OT: Jets coach on sidelines trips opposing player

[Synovia]

I am saying what Alosi did was cheating. Standing in a line on the sidelines is not. It is impossible to prove in most cases that a coach is not doing everything in his power to avoid touching or impeding the path of the player unless they do something as incredibly stupid as Alosi did.

Belichick did something a few years back where he blocked Marvin Harrison from getting back on the field. He made it look like he was trying to get out his way, but it also seemed he was trying to impede his ability to get back on the field.

There's a difference between a coach not getting out of the way quick enough on a wayward reciever, and setting up a line of coaches to block a gunner.


Standing on the sidelines is not, standing on the sidelines foot to foot with the intention of restricting a player's movement most certainly is.

 

[Rob0729]

There's a difference between a coach not getting out of the way quick enough on a wayward reciever, and setting up a line of coaches to block a gunner.


Standing on the sidelines is not, standing on the sidelines foot to foot with the intention of restricting a player's movement most certainly is.

I still don't see the problem. It is gamesmanship. If a player does run towards and is going to hit them as he comes towards them, then they should get out of the way if they are looking towards them. Standing in a line and restricting a gunner from taking full use of the sidelines is not cheating. Other than Alosi, none of them were ever in the path of the player.

If Norton ran right at this group and they didn't move eventhough they saw him and he ran into all of them, then they were cheating. There is nothing in the rulebook that says you cannot stand shoulder to shoulder right at the edge of the out of bounds line.

I hate the Jets* as much as anyone, but I am not going to blast them for something that if Belichick did would be praised.


*Caught Cheating

 

[alamo]

The Patriots practice as much or more gamesmanship and taking the rules into the gray area that I am amazed anyone is seriously attacking the Jets for lining up their coaches like that. Yes, it may "feel" wrong but as far as anyone can say it is completely legal as long as they stay behind the line. Obviously the trip was completely wrong and should be condemned but the practice of lining them up is legal.

Besides, if it becomes a big enough issue for their opponents there is an easy way to solve it. When the Jets player blocks the gunner towards the sideline, the gunner just needs to go "oops I lost my balance" and slam into the wall of coaches at close to full speed. That will make them think twice.

 

[NEPats1]

"They had to be ordered to stand there because they're foot to foot," Thomas said Tuesday on Miami radio station WQAM. "There's four of them, side to side -- five of them, I mean -- on the edge of the coach's zone. They're only out there to restrict the space of the gunner.

"But there's more to it because I'm telling you, the only thing [Alosi] did wrong was intentionally put that knee out there. If he just stood there, there would never have been a problem, even if the guy got tripped. But there's more to this. He was ordered to stand there. No one is foot to foot on the sideline in the coach's box."

A close examination of the TV replay shows that Dixon was leaning in with his left shoulder, perhaps preparing for contact as well.

"Something is fishy," said an opposing personnel executive, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

Ex-Miami Dolphins linebacker Zach Thomas: New York Jets put up wall on trip play - ESPN New York

 

[GoWhalers]

Here's an interesting one -- what if the Dolphins coaches told their gunner to "flop" on the sidelines to as to draw attention to the Jets coaches? The slow-mo replays of the collision seem really minor, intentional trip or not.

A little tit-for-tat:

1. The Dolphins gunners start liberally using the sidelines to escape their blockers

2. The Jets counter with a coaching phalanx

3. The Dolphins counter by intentionally running into the phalanx to draw camera coverage

ha ha -- I almost like the meta-game more than the actual game

 

[shmessy]

The Patriots practice as much or more gamesmanship and taking the rules into the gray area that I am amazed anyone is seriously attacking the Jets for lining up their coaches like that. Yes, it may "feel" wrong but as far as anyone can say it is completely legal as long as they stay behind the line. Obviously the trip was completely wrong and should be condemned but the practice of lining them up is legal.

Besides, if it becomes a big enough issue for their opponents there is an easy way to solve it. When the Jets player blocks the gunner towards the sideline, the gunner just needs to go "oops I lost my balance" and slam into the wall of coaches at close to full speed. That will make them think twice.

Alamo, your (blinking every ten seconds Brady) avatar just freaked me out. Damn!

 

[Dr Pain]

Six men lined up with rex right behind leading the whole thing. Rex never watches the ball but instead watches the whole action. He goes up to the player down to gloat I suspect. This was a 100% Rex set up

 

[Haley]

I still don't see the problem. It is gamesmanship. If a player does run towards and is going to hit them as he comes towards them, then they should get out of the way if they are looking towards them. Standing in a line and restricting a gunner from taking full use of the sidelines is not cheating. Other than Alosi, none of them were ever in the path of the player.

If Norton ran right at this group and they didn't move eventhough they saw him and he ran into all of them, then they were cheating. There is nothing in the rulebook that says you cannot stand shoulder to shoulder right at the edge of the out of bounds line.

I have a question for you:

Why doesn't Rex simply admit that there was a phalanx there stationed to guard the sideline at his request? I would put to you that this needs to be investigated and punished for that very same reason.

 

[Dr Pain]

I have a question for you:

Why doesn't Rex simply admit that there was a phalanx there stationed to guard the sideline at his request? I would put to you that this needs to be investigated and punished for that very same reason.

he should have as this would be over. The fact there is a cover up is very troubling. The guy next to the knee man dropped his shoulder and was ready to hit him as well. This was a 100% set up that affected the game in progress. Far worse than the patriots taping from an unallowed position in spygate. This affected the game in progress.

 

[buile]

Obviously the trip was completely wrong and should be condemned but the practice of lining them up is legal.

