_2.gif "Time.com 50 Best Websites 2008")
The NFL came down hard on Jets defensive back Eric Smith today, fining him $50,000 and suspending him for a game for his helmet-to-helmet hit on Cardinals wide receiver Anquan Boldin.
But while the Jets are stopping short of criticizing the league office, the team has made clear that it doesn’t believe Smith wanted to hurt Boldin.
Today the Jets released a statement saying, “We respect and support the League’s emphasis on player safety. Knowing Eric, we are confident that he did not intend to injure Anquan Boldin. Anquan was hit from behind by another player that accelerated the collision with Eric. Our thoughts are with Anquan and we hope that he has a healthy recovery.”
Jets coach Eric Mangini echoed those sentiments at his press conference today, saying, “Knowing Eric as well as I do, he’s a good guy. He’s a good kid. He’s never looking to do something that’s out of the rules. Ideally, nobody is. That’s just not his personality or anything like that.”
Although Smith was not injured as seriously as Boldin, he was shaken up on the hit. When asked if Smith suffered a concussion on the play, Mangini declined to answer, saying only that Smith was “groggy.”
September 29th, 2008 at 9:48 pm
Can I get a - “No Sh*t?”
(report as inappropriate)
Rating: 4.5 / 5 with 2 rating(s)
September 29th, 2008 at 9:54 pm
Why fine him if he won’t remember anyway?
(report as inappropriate)
Rating: 3.65 / 5 with 3 rating(s)
September 29th, 2008 at 10:18 pm
How is “trying to hurt” defined? Every defender is “trying to hurt” his opponent on every single play. That’s the nature of football.
Mangini’s opinion on whether or not Smith was “trying to hurt” Boldin is irrelevant. Smith was fined and suspended because he was “trying to use his equipment as a weapon” by leading with the crown of his helmet.
There’s nothing wrong with “trying to hurt” your opponent with a hard, clean hit, but there IS something wrong with spearing your opponent. Mangini and the Jets are arguing with straw men here.
As a hockey fan, this reminds me of Ulf Samuelsson going visor-first into his opponent’s face when they were in a compromising position, instead of leading with the shoulder.
(report as inappropriate)
Rating: 4.65 / 5 with 3 rating(s)
September 29th, 2008 at 10:20 pm
Not knowing if Smith is a first-time offender, this seems like a pretty steep punishment. I also think what happened to Boldin on the play is affecting the punishment, and really that should not be the case. Only Smith’s past and the hit itself should be considered, not the result.
(report as inappropriate)
Rating: 4 / 5 with 3 rating(s)
September 29th, 2008 at 10:26 pm
that is BS. The hit from behind shoved him into Smith. Smith has no chance to avoid it.
(report as inappropriate)
Rating: 4.35 / 5 with 6 rating(s)
September 29th, 2008 at 10:36 pm
Smith hasn’t been disciplined for anything in the NFL to this point. This penalty is far steeper than other hits of its ilk. Ridiculous.
(report as inappropriate)
Rating: 3 / 5 with 4 rating(s)
September 29th, 2008 at 10:41 pm
Mangini is a R.A.T. RAT-RAT-RAT !
(report as inappropriate)
Rating: 3 / 5 with 10 rating(s)
September 29th, 2008 at 11:00 pm
Appeal the suspension Eric!
(report as inappropriate)
Rating: 4.35 / 5 with 6 rating(s)
September 29th, 2008 at 11:02 pm
“Not knowing if Smith is a first-time offender, this seems like a pretty steep punishment. I also think what happened to Boldin on the play is affecting the punishment, and really that should not be the case. Only Smith’s past and the hit itself should be considered, not the result.”.
Exactly. If Boldin had snapped right back up that’s a $5,000 fine, if that. And it doesn’t matter, but why was Boldin even in the game at that point? Of course for that matter, why did Mangenius go for 2 on that last TD? Even Bill Bellicheat thinks thats uncalled for.
