November 15, 2019

"It's actually in the rulebook, where it says that you cannot take a player's helmet off and use it as a weapon."


ADDED: Oh! I see it's the top story at Drudge:



I'm glad people are talking about treating this as a crime and not simply a violation of the rules.

162 comments:

Jake said...

The other guy started it.

John henry said...

Thugs, most of them.

Perhaps the thing to do it eliminate helmets and padding.

I don't understand why people watch football.

John Henry

RK said...

The kick in the head at the end of the clip is a classic thug move.

alanc709 said...

Should get more than the 4 game suspension expected by the "experts". But hey, it's a black defensive lineman attacking a white quarterback, so he was probably just expressing his feelings about racial inequality in the NFL, right?

Bob Boyd said...

No harm, no foul.

Temujin said...

Frankly, the entire Cleveland Browns organization, along with the Detroit Lions organization, should be jailed for fraud on their respective cities. They have, for years, conned people into thinking they were actual professional football organizations. I think the facts show that they are not, never have been, and never intended to be. But they have made millions perpetrating this con.

I'm hoping the Myles Garrett incident will open the door to further investigations on this heinous deception going on in Cleveland and Detroit.

Fernandinande said...

I watched that clip, what a bunch of goons.

It's a shame that people take these children's games so seriously.

ndspinelli said...

I have seen hockey players charged criminally w/ assault for using their sticks.

Big Mike said...

Suspended [for] multiple games

How about thrown out of the NFL entirely? Setting out to injure a defenseless and unprotected person, even if not premeditated, needs to be treated as harshly as possible. And, yes, treat it as a crime, but the case would be tried in Cleveland so don’t expect a jury to convict.

Wince said...

We need to take these "weapons of war" off the field!

Francisco D said...

'Roid rage?

Michael K said...

Bizarre behavior but football, especially the NFL, is full of thugs.

daskol said...

The Browns own QB and coach were clearly disgusted with their own player, and offered no defense for this attack.

MAJMike said...

Latest action from the National Felons League.

gilbar said...

wait a Minute! What's Next?
If we're going to be investigating crimes committed by professional athletes
What's Next?
Investigating crimes committed by people seeking the democrat nomination?
What ever happened to immunity? It's not like this guy was something EVIL; like a republican!

Amadeus 48 said...

Garrett out forever.

I have been an NFL fan. This is it. No more.

whitney said...

Here's another one. And blacks beating up white people is a national Pastime so that makes sense

https://sports.yahoo.com/toledo-football-player-ejected-after-one-of-the-nastiest-instances-of-targeting-youll-see-040003603.html

Anonymous said...

I'm not going to defend him, but I am going to state that I am utterly flabbergasted to see this from Myles Garrett. I've been watching him since college, and I would never in a million years have expected anything remotely like this from him. He always seemed to be a good guy. But there's no denying what he did.

tim maguire said...

As a long-time long-suffering Browns fan, all I can say is, Dammit! Beating the Steelers is a big deal and I can't enjoy it because this jackass literally beat a Steeler.

I agree that this was an assault, a criminal matter, but there should also be consequences for the coach. He has a reputation for running a loose ship with too many unsportsmanlike conduct penalties. Garrett was known problem yet nothing was done.

Birkel said...

The quarterback, Mason Rudolph, acted very poorly also.
His behavior is forgotten because he was the victim of a worse act.
However he pulled on Myles Garrett's helmet while on the ground.
And then he ran, helmetless!!, at the much bigger and stronger man.
He's a mediocre backup QB and the Steelers cannot afford to lose him.
I'd bet his coaches are going to warn him not to be so stupid again.

That said, I think pain is the best teacher.
And Garrett should be charged for his crime.
He should be banned for at least 10 games and fined $250,000.

Check payable to me, please.

rhhardin said...

Everything on TV is corrupt. It's all ratings and what can we do to attract audience.

robother said...

