has been mention previously. I don't have time to read all 18 pages of this tread.

Based on the rules, the only hit that merited a flag was Merriweather's -, and it would be worthy of a suspension if the commish follows through on this.

However as Mo pointed out while Harrison's hits were legal, I think Harrison's hits or hits like them need to be mitigated, and that could only happen if the change the rules....and I have one to offer.

Its a simple one too. Just make it illegal to hit with the top of your helmet. It would not only make the game safer, it would improve the horrible tackling we get in the league now, where the main method seems to be to put your head down and throw your body at someone's legs and hope for the best.

Think about it. When I was coaching football we taught players to tackle by putting their FACEMASKS into the chest of the ball carrier, wrap, lift extend and run through the man. That not only put them in the best position to carry out their task, but to put their body in the safest position to absorb the contact. And by running through the man you eliminate the "launch aspect with is both dangerous for the receiver and well as the tackler

99% of the spinal injuries come when the player initiates contact with the top of the head. Just look at the kid who was tragically hurt at Rutgers this week end. He hit the runner with the top of his head. Bad for the runner, bad for the tackler.

That rule would also make Harrison's hits illegal/ One the other hand Robinson's hit was perfectly legal IMHO, because not only was contact initiated in his chest, but he hit him with his face mask first. It was a great hit.

As far as Merriweather goes, I want him to be punished for his hit on Heap. It was both dangerous and unneccessary. HOWEVER his other hit on Heap on his touchdown catch, I think was clean because he hit him with his forarms. I DO NOT want to see ANY hits to the head be illegal. Just those made by the top of the helmet

If they do that, not only would the game be safer, you wouldn't have to ****ify it.

I like your thinking here. But it makes too much sense, so the Omissioner (& the NYJ's biggest fan) will never approve of it.

 

[billdog3484]

i vote that he's a knucklehead, but keep him. hes got talent. just seem to have brain cramps often

 

[sbpatfan]

I feel like half the aggression towards Merriweather is pent up from his troubles seeing the field earlier in the year. I think he played all of the Miami game until he was injured, and most of last game besides the 3 or so snaps he sat out (to lazy to look the real number up - but it was minimal.) And even though he might have been forced back in due to Page's injury - he played well for the rest of the game and was part of the defense that shut down the Ravens. He's a first time offender, right? This is the only the memorable cheap shot I remember from him. And yet people her praise Rodney Harrison who did and said things ten times worse in his career.

It's not fair to compare a guy like Meriweather to Rodney, or expect someone like Meriweather / Chung to take his place. I don't think Wilfork is the type of guy who talks out of his ass, so I believe him when he says the team was sparked by the hit. I don't think they wanted to see someone injured, but were inspired by it. I'm sure those of you that have played a contact sport can relate, I know my teams always got a burst from big hits.

The fact of the matter is this team needs Meriweather, and even if the rule is blowcrap like the Calvin Johnson no TD, the players have to follow 'em. Hopefully he still hits like a truck out there, but with proper technique next time.

 

[The Brandon Five]

I thought he was also fined 50k for that hit.

I missed that he was fined $7.5 K for the hit on Welker.

He was fined $50 K last year and suspended a game for almost killing Anquan Boldin.

YouTube - Anquan Boldin Knocked Out By Eric Smith - Cardinals vs Jets