26
Oct
2010
Hit Of The Week: Brandon Meriweather and Todd Heap, Revisited (VIDEO)
(Photo via Boston.com)
We’ve started a new tradition here at ReadAndReact by bringing you the Hit of the Week! We’ll find the most brutal tackle (or block) from each weekend of NFL games, and present it for your viewing pleasure.
Since the NFL is so intent on removing violent collisions from the game these days, we’re going to play along and not include any hits as part of this feature that could be considered illegal (well, at least for one week). In fact, in an effort to keep this issue top of mind for everyone, today we’ve decided to revisit the two participants in last week’s “hit heard ’round the world” – Brandon Meriweather and Todd Heap – to see how they fared this time around.
Meriweather has been the primary focus of the league’s crackdown on illegal shots to the head, and was under the microscope every time he made a tackle during the Patriots 23-20 win over the Chargers. Here, Meriweather showed that he’s capable of delivering a clean hit (and perhaps even that he was heeding the league’s warnings) as he delivers a huge – but legal – shot on WR Patrick Crayton:
And the NFL should really like this next one, since it doesn’t feature any contact whatsoever! On the other hand, it raises a completely new player-safety issue that the league is going to have to deal with. Perhaps still feeling the effects from Meriweather’s shot to the head from last week, Todd Heap collapsed untouched on the field during the Ravens 23-20 OT win over the Bills :
WATCH TODD HEAP’S SCARY MOMENT AFTER THE JUMP
21
Oct
2010
Reminder: We LOVE The Violence With Our Football. Always Have, Always Will
Jack Lambert is the NFL's archetypal linebacker ... does this look like a "clean" hit to you? (Photo: Walter Iooss Jr./SI.com)
(This is the second in our unintentional series of reminders to our loyal audience that the NFL is, in fact, a violent sport. Check out the 1st installment from last season, featuring even more highlights of now illegal hits!)
The sports world has been in a general state of hysteria this week over the shocking fact that violent collisions take place in football. All of the sudden, everyone is horrified over the notion that vicious hits and injuries are an inherent part of the game … as though this was anything new.
NEWS FLASH: Football has always been a violent sport. The NFL has not-so-subtly branded itself for decades around its hard-hitting, violent image. From the time we were very young, we were regaled with stories and NFL Films footage of old-school players like Dick Butkus, Jack Lambert, Deacon Jones and Jack “The Assassin” Tatum. We saw the black & white images of players standing over lifeless bodies, and listened to these men tell of the pure joy & satisfaction of driving an opponent into the ground and hearing the breath exit their bodies. It’s one of the most highly revered traditions of the game.
“I believe the game is designed to reward the ones who hit the hardest. If you can’t take it, you shouldn’t play”
– Jack Lambert
In our youth, we watched guys like Ronnie Lott, Lawrence Taylor and Mike Singletary, and found ourselves appreciating a bone-crushing hit by a defender more than an offensive touchdown. We learned the power of intimidation on the field, and when we played football from Pop Warner through High School, we aspired to play like those guys. To this day, some of my most vivid football memories as a fan involve a devastating tackle. Go ahead, stop and think about it for a minute …
dJack Tatum's hit on Darryl Stingley is widely considered to be the most violent hit of all time (Photo: Riesterer/AP via NYDailyNews.com)
Over the years as fans, we’ve been taught to value the big hit as a defensive weapon, and have come to understand that injuries are just a job hazard for those who choose to come across the middle. In recent days, guys like Ray Lewis, Brian Dawkins and Patrick Willis have nobly carried that tradition forward. But now, they’re being asked to change the way they play the game? Veteran Seahawks S Lawyer Malloy invoked the memory of Lott when discussing the challenges defenders could face in light of the league’s heightened stance:
“When I came into the league you really didn’t have to worry about how you hit, and I’m proud I came in in that era because it’s definitely getting harder and harder for myself and some of these young guys on defense.”