Interference by sideline personnel is covered in the rules (thanks to whoever posted the rule) as a flaggable offense for unsportsmanlike conduct.
The refs missed it, so in effect, this is just another missed penalty. Refs need to be more aware next time. The refs also need to call penalties on players who don't make an effort to get back inbounds.

 

[Haley]

he should have as this would be over. The fact there is a cover up is very troubling. The guy next to the knee man dropped his shoulder and was ready to hit him as well. This was a 100% set up that affected the game in progress. Far worse than the patriots taping from an unallowed position in spygate. This affected the game in progress.

I understand players occasionally getting a little overly-competitive in the heat of the moment resulting in some unsportsmanlike conduct. But I'd like to think they are not being coached in this direction. Premeditated cheating on the part of the coaching staff with the intent to cause harm does warrant punishment. It is a serious threat to the players and the game as a whole.

If you look at this from a business standpoint, these players are assets. The NFL makes money off all the players in the league. If you allow this type of conduct, you are setting a precedent. You are allowing teams within your company to organize with malicious intent against the assets of your own company. If that player had been seriously hurt, I really think Rex Ryan would be out of a job despite the jet's coveted place on the nfl's love list.

 

[TrueBeliever]

Heard this on "Bob & Tom" this morning:

The Jets' assistant coach who tripped a player has been suspended and is not allowed anywhere near the team. To ensure he is nowhere near the team, he will be confined to the Jets' end zone.

 

[Garbanza]

C'mon people. I know it's the Jets and all.....but lets not act so high and mighty here. Was tripping the guy bad? Yes. But don't act like other teams don't employ some "wall" like strategy to impede runners that have gone out of bounds on a specials teams play....and don't for one second think that some of those folks that go out of bounds don't do so on purpose. Kind of cool running down the sideline unencumbered, no? There's gamesmanship on both sides, folks.

 

[hambone1818]

C'mon people. I know it's the Jets and all.....but lets not act so high and mighty here. Was tripping the guy bad? Yes. But don't act like other teams don't employ some "wall" like strategy to impede runners that have gone out of bounds on a specials teams play....and don't for one second think that some of those folks that go out of bounds don't do so on purpose. Kind of cool running down the sideline unencumbered, no? There's gamesmanship on both sides, folks.

There are two issues at player here: first, unless I've read it wrong then practice squad players are not allowed in the area designated for coaches and substitute players, which is where the 'wall' was formed. So the 'gamesmanship' isn't just the formation of a wall, it includes having people on the sidelines who aren't where they're supposed to be. And second, acting high and mighty is exactly what the rest of the NFL and their fans did when the Pats were caught taping in an undesignated area. This is a rules infraction, same as that one. In the Patriots case they were fined $1 million, lost a first round draft pick, had to endure a league investigation and a Senate investigation, and had their name and their legacy dragged through the mud--and it continues to this day as we've seen with recent Easterbrook and King columns--for legally taping but doing it in an illegal area. Meanwhile the Jets...well, they suspended the coach who happened to injure a player during this little stunt but nothing's gonna happen to their team.

If I get my arm chopped off for stealing an apple then I see someone else only get a slap on the wrist for stealing an orange, I'd be mighty pissed.

 

[Synovia]

I still don't see the problem. It is gamesmanship. If a player does run towards and is going to hit them as he comes towards them, then they should get out of the way if they are looking towards them. Standing in a line and restricting a gunner from taking full use of the sidelines is not cheating. Other than Alosi, none of them were ever in the path of the player.

The rule specifically says you can't influence a player active in a play. How is blocking a player's movement not influencing him?

Rob, you can argue all you want, but the rules specifically say that sideline personell can not influence players in any way. This is a direct violation of that rule.

 

[TrueBeliever]

This is a direct violation of that rule.

Likewise, the whole "SpyGate" thing was so overhyped because it really was a minor violation. The rules say you can observe and take notes on the opposing team's signals all you want, you just can't use a video camera to do it. But the reaction was like Belichick was hacking into the other teams' computers and stealing their entire playbook.

It's like this: say you are on a business trip and you run into an old friend, take him out to lunch and put it on the company tab. Then later, they find out and suddenly you're treated like you're Bernie Madoff. A little out of balance, no?

 

[groganbootleg]

Passing the buck

AdamSchefter
Jets announced they have suspended Sal Alosi indefinitely because they discovered he instructed players to form a wall on sidelines.


So, no one from the Jets is going to take responsibility and they are going to suspend him "indefinitely"? How is that different from being fired?

 

[Metaphors]

Passing the buck

AdamSchefter
Jets announced they have suspended Sal Alosi indefinitely because they discovered he instructed players to form a wall on sidelines.


So, no one from the Jets is going to take responsibility and they are going to suspend him "indefinitely"? How is that different from being fired?

So let me get this straight...

1) A strength coach knew enough about the Fins coverage team to know that the gunner was going out of bounds.

2) He took it upon himself, telling nobody, to gather up inactive players to stop this.

3) The practice players took orders from the strength coach to interfere with game action and none of them thought to tell anyone or question whether or not it was a good idea

4) Rex saw 6 people with no gameday responsibilities form a picket fence within a few feet of him, obstructing his view of the field, and he didn't notice or question WTF they were doing there

Really? That is what they are going with?

 

[TrueBeliever]

Yep, I'd say this guy is getting thrown under the bus.

 

[Bella*chick]

Oh, please. If Ryan wants everyone to believe this, we can all conclude he doesn't have a damn clue what goes on with the team he is allegedly coaching. Doesn't speak well of Rex either.

And no, I absolutely do not believe him.