Every tackle is an act that, outside a football stadium, would clearly be an illegal assault, regardless of whether it constitutes "unnecessary roughness" or not. Same with blocking, whether in accord with the rules or an "illegal" chop block that is penalized. There is an understanding that physical actions that would meet the definition of assault and battery are not prosecuted if they happen in the context of a football game, even if they are flagged as violations of the rules of the game.

The fact that the rules of football directly address the hitting of another player with a helmet may actually evidence that such behavior is within the consented-to violence of the game, like illegal blocks or unnecessary roughness tackles.

Dave Begley said...

Who here really cares about the NFL? I despise it. It gets way too much attention.

It is the number one circus in the "bread and circuses" formula that keeps the plebes from revolting.

Unknown said...

Criminal? give me a break. ever watch a fist fight during a hockey game? or a benches clearing brawl in baseball? things happen in every football game that would be considered assault if they happened outside it. suspend him, sure. but anyone saying he should go to fail doesn't understand sports.

rhhardin said...

Long ago football announcer skit - player is injured and pronounced dead on the field, gets polite applause as he's stretchered off the field.

mockturtle said...

I watched the game. It was definitely ugly. But then, Cleveland players as well as their FANS, tend to get ugly. Conversely, Monday night's game between SF and Seattle was a great game all the way into OT. And not all NFL players are thugs. Those who display thugly behavior on the field need to be suspended for the season.

rhhardin said...

Two competing frames.

Mark said...

I would never in a million years have expected anything remotely like this from him. He always seemed to be a good guy.

Unless he gets real sorry real fast, with repeated expressions of contrition to Mason, the Steelers, the Browns and the world, he should get a five-YEAR suspension. I wouldn't formally give him a lifetime ban, giving him instead a slender chance to repent and repair the damage, but five years would send a loud message to everyone else that if you do this, your NFL career is basically over.

Meanwhile, yes, criminal charges are appropriate because such attacks are beyond the consent that is a recognized part of the game.

stevew said...

Why can't we have common sense football helmet control laws?

It is interesting that someone thought about and decided that a rule was needed for this sort of thing. As for it being criminal behavior, I'll need to be convinced. I think it incorrect though to categorize using the helmet as a weapon as no different than other allowed behaviors in the sport as an argument against this being a criminal act. Tackling is a legitimate part of the game which is allowed/required. There are no circumstances in which this helmet as a weapon behavior is allowed.

mccullough said...

Since the player wasn’t hurt, suspension won’t be more than 4 games.

The Browns won the game.

Since the player wasn’t hurt, it’s ridiculous that such a big deal is being made.

HoodlumDoodlum said...

Happy Gilmore - two league records

Bob Boyd said...

I think you have to know the back story before you judge Garrett too harshly.
It was an accident. Well, sort of.
See a fly landed on Rudolph's head. This fucking fly had been buzzing around Garrett since half time. It was driving him crazy, but he couldn't get it. It was too quick. Then, all of sudden, there it was, just sitting there on Rudolph's head.
The worst part is, he missed it again.

Mark said...

Why can't we have common sense football helmet control laws?

Actually, people have been calling for changing to soft-padding helmets -- or no helmets at all -- for a while, precisely because it can be weaponized.

HoodlumDoodlum said...

mccullough said...Since the player wasn’t hurt, it’s ridiculous that such a big deal is being made.

Sideshow Bob : [Bob calls Birch Barlow's show during a prison riot] I am presently incarcerated, imprisoned for a crime I did not even commit. "Attempted murder," now honestly, did they ever give anyone a Nobel prize for "attempted chemistry?"

[Getting harder and harder to pull Simpsons clips!]

Francisco D said...

Having watched the entire incident several times, also in slow motion, I believe that Myles Garrett committed attempted murder. If the helmet had not twisted around and if Rudolph had not been slipping when he was hit, Rudolph would have had a crushed skull.

The NFL should ban him for life, but that won't happen.

