Althouse: "With one punch, Ikemefuna Enemkpali transformed himself from a little known third-string linebacker into a figure of infamy for the Jets."

August 11, 2015

"With one punch, Ikemefuna Enemkpali transformed himself from a little known third-string linebacker into a figure of infamy for the Jets."

"Enemkpali, 24, broke quarterback Geno Smith’s jaw on Tuesday morning with what Coach Todd Bowles called a “sucker punch.” He was immediately released."

84 comments:

rhhardin said...: Football players are such babies.; 8/11/15, 5:58 PM
Ann Althouse said...: A broken jaw is a broken jaw. No emotional component to that.; 8/11/15, 6:02 PM
Michael K said...: The results of the IQ test on what's his name were not released along with his contract.; 8/11/15, 6:08 PM
Birches said...: Todd Bowles should have stayed in Arizona. It's not going to be a pretty season in NY.; 8/11/15, 6:11 PM
Ann Althouse said...: You'd think the team would give the quarterback bodyguards. So much money at stake. How can they expose him to whatever thug might be there in the deep ranks losing his mind.; 8/11/15, 6:14 PM
readering said...: No guarding against sucker punches. I wonder if he had blood coming out of his wherever.; 8/11/15, 6:16 PM
Meade said...: "A broken jaw is a broken jaw. No emotional component to that."

True, but a sucker punch is for babies. Grown men do not sucker punch.; 8/11/15, 6:20 PM
Nichevo said...: That's like saying grown men don't murder women and children in cold blood. They do. The grown men who do this are wicked, evil, somehow justified, or what you will, but they are not children.; 8/11/15, 6:27 PM
furious_a said...: ...a figure of infamy for the Jets.

There have been a lot of those since 1969. Take a number and wait in line.; 8/11/15, 6:32 PM
furious_a said...: The two worst decisions in Sports in any given year are...

(1)Who accepted the offer to coach the Jets.
(2)Who accepted the offer to coach the Knicks.; 8/11/15, 6:34 PM
traditionalguy said...: Gino should have smiled and toned it down. Being bombastic around a linebacker is never smart. All linebackers are crazy men on the loose. On the hot crazy matrix a linebacker has to be locked up.; 8/11/15, 6:34 PM
Meade said...: A man who sucker punches others is not a grown man. He isn't even a child. He's just a big baby.; 8/11/15, 6:34 PM
sane_voter said...: I expect next time Geno will pay the $$$ he owes. I think Enemkpali has a future as a Mafia debt collector.; 8/11/15, 6:35 PM
Rob said...: I imagine Ikemefuna Enemkpali has a lot of unresolved anger issues stemming from having his name constantly mispronounced when he was growing up in Pflugerville, Texas.; 8/11/15, 6:38 PM
Virgil Hilts said...: After this, I doubt anyone in New York who is a Jets fan will ever name their son Ikemefuna again.; 8/11/15, 6:44 PM
Sebastian said...: "You'd think the team would give the quarterback bodyguards"

In the locker room??

Sure, that'll promote team unity and faith in the QB.; 8/11/15, 6:45 PM
Bay Area Guy said...: It's a great lesson in life. A $600 debt transformed into anger, a punch, a broken jaw, a job loss, a QB loss (although Smith was no darn good), perhaps a few game losses, etc, etc.

The Jets have some bad mojo over there.; 8/11/15, 6:50 PM
Michael K said...: Where's Mark Sanchez when you need him ?; 8/11/15, 6:55 PM
hawkeyedjb said...: "If your check is in the mail, you may disregard this message"; 8/11/15, 6:58 PM
Smilin' Jack said...: Geno's going to miss games because of a broken jaw? What, does he hold the ball in his teeth? Whatever happened to playing through the pain?; 8/11/15, 7:16 PM
SomeoneHasToSayIt said...: Given the actors, is anyone at all surprised? Anyone?; 8/11/15, 7:39 PM
Fernandinande said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 8/11/15, 7:40 PM
Fernandinande said...: He was immediately released.

But not arrested? If not, why not? He was arrested for assault a while back in another, non-'sporting' - incident.; 8/11/15, 7:41 PM
Bobby said...: SomeoneHasToSayIt,

"Given the actors, is anyone at all surprised? Anyone?"