Can I have the ‘Wooo!’ hits like Ronnie Lott use to talk about? They’re really taking that out of the game and it’s really a shame.”
21
Oct
2010
NFL Releases Video Illustrating Legal vs Illegal Hits
Brandon Meriweather's hit on Todd Heap was the most flagrant shot of them all (Photo: Michael Dwyer via KansasCity.com)
The big story of the week in the NFL continues to be the brouhaha over violent hits in the game, and the league’s threat to begin suspending players who deliver flagrant blows to the head. The general consensus seems to be that yes, something needs to be done to protect players and prevent head injuries. But most people also tend to agree that in this sport, these types of collisions are an inevitable – and even an exciting & compelling – part of the game. So how do you strike a balance?
Ray Anderson, the NFL’s VP of Operations, followed up his controversial statement from earlier in the week with this video, which was sent to all 32 teams today to illustrate what the league considers to be a legal and illegal hit. The video includes highlights of the Meriweather hit and other examples of dangerous shots to the head, along with several “clean” plays that show how players can make hard, effective tackles without endangering anyone’s safety (well, any more than necessary … this is a contact sport, after all).
WATCH THE NFL PLAYER SAFETY VIDEO BELOW
In the video, Anderson states:
“Illegal hits to the head of an opponent will not be tolerated. A player is accountable for what he hits. Illegal techniques must be removed from our game. We all accept that football is a physical and tough game, but players must play under control. If a player launching into an opponent misses his aiming point, he will nevertheless be held responsible for what he hits.”
“Player safety is our highest priority,” Anderson says to his audience of coaches and players. “We’ve said publicly, and we will repeat to all of you, we will not apologize for or be defensive about aggressive enforcement to protect players from illegal and potentially life-altering blows to the head and neck.”
19
Oct
2010
NFL Fines Three, Threatens To Begin Suspending Players for Flagrant Hits
(Photo: Matt Freed/Post-Gazette)
In the wake of a series of violent collisions during this past weekend’s games, three players have been fined, and the NFL has announced that – effective immediately – players will face suspension for illegal hits, with an emphasis on protecting defenseless players from blows to the head.
Steelers LB James Harrison, Patriots S Brandon Meriweather and Falcons CB Dunta Robinson were fined a total of $175k by the league for flagrant hits on Sunday that had normally bloodthirsty NFL fans collectively cringing and calling for reform. NFL executive vice president of football operations Ray Anderson stressed that no rules will be changed, but stated that there will be elevated accountability for illegal hits to the head:
“What we’re trying to make sure our players understand is that you should know the rules,” Anderson said. “The coaches know the rules, the players should know the rules. And so if you are in violations of the rules — particularly one of those trying to protect against head, neck injuries — we’re going to hold you to a higher standard.”
That’s all well and good, but the immediate question becomes where do you draw the line? These are bang-bang plays we’re talking about here, and defenders are simply doing their jobs by trying to deliver the hardest hit possible. The Meriweather and Harrison hits were definitely flagrant head shots, but Harrison (unbelievably) wasn’t even flagged on the plays, and you could easily argue that Robinson’s hit was clean (in fact, we named it our Hit Of The Week). In this sport, regardless of intention, blows to the head just seem inevitable … and unfortunately, so do the injuries that come along with them. That’s one of the main reasons these guys make so much money: NFL athletes put their bodies on the line every Sunday, and there is a very good chance that they could be hurt and suffer long-term repercussions.
Both Harrison and Robinson plan to appeal their fines, so right away there is some gray area here, and there’s bound to be a lot of backlash from players and coaches. UPDATE: It has already begun, and Bears All-Pro LB Brian Urlacher is among the early critics of the NFL’s new policy:
“It’s freaking football. There are going to be big hits. I don’t understand how they can do this after one weekend of hitting. And I can’t understand how they can suspend us for it. I think it’s a bunch of bull.
