NFL Season 2010

[GTHobbes]

The Jets and the Colts are both miles ahead of any Nfc team.

So are the Steelers. They might be the best team in the NFL -- at least for this week.

Outside of the Titans and Baltimore. Who has Pittsburgh really played? They get their QB back but they were lucky not facing stronger teams while he was out.

Tampa Bay and certainly Atlanta are 2 other teams Pittsburgh has beat that are having decent seasons. I just read that, through 5 games, Pittsburgh hasn't even allowed any RB to rush for more than 42 yards. That's Super Bowl-caliber, classic Pittsburgh Steelers football.

[lexbur]

So is Harrison really going to retire? If so there's a car wash near me with a "help wanted" sign out front, I could get more info. But my guess is he'll somehow find it within himself to play by the rules, the drama queen.

[GTHobbes]

So is Harrison really going to retire? If so there's a car wash near me with a "help wanted" sign out front, I could get more info. But my guess is he'll somehow find it within himself to play by the rules, the drama queen.

I don't really blame the dude for feeling that way. My guess is that guys like Lambert, Butkus, etc., would be saying the same thing if they still played today, and got hit with a $75k fine for a play that didn't even draw a flag. Ridiculous.

[vader29]

Schlereth gets it.
http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=5706315

Instead of the NFL wearing pink for one month a season they will soon be wearing it year round.

[XXXIV]

Schlereth gets it.
http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=5706315

Instead of the NFL wearing pink for one month a season they will soon be wearing it year round.

Fine line between protecting the players and changing the game. I have to agree with Schlereth in this instance.

EDIT: I looked at that hit again. Its against the rules.

On the other hand I wish the NHL was this agressive and would take this type of action against the DIRTY hits that happen every night.

[Brando70]

I agree that I didn't think Harrison's hit was bad. That's a bang-bang play, he's trying to make a tackle and it looks like he just happened to hit Cribbs in the helmet.

However, Stink is full of it in that clip when he says NFL players don't try to hurt each other. Not that they do it all the time but it happens a lot. They don't necessarily want to permanently injure a guy but they certainly will try to knock a player out of a game.

[XXXIV]

I agree that I didn't think Harrison's hit was bad. That's a bang-bang play, he's trying to make a tackle and it looks like he just happened to hit Cribbs in the helmet.

However, Stink is full of it in that clip when he says NFL players don't try to hurt each other. Not that they do it all the time but it happens a lot. They don't necessarily want to permanently injure a guy but they certainly will try to knock a player out of a game.

I got the two Harrison hits confused. The one on Cribbs was the one I was originally thinking of. That ones clean its the other one thats bad.

Players do bad things every week. Those should be fined. They already have the rules. They dont need more of them.

[ScoopBrady]

I agree that the James Harrison hit was clean. I agree that Harrison should not have been fined. I agree that Harrison is being a drama queen.

I see Schlereth's point but I disagree with him that the Duntae Robinson hit was clean. The dude clearly led with the crown of his helmet and while the initial view shows shoulder contact the reverse view clearly shows the crown of the helmet nailing Jackson.

I also agree with Alex that the NHL should have a similar reaction. The fine to Harrison might be seen as an overreaction but I'm not so sure. I like to see the NFL actually trying to nip this in the bud before it gets out of control. I understand it's an impact sport but guys are getting seriously hurt with clean hits, I can only imagine what could happen now from dirty hits. We are in a time when the players are wearing equipment specially designed to help reduce the possibility of a concussion yet at the same time I have never seen as many concussions in this game as I see now.

I didn't like seeing Aaron Rodgers back on the field a week after suffering a concussion. Sure, he was cleared to play, but something tells me if it was a backup linebacker that had the concussion they would have been held out a week. I'm just glad Rodgers didn't get hurt again because I've seen what can happen when a player is rushed back into playing after concussions. Eric Lindros rushing back in the Easter Conference Finals against the Devils pretty much ended his career of being relevant. I'm sure he was cleared too.

I love the sport and I appreciate that the athletes are willing to lay their health and well-being on the line for my entertainment. It sucks that one of those players was fined for doing nothing wrong but if it helps prevent a league in which players are being turned into vegetables than I'm all for it.

[Brando70]

I agree, too, that Robinson's hit was not clean at all. He clearly led with his head and wound up to make the hit. I don't want to wussify the game but those kind of hits need to be penalized.