Not sure what "given the actors" is supposed to allude to, but I'm surprised, yes. This almost never happens in the NFL- or any professional sport, for that matter. Ask yourself when was the last time you heard about a guy getting sidelined for injury because a teammate sucker punched him in the locker room? If it were unsurprising, you'd be able to name a LOT more than this, Miguel Olivo biting off part of Alex Guerrero's ear or Latrell Sprewell choking out PJ Carlesimo.; 8/11/15, 7:59 PM
averagejoe said...: Bobby said...Ask yourself when was the last time you heard about a guy getting sidelined for injury because a teammate sucker punched him in the locker room?
8/11/15, 7:59 PM

I remember when Clint Longley decked Roger Staubach. The Dodger claimed it was a sucker punch.; 8/11/15, 8:09 PM
Laslo Spatula said...: Why does the established quarterback, with the resultant paycheck, ask a a little known third-string linebacker for money and not pay him?

I want to know how this actually worked.

I am Laslo.; 8/11/15, 8:11 PM
HoodlumDoodlum said...: Ann Althouse said...How can they expose him to whatever thug might be there in the deep ranks losing his mind.

Thug? Thug?? Oh no, Professor, was your Blogger comment hacked or something?; 8/11/15, 8:21 PM
rhhardin said...: It's the knock-out game.; 8/11/15, 8:23 PM
Bobby said...: averagejoe,

Yeah, but Staubach was an Annapolis grad, so I'm sorry, but I gotta think he deserved it...; 8/11/15, 8:23 PM
Browndog said...: Meade said...

A man who sucker punches others is not a grown man. He isn't even a child. He's just a big baby.

Reports are "it was anything but a sucker punch" according to several players that witnessed it.

It'll all be out in 48 hours.

Laslo asks the question that needs to be asked, but no one will.; 8/11/15, 8:24 PM
Bobby said...: Laslo / Browndog,

Actually, that's already been reported -- allegedly, Smith had agreed to attend Enemkpali's football camp in Texas (some are saying a charity event-- could be one and the same). But Smith backed out shortly before the event when a friend died in a motorcycle accident. Apparently, the two discussed and agreed that Smith would reimburse Enemkpali $600 for the plane ticket. But Smith hadn't gotten around to it and, just my guess, isn't likely to do so any time soon now. It's been reported on ESPN and Fox Sports already.; 8/11/15, 8:31 PM
Beldar said...: His signing bonus will end up in the pockets of lawyers.

Talk about your "sucker punch." Usually that's a reference to the punch, not the puncher.; 8/11/15, 8:32 PM
Laslo Spatula said...: Browndog said...

"Laslo asks the question that needs to be asked, but no one will."

Going off to bed, but Thank You -- I thought I was missing something.

I am Laslo.; 8/11/15, 8:35 PM
madAsHell said...: Ikemefuna Enemkpali

It sounds like one of them fancy over-the-counter pain relievers!!...or something you shouldn't step in.; 8/11/15, 8:38 PM
Beldar said...: I'm still arguing that this deserves to rank higher than #6 on the all-time list of most unsportsmanlike plays.; 8/11/15, 8:39 PM
Bill, Republic of Texas said...: HoodlumDoodlum said...
Ann Althouse said...How can they expose him to whatever thug might be there in the deep ranks losing his mind.

Thug? Thug?? Oh no, Professor, was your Blogger comment hacked or something?
8/11/15, 8:21 PM

Nah. Just another white liberal racist.; 8/11/15, 8:39 PM
madAsHell said...: I remember when Clint Longley decked Roger Staubach.

"the triumph of the uncluttered mind."
- Blaine Nye; 8/11/15, 8:43 PM
Crimso said...: He's either independently wealthy, terminally stupid, or too insane to even be a LB. He's going to need that $600. Of all the idiotic reasons pro athletes have lost their incredibly lucrative careers, this has to rank near the top. Still, there's always the Raiders...; 8/11/15, 9:02 PM
Humperdink said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 8/11/15, 9:03 PM
Gahrie said...: You'd think the team would give the quarterback bodyguards.

OK, it is obvious that you have never played team sports, but I'm betting no one in your family for generations has.; 8/11/15, 9:08 PM
madAsHell said...: Ask yourself when was the last time you heard about a guy getting sidelined for injury because a teammate sucker punched him in the locker room?

There was a monster defensive tackle here at the University of Washington. He was being projected as a first round draft pick. One day, he pissed off the Hawaiian playing center. The center punched him, and broke his jaw. The monster defensive tackle had his jaw wired shut for a month, and lost 40 pounds. He fell off the charts.