Freddie Kitchens will be fired and Cleveland will renounce Garrett's contract, regardless what the NFL does.

No team will pick up Garrett's contract until 2021 when he is judged to be rehabilitated by anger management classes.

richlb said...

I recall a few years ago they tried to charge a hockey player with a crime for Pearl Harboring another player with his stick. I can't recall the outcome but I don't think he was convicted, although I do recall it went to trial.

Beasts of England said...

I didn’t know Freddie Kitchens was still involved in football. I’d sure have never guessed he’s an NFL head coach.

mccullough said...

If we’re going to look at this from a criminal perspective, the two QB started the fight by trying to grab Garret’s helmet and pull it off. and Garret tried to defend himself before the two other guys attacked him. So all three need to be charged with battery. Garret has a self defense against the attack by three guys. Perhaps he shouldn’t have swung the helmet, but it was 3 on 1.

Also, 53 kicked Garret after he was subdued. So another charge for 53 for aggravated battery.

The NFL is a rough game. Always has been.

People should not watch the NFL.

They should be required instead to read Sarah Dressen’s Young Adult novels.

Generation Snowflake





rcocean said...

No, we don't need to treat it as a crime, since the player wasn't seriously injured. He should be banned for the rest of the season without pay - and half of next season. Why a DT would attack a QB is puzzling. Its not like Garrett can claim he was retaliating for a cheap hit. Funny, he could have just fight him, man to man but had to hit with a helmet. What makes it worse, is Mason had just come back from a concussion.

rcocean said...

The last thing we need is to bring the damn lawyers and judges into it.

mccullough said...

Attempted Murder?

Ridiculous.

Young Adult novel readers shouldn’t watch the NFL. They should stay in mom’s basement.

rcocean said...

I wouldn't call it murder, but it was about the most cowardly, dangerous things I've ever seen on the a football field. It like hitting someone in the head with a bikelock. Add in the fact, Garrett is 272 lbs. and you'll look at an incredible amount of force behind the blow. Its lucky, no serious brain damage occurred.

Plus, Garrett must have known that Mason had just came back from a Concussion. No Jail time, but throw the NFL book at him.

gspencer said...

If a pitcher tries to bean the batter, that's attempted assault. If he actually succeeds it's clear assault. Perhaps not as damaging today as in the days when helmets weren't used.

The problem is one of proof of intent. The pitcher will predictably claim that one pitch "got away," that it was an exception.

In last night's assault/attack, Garrett's efforts were sustained. Intent was as clear as the Jumbotron. He failed to bang Rudolph squarely on the head, but it wasn't for the lack of trying.

traditionalguy said...

The all time insanity of Myles Garrett has to be figured in. The game was over for any purpose. It was 11 seconds left with Pittsburgh behind 14 points running the last play on fourth down and 35 from Pittsburgh's own 20 yard line.

That was when Garrett grabbed Rudolph after he had thrown a shovel pass and wrestled him to the ground and held him there like a cage fighter does after the whistle had blown. Rudolph from under Garrett grabbed at the helmeted head of Garrett like any pinned wrestler would do to get out of the hold. The Garrett grabbed Rudolph's face mask and tore off his helmet. And he went on to attempt to kill the QB.

Garrett was intentionally violating what every NFL rule instituted over the last 15 years commands: Do not injure QBs that are the heart and soul of NFL's popularity. Don't even touch them after the play is over.

Doug said...

Phil said...
I'm not going to defend him, but I am going to state that I am utterly flabbergasted to see this from Myles Garrett. I've been watching him since college, and I would never in a million years have expected anything remotely like this from him. He always seemed to be a good guy. But there's no denying what he did.


Browns fan for 60 years, pretty bad look for the player and the team. Garrett has done nothing like this heretofore in his college and pro career. Seems like a smart, talented athlete. What a shame for him. Cleveland players saying the win " ... feels like a loss".

mccullough said...