The irony in this is, while these big hits are horrific, linemen are actually the ones probably at greatest risk for long-term head trauma because of the constant helmet contact they have throughout the game.

[AJColossal]

It sucks that one of those players was fined for doing nothing wrong but if it helps prevent a league in which players are being turned into vegetables than I'm all for it.

I'm all for protecting the health of players, but we are talking about football. You have the biggest, fastest, strongest athletes in the world repeatedly colliding into each other for hours each game.

As long as they're playing football as we all know it, they will all pay a price for it down the line.

[vinny-b]

I love the sport and I appreciate that the athletes are willing to lay their health and well-being on the line for my entertainment. It sucks that one of those players was fined for doing nothing wrong but if it helps prevent a league in which players are being turned into vegetables than I'm all for it.

word. I like the fact Goodell is taking action.

then again, to me the beauty/highlight of the sport has always been finger-tip catches, finesse runs, beautiful throws, etc. Never been one to get off on someone getting laid out. In the early 1980's, like in today's sport, players did get hit hard. But i remember the emphasis being on the finesse of the sport.

ever notice the same fans/players who want to see hard hits and get off on it, are the very same ones who mourn an injured player who doesn't get up!? Personally i find this twisted and hypocritical.

know what? NFL players are FASTER, STRONGER, BIGGER then players in the day of Dick Nightrain Lane. The previous statement is tired, yet true. Modern players are physical specimens. For anyone who may not believe an existing rule should be changed, do the Physics.

[JRod]

know what? NFL players are FASTER, STRONGER, BIGGER then players in the day of Dick Nightrain Lane. The previous statement is tired, yet true. Modern players are physical specimens. For anyone who may not believe an existing rule should be changed, do the Physics.

This argument creates a false comparison in my opinion. Of course they are bigger strong and faster but the technology behind their improvements, health and equipment is better too. The horse collar tackles seen in early NFL Films is not as bad?

You can't compare eras because that's like saying guys is the 50's are no where near as good as the guys now. With the same technology, equipment, money and effort, they would have exactly the same type of quality as they do now. And if you took away all they stuff and transported them to the 1970s, Ray Lewis might be slower but he is still going to be one of the best defenders in any era.

I hate era comparisons.

I would be more interested in seeing if guys led with their head in the same way in the 60 to mid-80s as compared with now. I don't know that.

The only way to stop vicious tackles is to flag anything where the defender leads with his head. Even if he hits the mid-section. Once you penalize this type of tackling then it will stop and defenses will adapt to leading with the shoulder and arm tackling. It's typical NFL bullshit and a half-asses solution. What they are basically saying, we want big tackles but we don't want big tackles that lead to injuries. You can't have it both ways.

[Rodster]

[JRod]

Exactly.

[ScoopBrady]

The only way to stop vicious tackles is to flag anything where the defender leads with his head. Even if he hits the mid-section. Once you penalize this type of tackling then it will stop and defenses will adapt to leading with the shoulder and arm tackling. It's typical NFL bullshit and a half-asses solution. What they are basically saying, we want big tackles but we don't want big tackles that lead to injuries. You can't have it both ways.

A defender leading with his head has been against the rules for quite some time now. Penalties have been called in the past but referees seem a little lax in calling them now. This is nothing new that the NFL is trying to discourage. When the referees were calling it you didn't see it much, now that they have been a little lax with it players are going to it more and more. I would sure as hell hope that the NFL also has the referees start to tighten up on this as well. It's obviously impossible to completely eliminate head to head contact in this sport but it will happen much less frequently when players are not leading with their helmets, just like they didn't when the rule was being enforced more regularly. Why are a lot of people up in arms about this thinking that the NFL is trying to pussify their sport? All one has to do is look at what's going on with the NHL right now to see that you can't let things get out of hand.

[JRod]

The only way to stop vicious tackles is to flag anything where the defender leads with his head. Even if he hits the mid-section. Once you penalize this type of tackling then it will stop and defenses will adapt to leading with the shoulder and arm tackling. It's typical NFL bullshit and a half-asses solution. What they are basically saying, we want big tackles but we don't want big tackles that lead to injuries. You can't have it both ways.

A defender leading with his head has been against the rules for quite some time now. Penalties have been called in the past but referees seem a little lax in calling them now. This is nothing new that the NFL is trying to discourage. When the referees were calling it you didn't see it much, now that they have been a little lax with it players are going to it more and more. I would sure as hell hope that the NFL also has the referees start to tighten up on this as well. It's obviously impossible to completely eliminate head to head contact in this sport but it will happen much less frequently when players are not leading with their helmets, just like they didn't when the rule was being enforced more regularly. Why are a lot of people up in arms about this thinking that the NFL is trying to pussify their sport? All one has to do is look at what's going on with the NHL right now to see that you can't let things get out of hand.