The Hawaiian center?? Olin Kreutz who had a 13 year career with da Bears.

Bottom line....at that level of competition, you don't know when your game will end.

Ja, Ja, Ich verstehe, seine Name ist Deutsch.; 8/11/15, 9:11 PM
Humperdink said...: In order add to fuel to the conspiratorial fire, here's hoping the NE Patriots sign Ikemefuna Enemkpali. The look on Gino Smith's face would be ...... oh wait.; 8/11/15, 9:12 PM
MadisonMan said...: Sportsmen goes to great lengths to not play for the Jets.

Not sure I can blame him.; 8/11/15, 9:46 PM
I'm Full of Soup said...: Olin Kruetz also did that to one of his Chicago Bears teammates.; 8/11/15, 9:58 PM
William said...: He can pick up a paycheck with the WWE. He's got name recognition.......The Jets defensive line doesn't look strong this year.; 8/11/15, 9:58 PM
Beorn said...: Infamy? Hell, the Jets just might have a chance now.; 8/11/15, 10:20 PM
Skeptical Voter said...: The Raiders might be the only NFL team that would take this guy now. He's a third round draft choice, third string linebacker, two years into a career that lasts on average four years. And he blows it over $600. The dude is not "bright".; 8/11/15, 10:24 PM
SteveR said...: @Crimso I'm going with #2.; 8/11/15, 10:58 PM
Craig Landon said...: Think of the sportscasters who are heaving a sigh of relief.; 8/11/15, 11:00 PM
CWJ said...: Bobby @ 7:59 wrote -

"If it were unsurprising, you'd be able to name a LOT more than this, ..."

Oh bite me. Ray Lewis and Hernandez come to mind without any effort at all. And that's just examples where death was involved. Look I love the game and am a Chiefs Season Ticket holder of many years, but I don't fool myself that football isn't disproportionately populated with the most thuggish element of professional and even collegiate sports. We'd know far more if the entire business weren't mobilized to whitewash whatever they can for the "good of the game."; 8/11/15, 11:28 PM
mccullough said...: Geno Smith has a glass jaw. Jets should cut him, too.; 8/12/15, 12:27 AM
George Grady said...: Wait a minute, wait a minute....the Jets have a quarterback?; 8/12/15, 12:38 AM
Alex said...: Can you imagine Ronnie Lott sucker punching Joe Montana in the 80s? What the hell happened to the players?; 8/12/15, 1:09 AM
Dave in Tucson said...: > You'd think the team would give the quarterback bodyguards.

From his own teammates? C'mon, Althouse, you're smarter than that.

Fights on the field are a pretty usual thing for the NFL preseason (just Google NFL preseason fight for some examples). As far as I know this is the first time it's ended with broken bones.; 8/12/15, 2:50 AM
Etienne said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 8/12/15, 3:47 AM
Just asking questions (Jaq) said...: The Jets will rise again! But not this year, methinks.; 8/12/15, 6:36 AM
Big Mike said...: @Althouse, out of all of the sporting news out there you chose this to blog about? The dismal year that the Brewers are having must really have the Meadehouse down in the dumps.

And FWIW from high school on up -- from Peewee League on up -- defensive players are coached never to hit their own quarterback. Be aggressive, hit hard but do not lay a finger on your quarterbacks. Not the first string quarterback, not the fifth string quarterback, not ever.

I can only assume that the guy was expecting to be cut anyway.; 8/12/15, 7:27 AM
Bobby said...: CWJ,

You're a Chiefs fan- I get it, you're into self-inflicted pain- but I don't do biting, sorry.

Seriously, though, Ben Morris at FiveThirtyEight actually looked into the numbers just over a year ago. Turns out, the NFL arrest rates in each category are actually lower across the board than the average arrest rates for "male population in the 25-to-29 age group." Overall, it's just 13% of the national average, but it isn't distributed evenly across the following categories: DUIs, assault (non-domestic), drug-related, disorderly conduct, domestic violence, gun-related (non-violent), sex offense, theft, domestic (non-violent), prostitution, burglary, murder and fraud. Turns out, the league if the league is "disproportionately populated with the most thiuggish element of professional sports," then it's still well below the national average for their peer group. Yet one more example of how something we "know" by just observing what we see doesn't always hold up to statistical scrutiny.

http://fivethirtyeight.com/datalab/the-rate-of-domestic-violence-arrests-among-nfl-players/; 8/12/15, 7:27 AM
Bobby said...: BTW, Neil Paine at FiveThirtyEight had an article up last night about how Jets fans should be happy that Geno Smith got punched in the face. It's been re-titled "Geno Smith Wasn't Better Than His Backup," which probably better explains the spirit of the article.; 8/12/15, 7:31 AM
Roughcoat said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 8/12/15, 7:45 AM
Roughcoat said...: Late to the party, but ...