The backup QB tried to rip Garret’s helmet off. That’s what started it. What part of The Game allows a QB to rip off a guy’s helmet? He could have broken Garret’s neck. That’s Attempted Murder.

He should be banned for life!!

WK said...

Mason Rudolph didn’t hit himself.

Doug said...

Freddie Kitchens will be fired and Cleveland will renounce Garrett's contract, regardless what the NFL does.

Not gonna happen on this planet, amigo.

Nonapod said...

Maurkice Pouncey (Steelers #53) and his twin brother Mike played at the University of Florida. They were close friends with Tim Tebow and Aaron Hernandez (who was convicted of murder).

While standing up for one's teammate is admirable, Pouncey clearly went waayyy too far. There's a reason soccer kicking another person's head while they down is banned in mixed martial arts.

mccullough said...

Garret is an all pro who was the number 1 pick in 2017. He’s not getting banned for life over a fight started by a back up QB.

Bob Boyd said...

Mason Rudolph didn’t hit himself.

It would have been better for everyone if he had.

Francisco D said...

If we’re going to look at this from a criminal perspective, the two QB started the fight by trying to grab Garret’s helmet and pull it off. and Garret tried to defend himself before the two other guys

Dude,

You do not know what you are talking about. Maybe you should watch the extended video.

Garrett wrestled the QB to the ground AFTER the pass was thrown. That alone is a penalty and ejection from the game. Garrett was a blatant instigator.

Did you see how hard he swung that helmet? One of my stepson's friends posted a video where he broke a wooden chair by swinging a helmet. That kid is half Garrett's size.

Something tells me that mccullough doesn't know much about football and less about common sense.

The Vault Dweller said...

I wonder how many people who are judging him have been in fight? I am not saying what he did was fine, but what occurred seemed pretty much like a fight to me. And I am not saying being in a fight forgives his actions, but have you been in a fight? I have very little tolerance for high-browed cerebral analysis of a situation unless that person has themselves fought another person.

Original Mike said...

No hitting with your costume!

mccullough said...

Dude,

You don’t know what you are talking about. It wasn’t a late hit and Garret pulled him down on top of himself. That’s not a penalty. The backup QB overreacted because he’s frustrated his team was getting beat. It happens. Was very dumb to try and rip off the helmet of Garret.

The NFL is too rough for you.

Stick to Sarah Dressen’s Young Adult Novels.

rcocean said...

Juan Marichal hit Roseborough with a bat in 1960, and he only got suspended for 10 gamea and fined $1,750 (which translates to about $15,000 today). Roseboro would sue and settled with Marichai, for $7,500.

rcocean said...

Fights aren't attempted murder. If you can't fight someone man-to-man with your fists, I suggest you stay out of fights.

mccullough said...

Myles Garrett is 6’4, 270 pounds. The backup QB is 6’5, 235 pounds.

mccullough said...

3 on 1 isn’t Man to Man.

If you try and break someone’s neck by ripping off their helmet because your feelings are hurt because your team is losing, don’t be surprised when that player finishes what you tried to start.

Xmas said...

Garrett performed an ugly tackle on the Steelers QB after the ball had been thrown. (replay starts at 0:59 if the link doesn't automagically take you there)

The QB reacted to being face-planted by the tackler with one arm pinned between his body and the tackler's helmet (see the slomo replay after the full speed replay). The QBs reaction appears to be trying to rip off the tackler's helmet.

traditionalguy said...

Breaking News:The NFL has disbanded the Cleveland Browns, revoked their Franchise and ordered their stadium demolished.

OK.That's fake news.

Ken B said...

Abolish the NFL. This, shitty halftime shows, concussions, Kaepernick.

As a first step, ban football at high schools and public universities, on safety grounds.

Yancey Ward said...

He could have killed the guy had that swing with the helmet connected. Attempted manslaughter- is that a thing?