“You know what we should do? We should just put flags on everybody. Let’s make it the NFFL – the National Flag Football League. It’s unbelievable.”
UPDATE #2: Now James Harrison is threatening to retire from football rather than adjust the way he plays the game:
“I’m going to sit down and have a serious conversation with my coach tomorrow and see if I can actually play by NFL rules and still be effective,” Harrison said. “If not, I may have to give up playing football.
So basically, if Harrison can’t keep hurting people, there’s just no point for him anymore. What a nutjob. Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin excused Harrison from practice today “to cool off”, but expects him back at practice tomorrow.
WATCH VIDEO OF THE MERIWEATHER AND HARRISON HITS AFTER THE JUMP
18
Oct
2010
Hit Of The Week: DeSean Jackson-Dunta Robinson double knockout (VIDEO)
(Photo: Getty Images via CSNPhilly.com)
We’ve started a new tradition here at ReadAndReact by bringing you the Hit of the Week! We’ll find the most brutal tackle (or block) from each weekend of NFL games, and present it for your viewing pleasure.
This week’s HOTW was scary when it happened, and it’s probably the most violent collision we’ve seen so far this season. Eagles WR DeSean Jackson got absolutely lit up by Falcons DB Dunta Robinson during the 2nd quarter of today’s 31-17 Philadelphia win. On the play, Jackson was hung out to dry by QB Kevin Kolb and Robinson delivered a devastating – and somewhat controversial – shot, which did draw a penalty.
Both players were injured on the hit, and each laid motionless on the turf for a few minutes before being helped off the field. Neither would return to the game, but Jackson – who had scored 2 TDs already in the game – clearly got the worse of it, suffering a “severe concussion” and memory loss from the blow. His status moving forward is unknown, having also missed time with a concussion last year.
WATCH THE HIT OF THE WEEK AFTER THE JUMP
14
Sep
2010
Hit Of The Week: Ray Lewis crushes Dustin Keller (VIDEO)
(Photo: Baltimore Sun/Kenneth K. Lam)
We’re starting a new tradition every Tuesday here at ReadAndReact by bringing you the Hit of the Week! We’ll find the most brutal tackle (or block) from each weekend of NFL games, and present it for your viewing pleasure. That’s good times right there, and we’re kicking the series off with unquestionably the one of the baddest men in the NFL, Ray Lewis.
With under a minute to go in last night’s Ravens/Jets game, with New York trying for a game-winning score, Mark Sanchez drops back and fires the ball toward TE Dustin Keller over the middle. Unfortunately for Keller, Sanchez leads him right into the awaiting arms of Lewis, who viciously de-cleats him with a crushing blow. It’s a beautiful, textbook hit; delivered cleanly, but with bad intentions … enjoy:
WATCH THE VIDEO AFTER THE JUMP
25
Nov
2009
VIDEO: 6-Year-Old Lays the Lumber
We’ve all seen football games where one person stands out as being clearly more physically gifted than the rest of the players on the field. In high school and college, you can generally spot the guys who are going to advance to the next level right away … and it’s generally fun to watch.
But at the Pop Warner level, that sort of difference in skill can be downright scary. Meet Nyrel Sevilla: the hardest hitting 6-year-old the world may have ever seen:
29
Oct
2009
REMIX: REF GETS BLOWN UP — TECHNO STYLE!
UPDATE:
Yup. Somebody’s gone nuts with the “ref down!” video. Enjoy:
PS – Last time we’ll mention this one today… we promise.
29
Oct
2009
Vikings player hammers NFL referee into the ground!
Earlier this week, we showed you the replay of Vikings RB Adrian Peterson knocking Steelers DB Will Gay into another dimension.
If that hurt, how do you think this referee is doing after being body-rocked by Vikings FB Jeff Dugan. He just gets leveled face first into the dirt. A thankless profession.
Jim Rome provides the commentary.