Michael Jordan once punched out Steve Kerr in the Bulls' locker room. But nothing happened to Jordan because ... he was Michael Jordan. The incident was hushed up and the media sort of/kind of ignored it because ... he was Michael Jordan.

Jordan was notorious among his teammates as an asshole and a bully. He was a faux nice guy. An ill-kept secret that a lot of people knew about.; 8/12/15, 7:47 AM
Original Mike said...: Brett Favre is available.; 8/12/15, 7:50 AM
Robert Cook said...: "That's like saying grown men don't murder women and children in cold blood. They do. The grown men who do this are wicked, evil, somehow justified, or what you will, but they are not children."

I would say that many grown men who commit murder are, in fact, emotional infants, incapable of reining in their emotions or recognizing their wants do not take precedence over the law, proper social behavior, or other people's wants...and rights. Their violence is infantilism grown up...psychopathy.; 8/12/15, 7:52 AM
traditionalguy said...: The solution is simple. Make the NFL players wear their helmets with face guard and mouth piece in the locker room.

The Commisioner can order that. The Problem is solved.

Anything else you need help with?; 8/12/15, 8:02 AM
J Lee said...: Geno has proven himself over the past couple of years to no be a really great people person, when it comes to interacting with him teammates, while Enemkpali has had previous run-ins with the law.

It doesn't say anything good about the past player personnel decisions of the Jets, but we're not talking about Tom Brady, Aaron Rogers or Payton Manning being punched out by a teammate here, as far as the drop-off between Smith and his replacement, Ryan Fitzpatrick (and in terms of the preseason, it actually gives the J-E-T-S Jets, Jets, Jets a better chance to look at Baylor QB Bryce Petty, who put up huge numbers the past two seasons in Waco but comes out of a system people say doesn't translate well to the NFL).; 8/12/15, 8:20 AM
Scott said...: Too bad. At least Enemkpali has a college degree from Louisiana Tech to fall back on.; 8/12/15, 8:25 AM
Bob R said...: I would say that many grown men who commit murder are, in fact, emotional infants,...

And they are not true Scotsmen.; 8/12/15, 8:25 AM
CWJ said...: Bobby,

Since we're talking about football, nice goalposts moving. You quoted me so you should know the peer comparison is professional athletes, not male population age 25 to 29. For example, hockey is known for its fights ON the ice, not it's problems off the ice. Why not compare football players to all males under say 35 earning a quarter of a million or more per year.

Using arrest rates is also a nice touch. Joe Sixpack doesn't have a small army of lawyers, coach's, PR flacks, and minders to do whatever they can to avoid having him arrested. That just may suppress the stats somewhat. Was unpronouncable name arrested for breaking his QB's jaw? Presumably not. The article doesn't say. But he was arrested for a violent crime in college (still under that 25 to 29 age range). And yet the NFL still drafted him.; 8/12/15, 8:26 AM
James Pawlak said...: Why all the fuss. In the long run he will likely be shot down by some police officer or armed citizen as an act of self-defense---With the expected screes about "Black lives matter".; 8/12/15, 8:30 AM
Bobby said...: CWJ,

Come on, man- I originally asked "[w]hen was the last time you heard about a guy getting sidelined for injury because a teammate sucker punched him in the locker room?" You replied with Ray Lewis and Aaron Hernandez, both of whom were charged with (and the latter convicted of) murder, but- as far as I know- neither of whom put a teammate on the DL in a locker room brawl (my question)... But you accuse me of moving the goalposts... Seriously? Do you even realize your hypocrisy there?

I thought we were just having a general discussion and not actually debating, so I went with a study of general relevance to the topic- that is, that NFL players have a much lower (13%, in fact) arrest rate than American males of a similar age demographic. Sorry, but as far as I know the study you're looking for doesn't exist. I'll email Ben and ask him to have an intern start collating the data for the precise comparison that you want. Or you can do it yourself.

