More Racial Bias in the NFL

https://apnews.com/9ba79fa26c6c4c55b10a9405d374e4b8

What this story doesn't even attempt to cover is the fact that Rudolph tried to rip Barrett's helmet off first.

Did Rudolph get kicked out of the game too? NOPE

And this was even after it had been reviewed in New York.

Totally one sided.

Just like the call in Green Bay on Sunday where QB Rogers was sacked for a safety and the refs came up with a bogus call.

You have to look at the actual conduct instead of the lip service of the NFL.

 

Taking the guys helmet off wasn't why he was ejected. He was ejected (and is likely going to be charged) for assaulting Rodolh by slamming the helmet into the top of his head.

Yes, Rudolph was grabbing at his helmet, but there is a major different between that and using a helmet as a weapon to attack someone.

 

Even in the race-obsessed USA, not everything is about race, regardless of how much you might want to make it so.

 

It happened with under 10 seconds to go in the game...I am sure there will be reasonable punishment. Perhaps we should wait and see if the punishment fits the crime.

 

But I do agree about the Packers. That "roughing the passer" call was BS. The ref claimed that he purposely landed with all his weight on Rodgers, but he didn't. He obviously rolled off.

 

He literally smashed the guy's helmet into his head. He will likely see criminal charges for assault and battery and lose his contract. That's what would happen to anyone else who did something like that.

 

Rudolph was supposed to get kicked out of game for getting hit with his own helmet? Really?

 

I'm Black.
I played football in school.
I read about and looked at the evidence of this incident before posting:



That is egregious enough to warrant both Suspension and Heavy Fines as far as I'm concerned. If I were Head Coach, I'd bench Garrett, myself for behavior unbecoming a Brown. I'd personally suspend him for the remainder of the 2019 season including any and all post-season play my organization might earn that year.

The swinging of a Helmet against an unprotected skull is completely out of bounds unless you are fighting in self-defense where any tool you use to defend yourself from great bodily injury and/or death is open for deployment. Garrett, was not defending himself (at that point in the fight) from great bodily injury and/or death. Therefore, his actions to swing the helmet against an unprotected skull were blatantly wrong and a complete violation of rule. Thus, his fine, suspension and grand censure would a minimum attachment to his career, if I were gawd and could make it happen.

Like I said, I've played ball for 14 years in school at every level the game can be played. I've seen this happen before with very serious and permanent damage as a result. I've been on the field when this happened before and heard the skull cracking on impact. This ain't no joke and such conduct cannot be tolerated either by the Brown's Organization or the NFL Front Office. This needs to be dealt with on the merits.

I see no need to activate a racial note on this one. Garrett, had ample time to make the decision not to swing in the direction of an uncovered and unprotected skull. He made the choice (while heated) to swing in the direction of that unprotected skull. You can't do that. Number one, its highly dangerous and potentially lethal. Number two, there were PLENTY of Pop Warner, High School and College level kids watching the event that day.

As far as the Media's depiction of the "Brawl" being the "worst ever" - that's hopelessly wrong. I've seen and have participated in brawls that cleared both benches and were far more wide spread than this little skirmish. However, the swinging of the helmet toward an unprotected dome is simply not something that can be overlooked or merely slapped on the wrist.

Just my 2 cents from a guy who has been there and seen this before.

 

Both players grabbing at each other's helmet is one thing. Taking the next step and using that helmet obtained in the "grab" is another.

I've been in heated debates on the field that got physical. The first thing you do is grab the other guys face mask. Not to remove their helmet, but to ensure control of the other guy. Both guys always know this. That is why both guys reach for the face mask as a first measure. Or, you get up underneath the guys shoulder pads with your hands to control him. But, BOTH players are doing that at the same time. You either control through shoulder pads or you control through the face mask. Either way, you want control - both of you.

Removing the helmet has ALWAYS been the last measure taken. We've ALWAYS understood in football that this is where the conflict ENDS. As soon as someone's dome protection is removed, we have ALWAYS understood that as Players to be the END of the physical side of the argument. ALWAYS. You NEVER push it beyond removal of the helmet. It was supposed to END at that point. That's always been the unwritten rule in Football. Anyone going beyond that point and then using the helmet against an unprotected dome is just flat out rogue. There is no excuse for it and there is no room for that kind of behavior in the Game/Sport/Business. Period.

End of story.

 

Is kicking someone in the balls after a play is over an NFL approved behavior?
Then after his posse pulls Garrett guy off, he goes back after him while Garret's being restrained by 2 guys.

Getting cracked in the head does not excuse his behavior

 

Both should be Fined for their conduct unbecoming a Brown and Steeler. However, the use of a helmet against an unprotected dome is a special case that should extend fines to season suspension and heavy censure. You can't use a helmet that way and if you've ever played football and witnessed the outcome of this kind of outburst on the field yourself, this punishment would be fairly easy to understand as being necessary. This kind of things has to be deterred in the future.

You can get killed this way. I've seen a player carried off the field, transported to a hospital and treated for a fractured skull because a helmet was used as a weapon against an unprotected skull. This is WHY we wore helmets in the first place.

A helmet against an open and exposed skull could do equally as much damage than a knife or a gun to that same unprotected skull. You are talking about guys who can bunch press 365lbs or more. These are Professional Football Athletes, not your average wannabe on the street who can't run a half mile without falling over and puking out their guts. So, getting struck in the head with that level of force can have the same net/net result as getting stabbed or shot in the skull. You could die. Plain and simple. You don't use a helmet this way in the NFL, CFL, USFL, XFL, WFL, NCAA or Pop Warner. It is not cool in any league to use a helmet this way.

Kicking on the ground - hell, I've been kicked a thousand times on the ground where large piles cluster and refs can't see what going on. Biting, kicking, spitting, bending and flexing fingers, bending and flexing ankle joints - there is a LOT of that going on in pile clusters on the ground out of sight of the ref. That's Football. Either you love it, or you don't belong on the field. However, using a Helmet in this way is just not acceptable.

 

agreed

No doubt.


They should let players drop helmets and fight till they hit the ground, then 5 minutes in the penalty box.

 

I don't see the racism angle in this.

 

I don't get why swinging an empty helmet against someone's head can be anywhere near as damaging as a helmeted 250LB. body crashing into someone's chest or head.Earlier in this same game that exact thing happened and the player who was struck by the flying helmeted human body wound up bleeding from his face.

 

Ripping the helmet off wasn't the reason.

Using the helmet as a weapon was the reason.

I'm glad that I was able to clear that up for ya!

 

No. But no one suffers severe injuries due to bruised or even a ruptured testicle.

 

No one suffers severe injuries from a hold, but it's still a penalty

 

Read the story .. and still can't figure out what race has to do with any of it.

 

Put a two inch foam rubber cover on all helmits???

 

Garrett should be suspended.
Rudolph should have to fight him in the octagon, for kicking him the balls

 

Yup...but not severe enough to warrant indefinite suspension like using a helmet to smash into a persons unprotected head. Surely you see the difference between that and a holding penalty. Or maybe you don’t. Whatever.

 

Maybe you should back up and read where I agreed with his suspension.
Rudolph should get a game for being a little girl and kicking him in the balls

 

You haven't heard? Next year they're going to assess a fifteen yard penalty on anyone who breathes heavy in the general vacinity of either Brady or Rodgers.

 

Can't do that. It was experimented with at Ohio State IIRC in the 1970s.

Hard plastic will slide off on impact. Rubber on the helmet will make them "stick" on impact causing massive injuries to a players neck.