Ken B said...

rcocean said...
“The last thing we need is to bring the damn lawyers and judges into it.”

Oh hell man. If you can get lawyers and judges smashing each other with helmets I’ll buy season tickets.

mccullough said...

The backup QB could have killed Garret by breaking his neck when he tried to rip off his helmet. He’s 6’5 and 235 pounds.

They both deserve suspensions. So does the guy who kicked Garrett. None of them should be charged with a crime.

Anonymous said...

"Attempted manslaughter- is that a thing?"


Aggravated assault maybe?

mccullough said...

Yes. We must abolish the NFL. And then we must require everyone to read Sarah Dressen’s Young Adult Novels during the times when NFL games had been played.

Or people who don’t like the NFL or football can not watch it or play it.

WWIII Joe Biden, Husk-Puppet + America's Putin said...

One of the many reasons I've tuned out of football.

mockturtle said...

One of the many reasons I've tuned out of football.

I tuned out for a year or two but I'm watching again. Too many penalties and too many injuries, though. Again, players today are too big, too solid and too fast not to do damage to one another. But let's let the NFL rules prevail and leave the law out of it.

curt said...

I watch little tiny kids play tackle football in full uniforms every weekend. And wonder what their parents are thinking.

mockturtle said...

Remember the book, "They Call Me Assassin"? Jack Tatum was a free safety whose hard [but legal] hit paralyzed a wide receiver for life. The book calls for more stringent safety measures but Tatum admits that he was being paid to hit hard and that there is a disconnect between concerns for player safety and signing hard-hitting defensive backs.

JAORE said...

Criminal? give me a break. ever watch a fist fight during a hockey game?

Yep,lots of fist fights, no criminal charges. But there HAVE been arrests when a player used his stick in a fight.

Swinging the helmet is the tipping point.

rcocean said...

"I watch little tiny kids play tackle football in full uniforms every weekend. And wonder what their parents"

Little kids rarely get seriously injured playing tackle football. They're simply too small and too slow to cause serious injury. There's a big difference between a 200 lbs man going at 4.4/40 speed hitting you, and 110 lbs kid going at 7.0/40 speed.

rcocean said...

First we need to abolish soccer. its a wussy boring sport that's turning America into Euro wimps.

traditionalguy said...

The commenters today seem to think this was standard football fighting. That's wrong.The NFL players are the first to condemn this helmet slam on the skull. They need an accepted boundary in the game or its a gang war with weapons and half of them would die every game.

Original Mike said...

I didn't find the initial tackle of the quarterback to be that egregious. Penalty, but not sufficient to result in what followed.

Yancey Ward said...

Mary,

She will just delete your comments and return us to moderation. Why do you persist?

Hagar said...

If you get paid to play, it is a gladiator game, not sports.
However, getting angry over violence in a gladiator game certainly is unprofessional.

Anonymous said...

You and your generation made this Ann. Happy?

Francisco D said...

It wasn’t a late hit and Garret pulled him down on top of himself. That’s not a penalty.

Pretty clear evidence that the commenter has no idea of what he talking about and likely saw only a few seconds of the play.

There is really no point in arguing with someone who is clueless.

0_0 said...

You don't violate the Lyle Alzado Rule to hit a friggin' quarterback.

mccullough said...

Francisco D said Garrett, at 6’4 and 270 is “twice the size” of the backup, who is 6’5 and 235. Another ridiculous comment showing he doesn’t know what he’s talking about.

It wasn’t a late hit and Garrett pulled the backup on top of himself. That’s not a penalty.

The backup then tried to rip Garrett’s helmet off. That’s not Part of the Game. It’s very dangerous. QBs don’t do that to DEs.

Both players overreacted. So did 53 who kicked Garrett. No one got hurt.

Suspensions will be handed out. Garrett makes about $7.5 million a season. He’s all pro. The backup makes $680,000.

Garrett will lose more money than the backup.



mccullough said...