Look, I get it: you're a Chiefs fan. Your team is lousy and has been for years. You haven't won a playoff game since I was in high school, and only then to get immediately crushed by the Bills (which is humiliating in its own right). But next time you point a finger at someone, try and remember that three fingers point right back at you.; 8/12/15, 8:51 AM
Jason said...: Where was the offensive line?; 8/12/15, 8:52 AM
Rocketeer said...: A wag on Twitter said that reports were Smith punched back, but it fell a couple yards short.

I chuckled.; 8/12/15, 8:53 AM
JackOfVA said...: Just think how UW Law School facility meetings would be more interesting with the occasional sucker punch thrown.; 8/12/15, 8:55 AM
SomeoneHasToSayIt said...: Bobby said...
SomeoneHasToSayIt,"Given the actors, is anyone at all surprised? Anyone?"

Not sure what "given the actors" is supposed to allude to, but I'm surprised, yes.

You must be unaware of the saying "The best predictor of future behavior, is past behavior".

Also, have you not been watching the results of being ruled by Emotion rather than Reason? It's all around you, dude.; 8/12/15, 9:02 AM
mtrobertslaw said...: I was at a faculty meeting a long time ago when respected philosophy professor, after listening along with the rest of us to an obnoxious dean go on and on, stood up and said there were a number of ways to cure ignorance and that he was going to demonstrate one. He then proceeded to pick up the dean by his coat collar and bounce his head against a blackboard three of four times. The meeting was quickly adjourned. The philosophy professor was a decorated World War II veteran.

The rest of the faculty there unanimously agreed that the dean was a real jerk and deserved every bit of it and more.; 8/12/15, 10:19 AM
Bobby said...: SomeoneHasToSayIt,

Ah, well, in my defense, I didn't realize the significant amount of Geno Smith's past behavior that consisted of him getting punched in the face in locker rooms. It's actually quite stunning how often he has done that.; 8/12/15, 10:19 AM
SomeoneHasToSayIt said...: Lose the snark. You're not good at it.

It's the other guy who has the history.

Do homework much, before opining?; 8/12/15, 10:26 AM
Bobby said...: Actors (bold added for emphasis) is plural.; 8/12/15, 10:44 AM
SomeoneHasToSayIt said...: Bobby said...
Actors (bold added for emphasis) is plural.

Oh, you need help with Actor B's role, too? OK. (1) Not smart enough to walk away. (2) A reported 'welch' on money owed. (3) Also ruled by Emotion, which failed to help him to the long-range view (as Reason would have) that $600 is nothing to a multi-millionaire.; 8/12/15, 10:55 AM
Bobby said...: Oh, yeah, Smith's "past behavior" includes not being smart enough to walk away, welching on money owed, and being ruled by emotion. His "past history" is just filled with those things. No wonder he keeps getting his face punched in locker rooms.; 8/12/15, 11:00 AM
SomeoneHasToSayIt said...: "There are none so blind as those who will not see."; 8/12/15, 11:34 AM
Static Ping said...: I sense that professional athletes are, in general, more aggressive than the normal population because (a) aggressive drive is an asset in sports and (b) folks that are not professional athletes are less likely to be in the physical shape to be messing with other people and survive the encounter unscathed. You want the guys on your team to be very competitive so they want to win. The problem is sometimes that competitiveness gets expressed in ways that are counterproductive. It is what it is. Teams try to filter out those that are dangerous but are willing to take risks for talent.

Sports fights are not especially uncommon. I think there were at least two training camp fights on the NFL practice field in the last week or two. Aggressiveness, egos, players competing for jobs and life changing money (or pay off the debts from overspending the last contract money), physical exertion: it speaks well for discipline that it happens as infrequently as it does.

The fight that came to mind was the Rich Gossage vs. Cliff Johnson fight in 1979 that put Goose on the shelf for quite a while and sent Cliff out of town.; 8/12/15, 12:43 PM
Rocco said...: Geno should have just rubbed some dirt on it; 8/12/15, 3:35 PM
Rocco said...: Campo said:
Of all the idiotic reasons pro athletes have lost their incredibly lucrative careers, this has to rank near the top.

The linebacker was a rookie 6th round draft pick. Odds are that a lucrative career in the NFL was not in his future, anyway.; 8/12/15, 3:39 PM