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Post by RickW on Dec 30, 2014 21:04:36 GMT -5
Independent arbitrator squashed the suspension, and gave him a 70k fine. According to CNN, the league knew this would happen, but was trying to send a message.
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Post by fauxmaha on Dec 30, 2014 21:25:04 GMT -5
I don't really know much about football, at least not in the deep sense.
But I wonder, how long until some offensive linemen (I understand Dallas has some good ones) decide they've had enough and take it upon themselves to teach Suh a lesson. It seems like a situation where if a player or two is willing to take a penalty, or even a suspension, they could end a career in one play.
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Post by Village Idiot on Dec 30, 2014 22:25:29 GMT -5
Interesting thought, Jeff. The guy's out there, against a bunch of people who hate him....
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Post by RickW on Dec 30, 2014 23:05:38 GMT -5
No question. It's not that hard.
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Post by RickW on Dec 30, 2014 23:08:12 GMT -5
That's one of the arguments to keep fighting in hockey. If you take a cheap shot at the star, some big ugly guy is going to punch you many times. Kept Wayne Gretzky alive.
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Post by coachdoc on Dec 31, 2014 6:54:23 GMT -5
Yeah, the most useful hockey goon characteristic is not the ability to administer punishment, but rather to take it, without complaining.
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Post by Marshall on Dec 31, 2014 9:37:25 GMT -5
Independent arbitrator squashed the suspension, and gave him a 70k fine. According to CNN, the league knew this would happen, but was trying to send a message. The league needs to institute some defensible regulations. The whole video-world-we-live-in on and off the field, creates a body of evidence that officials on the field can't possibly see. But the viewing public sees all. There needs to be a clear code of conduct in place that can be sited in cases of video evidence. And that code shuold probably extend into off-field activities and personal life if it's going to be defensible. Maybe it shouldn't cover off field activities that are not criminal in nature. (Innocent until proven guilty in a court of law ?). But as it is now, it's a whimsical system. |
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Post by Bassman on Dec 31, 2014 10:05:57 GMT -5
My take on this is they ONLY fined him 70k. Must be nice to throw away 70k for stepping on some guys leg. You know how many people would like to make 70k.
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Post by millring on Dec 31, 2014 10:22:59 GMT -5
Either let them at each other under the notion that consenting adults can do dangerous stuff -- let the rules and enforcement that's existed all along rule the day....or have law enforcement come in and enforce civil law with assault charges.
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Post by Marshall on Dec 31, 2014 12:52:16 GMT -5
Interesting, John. The NFL is all about image. It's a marketing thing. But the truth is, the rules of the game don't go far enough to cover the new morality the game wants to project; America's Game. So that leaves the front office in a reactive mode whenever the new media catches somebody doing bad on or off the field.
But they certainly aren't going to turn it over to civil authorities. There's far worse stuff that happens legally within the context of the game than somebody stepping on somebody else. Especially when the victim gets up and walks away. Hell, I'd step on you any day of the week if I had the chance, and not expect to get arrested. Let alone suspended or fined.
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Post by millring on Dec 31, 2014 13:22:07 GMT -5
Professional sports are one of our culture's canary-in-a-mineshaft. As such, I'd say we're pretty far gone.
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Post by fauxmaha on Dec 31, 2014 13:26:02 GMT -5
Either let them at each other under the notion that consenting adults can do dangerous stuff -- let the rules and enforcement that's existed all along rule the day....or have law enforcement come in and enforce civil law with assault charges. There is at least some precedent for that. The guy who threw this sucker punch did four months in jail for it (click ahead to the one minute mark or so to skip the dude blabbing): |
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Post by RickW on Dec 31, 2014 13:38:53 GMT -5
Well, there's limits to anything. I'm pretty sure that if Suh had torn his helmet off and gouged his eyes out with this thumbs, he'd be in jail. But the league really does need to make stronger rules.
The NHL has been trying to eliminate head shots and hits from behind into the boards. The rules and punishments are baked into the collective agreement. They are not consistent enough, and the refs are not consistent enough, but it's getting better all the time.
The problem then comes in how much life gets sucked out of the game. In hockey, players are fearful of lining someone up and hitting them mid ice, as quite often the target moves, and the shoulder contacts the head. So that play, that all the fans love, is disappearing from the game. Maybe it should. But controlled violence is one of the things that make the NHL and NFL popular to watch. And if you really start restricting people, then the hard hitting, hard working defensive player that everyone loves will start to slip away from the game.
Scott Stevens of the New Jersey Devils was renowned for head shots. He would line people up mid ice and drive his shoulder through them, quite often through their heads. Knocked a bunch of people out of games. He was one of the most highly regarded and feared defensemen of his day. Now, he wouldn't last a year without a major suspension.
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