65 on the Browns also pushed The Helmetless Backup down toward the end of the fight.

So He Must Be Arrested and Charged with Battery!!

Achilles said...

God damn what a bunch of wusses.

The country is doomed if you are all going to get the vapors over something like this.

Mason Rudolph clearly started that fight. Garret was trying to tackle him. Rudolph was on top when he started trying to tear Garret's helmet off. Garret succeeded in pulling the other helmet off.

Standard fight. Garret did break the rule of no pulling helmets off.

In high school our football team had a thing called mad minute. They would pair everyone off and we would fight for a minute.

God watching you bitches whine and moan about this is depressing.

mockturtle said...

Achilles, what comments have you been reading? I haven't seen it.

Anne in Rockwall, TX said...

I looked and looked and could not find out what a hockey player "Pearl Harboring another player with his stick" means. Enlighten me, please!

mccullough said...

Achilles,

Well said. Total overreaction to the fight.

Perhaps they can try back peddling while swinging a helmet at someone with a large, heavily padded person in between pushing them instead of making shit up.

langford peel said...

What’s the big deal?

This is par for the course in the National Felons Leauge.

He just brought the knockout game to the NFL. The only difference is he didn’t pick on an elderly Jewish man the way most of these cowardly animals do when they want to act out.

You can’t expect anything else when you follow a black sport like football. You have no reason to complain. If you visit the monkey house you are going to get feces thrown at you.

Anonymous said...

The “Lyle Allzado Rule”. Now there was an ———hole. I remember him tearing off Chris Wards helmet. Still, felt bad for Alzado at the end. People are way overreacting. Suspend everyone. Calm down. It’s football.

Kevin said...

"It's actually in the rulebook, where it says that you cannot take a player's helmet off and use it as a weapon."

So the playing field is an actual helmet-as-a-weapon-free zone?

Anne in Rockwall, TX said...

You twit.

FullMoon said...

I thought we were all boycotting NFL.

tim in vermont said...

It looked like the QB was doing something to his helmet during the tackle. Something that didn’t look normal to me.

OK: "The backup then tried to rip Garrett’s helmet off. That’s not Part of the Game. It’s very dangerous. QBs don’t do that to DEs.”

Yep.

tim in vermont said...

"I have seen hockey players charged criminally w/ assault for using their sticks.”

I am pretty sure I have, but I can’t remember, and I know, links or it didn’t happen.

Doug said...

Police have not been called to investigate because QB Mason Rudolph did not file a police report before returning to Pittsburgh:

https://www.cleveland.com/court-justice/2019/11/why-browns-defensive-end-myles-garrett-isnt-under-criminal-investigation-for-attacking-the-steelers-mason-rudolph.html

Original Mike said...

The Browns and Steelers again play each other on Dec. 1 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh.

Skippy Tisdale said...

"Now at least, you understand what a Pearl Harbor attack (in any context, sports, military, or otherwise) means."

Thanks! Now help us to understand what a Cleveland Steamer is. Again, much thanks!

stevew said...

Marty McSorley (Boston Bruins) hit and seriously injured Donald Brashear in the head with his stick. McSorley was suspended by the league and charged with assault with a deadly weapon. He was tried in British Columbia and convicted. McSorley did not do jail time, 18 months probation.

stevew said...

https://thenhl.fandom.com/wiki/The_Donald_Brashear-Marty_McSorley_Incident

frenchie said...

That line from Apocalypse Now about being like "handing out speeding tickets in the Indy 500" seems apropos here.

Achilles said...

stevew said...
Marty McSorley (Boston Bruins) hit and seriously injured Donald Brashear in the head with his stick. McSorley was suspended by the league and charged with assault with a deadly weapon. He was tried in British Columbia and convicted. McSorley did not do jail time, 18 months probation.

What McSorely did was completely different than what Garret did and complete bullshit. He hit another man from behind who was completely unaware in the head with his stick.

