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There’s been plenty of debate this week regarding one of the most devastating hits we’ve seen. By way of background, here’s what we’re talking about.
The guy who delivered the hit, Jets safety Eric Smith, was suspended.
Since it’s Saturday and most of you aren’t at work and thus able to turn on the speakers without fear of having to use the bathroom with the foot of your boss in the crack of your bung, we’ll present our own debate on this one in the form of a PFTV segment.
October 4th, 2008 at 7:52 am
Excellent take guys.
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Rating: 5 / 5 with 1 rating(s)
October 4th, 2008 at 7:52 am
Looks like he was “hung up to dry”. Maybe Kurt Warner should bear some responsibility?
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Rating: 1 / 5 with 2 rating(s)
October 4th, 2008 at 9:01 am
Part of the game. These guys get paid big bucks for a dangerous job with a short life span. Risk vs. reward. I don’t want to watch a game where guys can’t go full speed and have to let up. Once you take that aggression out of d-backs, receivers will be aboe to go over the middle with impunity. The only thing that stops Randy Moss from dominating every game is that he is to much of a candy-ass to catch the ball over the middle. If you take away the ability to hit these guys - the game isn’t worth watching. BRING BACK CHUCK CECIL!
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Rating: 1 / 5 with 2 rating(s)
October 4th, 2008 at 9:04 am
Hung out to dry or not, that was a dirty hit.
He lead with his head AND launched himself right at Boldin’s helmet. He doesn’t even bother to try and wrap/tackle. People keep arguing the guy behind him forced Boldin to lean forward but even if Boldin is going into that hit with his head straight up the crown of Smith’s helmet would have hit him in the chin.
Smith knew Boldin had the TD and knew he had to really hit him to prevent it. Even though the game was waaaaay out of hand already. The fine and suspension is well deserved.
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Rating: 5 / 5 with 2 rating(s)
October 4th, 2008 at 10:26 am
the defender from behind pushed him face first into this guy … they hit facemasks and i don’t see this as a dirty hit … come on now , this is football
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Rating: 1.35 / 5 with 3 rating(s)
October 4th, 2008 at 10:31 am
You play to win, every down. No coach will tell their players not to make a big play. These guys get fined for everything now. They are going to take their pads away and make them play touch football soon.
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Rating: 1.5 / 5 with 2 rating(s)
October 4th, 2008 at 10:49 am
Can someone explain to me how you can make any kind of hit without “leading with your helmet”?
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Rating: 3.5 / 5 with 2 rating(s)
October 4th, 2008 at 11:09 am
whatever23,
First of all, defense isn’t about hitting - it’s about tackling. You tackle without “leading with your helmet” by keeping your head up, hitting with your shoulder and wrapping your arms around the ballcarrier.
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Rating: 5 / 5 with 2 rating(s)
October 4th, 2008 at 11:39 am
I think the fine and suspension were terrible. It is very unfortunate how the Wr got smashed up, but the guys was pushed into the helmet to helmet contact, and they were all running and jumping at top speed.
I have seen some guys do it intentionally and should get a fine, like Dawkins on Muhhamed in the preseason game, looked intentional, but even still, that is the safties job. Seperate the ball from the WR, even if it means take his head off in the procces.
They should think about remaking the helmets to be less of a weapon, but can not protect everyone, all the time. It is a dangerous game.
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Rating: 1 / 5 with 3 rating(s)
October 4th, 2008 at 12:13 pm
* Can someone explain to me how you can make any kind of hit without “leading with your helmet”?
Obviously, your head extends farther out from the rest of the body when you go for a tackle. Duh.
The point is using the helmet as the focus and primary weapon to deliver a savage hit to another player’s face-mask/head. You can blast the ball loose or shake up a player just as effectively by putting a shoulder into his gut or the ball.
No one is suggesting that we turn the game into a tea-and-crumpets affair. You can play hard and smack the crap out of the other guy without jeopardizing his or your own health.