Pussify that a word?

There's no difference between not calling it and not having it. A distinction without a difference. Since it's on the books, they just need to throw yellow each and every time. And while people will complain it will eliminate it and defenders will adapt. But I think the NFL wants it both ways. It's like roids for football, they like the publicity a big hit can get but not when injuries occur. Well you can't have it both ways. I have no problem with big hits going away. I have more of a problem with the NFL trying to have it both ways.

[greggsand]

The NFL is only doing this to protect themselves if some gets seriously hurt from hit. They can throw their hands up & say "hey, we tried". The game itself is unlikely to really change from their actions this week (IMO).

[wco81]

It's good that they didn't wait until one of the stars got paralyzed (which has happened) or lose significant playing time due to concussions.

There are head hunters, as Meriwhether demonstrated. He didn't play the ball, he aimed at Heap's head. Harrison is also a questionable character. Saw him get on top of a player on the ground during a interception or fumble return and he punched him. It was either a RB or WR, a smaller guy. A "violent" sport is going to attract some individuals with "violent" inclinations.

Rodney Harrison, former dirty player, said fines didn't deter him. Meriwhether's fine is bigger than a game check. Harrison's fine is reportedly a fraction of his game check. We'll see if they care about suspensions.

[Brando70]

What they ought to do is go to a points-style system like technicals. A hit gets 1-3 points depending on the severity, with a clear leading with the helmet into another player's head getting 3 points. At 3, you get suspended for a game. At 6, four games, at 9, 8 games, etc. The league would have to explain and provide evidence of its ruling, and I think you could allow for the appeal. That would remove some of the arbitrary nature of these fines.

[wco81]

Harrison is supposedly considering retiring because he's upset that he's been portrayed as a dirty player.

Well if he has a lot of money left on his contract to earn, he'll probably swallow his pride.

[GTHobbes]

Harrison is supposedly considering retiring because he's upset that he's been portrayed as a dirty player.

Well if he has a lot of money left on his contract to earn, he'll probably swallow his pride.

According to the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, he showed up at practice today so it looks like that story is over. I'm a die-hard Steelers fan, and I certainly would've hated to see him go on the one hand, but on the other hand I absolutely would've respected him if he did. I like it when people take a stand for something they believe.

[Brando70]

He was never going to retire over this. I'm sure he looked at the numbers and realized that walking away from a multi-million-dollar contract over a $75,000 fine would not be financially prudent. Can't believe how seriously the sports media treated that "threat."

[wco81]

According to the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, he showed up at practice today so it looks like that story is over. I'm a die-hard Steelers fan, and I certainly would've hated to see him go on the one hand, but on the other hand I absolutely would've respected him if he did. I like it when people take a stand for something they believe.

Someone posted at OS that he once beat up his girlfriend?

If that's true, you wonder what he believes in.

[GTHobbes]

According to the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, he showed up at practice today so it looks like that story is over. I'm a die-hard Steelers fan, and I certainly would've hated to see him go on the one hand, but on the other hand I absolutely would've respected him if he did. I like it when people take a stand for something they believe.

Someone posted at OS that he once beat up his girlfriend?

If that's true, you wonder what he believes in.

Those charges were dropped back in 2008.


http://www.sportinglife.com/nfl/news...Harrison.html#

"An assault charge against Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison has been dropped, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported on Thursday.

Harrison was charged on March 8 with simple assault and criminal mischief following a domestic dispute with his girlfriend in Ohio Township.

According to the Post-Gazette, Harrison's girlfriend did not want the case prosecuted.

The charge was withdrawn after Harrison's attorney, Robert Del Greco, told District Judge Tara Smith that his client had completed anger management counseling.

According to the initial police report, Harrison and his girlfriend were arguing at her home around 1pm when she locked herself in her room.

Harrison broke down the door and while his girlfriend was trying to call 911, took her cellphone and broke it.

The woman told police that Harrison hit her with an open hand in the face, leaving "red marks" on her left cheek.

Harrison played in all 16 games last season - his fourth with the Steelers - and recorded 98 tackles."

[ScoopBrady]

The charges may have been dropped but the behavior still occurred, no?