(report as inappropriate)
Rating: 2 / 5 with 2 rating(s)
September 29th, 2008 at 11:03 pm
If Smith had broken his neck would the NFL fine Boldin?
(report as inappropriate)
Rating: 3.65 / 5 with 3 rating(s)
September 29th, 2008 at 11:09 pm
This wasn’t a malicious hit or anything, it was just a player trying to do what safeties do.
Is that something that should be punished? No.
If your head (unintentionally or not) collides with another player’s and makes Nine-Fingers Warner cry, should you be punished? Maybe.
It sucks that Smith is being penalized for being a marginal player who was probably just playing his heart out, but in the dictatorship that Goodell is implementing, bullocks-to-the-wall hits are certainly something that are under review. Unfortunately, it’s at the point where you have to play hard, follow through and, even if you’re doing nothing dirty, just hope that the fines and suspensions don’t take too much of a toll.
And let’s just forget the “was/wasn’t trying to hurt BS”. Every defender is trying to hurt every offensive player. They’re not trying to end their career or anything, but physicality and attrition are part of the game.
(report as inappropriate)
Rating: 3 / 5 with 1 rating(s)
September 30th, 2008 at 1:15 am
What the eff?!? Has anyone watched the play on which Bolden was injured? Smith left the ground and used his head (physically, not mentally) to lay that hit on Boldin. The way Smith used his body was not only against NFL rules, but junior high coaches and up are required to read that little warning sticker on the back of the helmets to their players about tackling with their head “face up” instead of their helmet “face down” which may result in physical damage, including paralysis.
Does anyone remember Smith struggling to regain “it” after that specific play? NO!, everyone remembers Boldin laying motionless on the field.
Mark my Words…. The day a defensive player violates the “warning sticker” on the back of the helmet and suffers a paralysis injury will be the turning point in this conversation.
Under different circumstances if it wasn’t for the first hit on the back on Boldin’s skull we all would talking about Smith’s poor hit and how it led to Smith’s Injury.
(report as inappropriate)
Rating: 2.5 / 5 with 2 rating(s)
September 30th, 2008 at 1:18 am
Eric’s arms weren’t even out to tackle…he led with his helmet and launched his head directly at Boldin’s head…you’re a fool if you thought he had no ill intent.
arms to his side….launching almost straight up …
1 game suspension….thought he’d get 2…I can live with it…
he should have and he did receive the proper punishment.
Hey Jets….nice job going for 2 points late in the game you punks…not good enough to be up by 20 with 1:50 on the clock…need to go for 2…
Whisenhunt should have clocked Mangini up side his knuckle head.
(report as inappropriate)
Rating: 2.5 / 5 with 2 rating(s)
September 30th, 2008 at 3:21 am
Smith is a dirty player …
(report as inappropriate)
Rating: 1.5 / 5 with 2 rating(s)
September 30th, 2008 at 6:51 am
so much for football now . teams are not going to tackle any more they should go back to flag football . they play them game because they like the roughest of it . there is no easy tackle they can get hurt doing any thing on that field . people get hurt .
(report as inappropriate)
Rating: 3 / 5 with 1 rating(s)
September 30th, 2008 at 7:41 am
If Rodney Harrison made that hit, there wouldn’t be enough Puffs facial tissues in the United States to stop your tears.
what a joke.
definitely not dynasty material.
(report as inappropriate)
Rating: 1 / 5 with 2 rating(s)
September 30th, 2008 at 8:27 am
what a joke… this is freakin’ football. The idea is to hit the guy with the ball, or seperate him from it. And for the dolt that said Smith’s arms weren’t out for a tackle, when’s the last time you taught someone to run at someone full speed with their arms out in front of them? Never. Even when tackling with your shoulders, what part of the body is out in front? Your head. and if the player you’re trying to tackle, moves an inch in another direction then what you’re GUESSING, guess what has a good chance of hitting they guy first? Your head. Watch smiths arms after he makes contact… he tries to wrap his arms around AB.