Which bring me to the other side of the issue: Safety for the player delivering the hit. It is idiotic to deliver a punishing hit with your head. Think about this. Players have a false sense of safety thinking they are adequately protected with a helmet. They are, for the most part, for head and facial injuries.
But what is the skull attached to? Your neck. Your big old helmet-laden cranium pivots and swivels on your unprotected neck. One of the most vulnerable and sensitive parts of your body. Jam it, slam it, stretch it, or compress it too far in any direction and you wind up like me, a quadriplegic. It didn’t take much to put me on four wheels in 1965. My injury was due to a diving accident.
The old coaching admonition of “Put a hat on ‘em” is outdated, idiotic, and dangerous. Play hard, all out, but safely.
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Rating: 5 / 5 with 2 rating(s)
October 4th, 2008 at 5:11 pm
barrysandersfan says: “People keep arguing the guy behind him forced Boldin to lean forward…”
Well, people keep saying it because it’s true. Bottom line is we have no idea how that hit would have unfolded if Boldin hadn’t been pushed from behind. For all we know Smith was “leading with the helmet” because he was going to stick his shoulder into Boldin’s chest, with his head to the side, or shove his arms into Boldin’s chest with his head behind (which is my guess), but the timing got thrown off with the push from behind.
Fine and suspension completely unjustified. Another example of Goodell trying to make a point (to back up his memo on player safety) rather than doing what is right.
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Rating: 1 / 5 with 1 rating(s)
October 4th, 2008 at 5:42 pm
If anyone cares, or remembers, this is how David Pollack’s career ended just a couple years ago. He lead with his helmet right into Rueben Droughns and broke his neck.
If I’m not mistaken, didn’t the same thing happen to Kevin Everrett last year?
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Rating: Not yet rated
October 4th, 2008 at 6:45 pm
October 4th, 2008 at 12:13 pm
Norseman says:
“* Can someone explain to me how you can make any kind of hit without “leading with your helmet”?
Obviously, your head extends farther out from the rest of the body when you go for a tackle. Duh.
The point is using the helmet as the focus and primary weapon to deliver a savage hit to another player’s face-mask/head. You can blast the ball loose or shake up a player just as effectively by putting a shoulder into his gut or the ball.
No one is suggesting that we turn the game into a tea-and-crumpets affair. You can play hard and smack the crap out of the other guy without jeopardizing his or your own health.
Which bring me to the other side of the issue: Safety for the player delivering the hit. It is idiotic to deliver a punishing hit with your head. Think about this. Players have a false sense of safety thinking they are adequately protected with a helmet. They are, for the most part, for head and facial injuries.
But what is the skull attached to? Your neck. Your big old helmet-laden cranium pivots and swivels on your unprotected neck. One of the most vulnerable and sensitive parts of your body. Jam it, slam it, stretch it, or compress it too far in any direction and you wind up like me, a quadriplegic. It didn’t take much to put me on four wheels in 1965. My injury was due to a diving accident.
The old coaching admonition of “Put a hat on ‘em” is outdated, idiotic, and dangerous. Play hard, all out, but safely.”
Excellent take Norse’
It’s amazing how no one here responds to one of the most common sense reponses ever.
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October 4th, 2008 at 8:43 pm
The discourse between Joe and Florio was very important. Joe brings up the point about A) The intent is not there for a helmet to helmet and B) These things do happen, and it is football … implying once coaches start saying be careful of this, don’t do that, then that team might not be as aggressive on defense.
But Florio’s counterargument wins, and it ought to be this way no matter what, and if a player leads with his helmet, no matter what, then he ought to be suspended.
Florio: You Don’t Lead With Your Helmet
That has to be the case, and that has to be the answer. Let’s hope players stop leading with their helmets.
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October 4th, 2008 at 11:48 pm
In this instance, the fine was legitimate and being as Smith was slow to get up, he would probably argue that he would not do the same thing again. However, if a player is diving to make a play, then it is almost impossible to NOT lead with the head, even with your arms out, it won’t matter. The game is too fast to make those sort of adjustments.
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