It sucks AB got hurt, but it’s part of the game. Go across the middle get dropped. And there isn’t a Defensive coach out there that will tell his players otherwise. That WR comes across the middle, he better be paying the price.
Football is a CONTACT Sport. Don’t want contact, go play powderpuff football or flag football.
(report as inappropriate)
Rating: 3.5 / 5 with 2 rating(s)
September 30th, 2008 at 8:44 am
Link a video to this one so the morons who don’t know what they are talking about can see Boldin become a human pinball on the collision that sent him into Eric Smith’s torpedo shell. Smith couldn’t get out of the way, even appeared to froze or coil back when the pinball careened his way. The intent wasn’t to spear him, and would have wrapped him up but got alligator arms once the distance between the two speeding objects was obliterated by the inevitable and immediate impact.
Consider the speed of the game and the short time you have to make a decision. The intent when a receiver has a ball in the end zone is to hit him hard enough to make object and ball part separate ways. It’s no worse than trying to run over a catcher to score a run, and these guys wear more protective gear.
If the NFL needs to be so concerned about this, turn this sport into flag football. It’s inevitable that concussions and worse are going to happen. It’s the nature of the game. You have to hit hard and if you are off by a few degrees in the angle of your flight to get to the ball, it could mean paralysis for either player. It’s the risk you take to help your team.
(report as inappropriate)
Rating: 4 / 5 with 3 rating(s)
September 30th, 2008 at 9:23 am
delivered says:
September 30th, 2008 at 1:15 am
Mark my Words…. The day a defensive player violates the “warning sticker” on the back of the helmet and suffers a paralysis injury will be the turning point in this conversation.
David Pollack-LB- Bengals
(report as inappropriate)
Rating: 5 / 5 with 1 rating(s)
September 30th, 2008 at 9:28 am
You cannot lead with your head on any tackle. The problem is that the refs are sucking in the NFL this year and didn’t throw a flag. The Jets premise that Boldin was knocked into Smith would require us to believe that Smith launched himself into the air with no chance of hitting Boldin. Now why would a DB be flying through the air head first without any chance of hitting an offensive player???
(report as inappropriate)
Rating: 3 / 5 with 2 rating(s)
September 30th, 2008 at 10:14 am
This is a BS fine and suspension. That was football. The defender was going for a legal hit to break up a TD pass, and the defender from behind pushed Boldin into a helmet to helmet hit. You can not expect a guy in mid air to make an adjustment.
He should appeal, and if he is still fined the team should pay it.
(report as inappropriate)
Rating: 3 / 5 with 2 rating(s)
September 30th, 2008 at 11:20 am
Some of you people are absolute morons. There is ZERO justification for that hit. Boldin was NOT pushed into Smith. Smith put his head down and launched himself at Boldin’s head with his helmet, not his shoulders. That is NOT football and there’s NO place in the game for that. Go watch the video. We don’t even have to say anything, the video does a pretty good job of shutting down any agrument that it’s “just football” or that Smith “accidentally” hit Boldin like that. Idiots.
(report as inappropriate)
Rating: 2 / 5 with 4 rating(s)
October 1st, 2008 at 11:17 pm
I have 3 things to say.
Why was not-so-Wisenhunt throwing with 2min left with a 20pt lead?
Further to this - why did Kurt “Bible Thumper” Warner lay out his best player, with 2min left and a 20pt lead?
Its clear the receiver was pushed downward and forward from behind a millisecond before the safety hit him. And the safety did NOT lead with his head - watch it in slow motion on youtube. Boldins head was knocked into the safety’s due to the first hit.
Accidents happen, this is a rough game and even Boldin admits he didn’t think it was intentional. This is a big mistake by the league to fine and suspend a player. The powers-that-be had unlimited instant replay after the game to make this decision - this is clearly a political decision and not a just one.
(report as inappropriate)
Rating: 1 / 5 with 1 rating(s)