Garret was being attacked by someone who tried to tear his helmet off and 2 of his friends who jumped in to help.

Garret should not have used the helmet. But Mason Rudolph started that fight.

McSorely never should have made it off that rink conscious.

The two situations are tangentially similar at best.

mockturtle said...

The Browns and Steelers again play each other on Dec. 1 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh.

Uh-oh.

Original Mike said...

BTW, Garrett has been suspended for the rest of the season.

stevew said...

@Achilles - Don't confuse me with the folks arguing for Garrett to be criminally charged. I posted that info about McSorley in response to Skylark's question.

stevew said...

What about pitchers in baseball that throw at batters? Usually not an act born of the passion of the moment, like Garrett's, more often premeditated and so, to me, worse.

Jon Ericson said...

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mccullough said...

Garrett is appealing his suspension. As are the other players suspended.

When this story goes away soon, the suspensions will be reduced.

Original Mike said...

My prediction is Garrett suspension will not be reduced, but history certainly argues otherwise.

mockturtle said...

Stevew observes: What about pitchers in baseball that throw at batters? Usually not an act born of the passion of the moment, like Garrett's, more often premeditated and so, to me, worse.

IIRC, Roger Clemens was a notorious premeditated beanball thrower.

Jim at said...

I'm so glad I stopped watching this crap a couple years ago when they went all political. Didn't even know this happened until it showed up on the news this morning.

It's amazing how much time I used to spend watching, and how easy it was to find other things to do instead.

bagoh20 said...

It was a protest against racism, a political expression against the violence inherent in the system.

Francisco D said...

Garret should not have used the helmet. But Mason Rudolph started that fight.

Do you mean by letting Garrett tackle him after the ball was already thrown?

Tricky devil that Mason Rudolph.

mccullough said...

Francisco D,

Pass rushers can finish tackling the QB if they are in the act of tackling him as he releases the ball. It happens all the time and is not penalized.

The NFL is too rough for some people’s tastes. Those people should stick to Young Adult Fiction. It’s easier to comprehend than the rules of football.



Francisco D said...

God watching you bitches whine and moan about this is depressing.

Did you ever play organized tackle football?

If you had or if you had been paying attention, jerking off someone's helmet is taboo. When the helmet comes off (by accident or on purpose) everyone backs away. The action stops.

Garrett's behavior was way, way over the top. He could have killed Rudolph if Rudolph had not slipped and had his teammates had not jostled Garrett, thus avoiding a head-on smack from the crown of the helmet. That was assault with a deadly weapon.

Watching internet tough guys pump themselves up is hilarious.

Jon Ericson said...

Remy weighs in

mccullough said...

For Young Adult fiction fans who don’t watch NFL football, last season the rules were changed so that it is a penalty if a pass rusher lands on top of a QB during a sack (or attempted sack).

That’s why Garrett pulled the backup down on top of himself.

That was a clean play.

Francisco D said...

Pass rushers can finish tackling the QB if they are in the act of tackling him as he releases the ball. It happens all the time and is not penalized.

The NFL is too rough for some people’s tastes. Those people should stick to Young Adult Fiction. It’s easier to comprehend than the rules of football.


You need to stop reading little girl books and start watching football. That was clearly unnecessary roughness when he tackled the QB. The refs are very strict about protecting QBs because they are usually the most important player on the field and the hardest to replace.

You seem to be doubling down on dumb by adding ignorance to the mix.

tim in vermont said...

"Do you mean by letting Garrett tackle him after the ball was already thrown?”

Watch it more closely. He is doing something to Garrett’s helmet with his hands before it all starts. I am not defending Garrett, but it’s always easier to spot the retaliation.

mccullough said...

If the backup didn’t want his helmet “jerked off” then he shouldn’t have tried to “jerk off” Garrett’s helmet.

Also, the backup should not have charged Garrett after his teammates rescued him.

The backup was stupid.



reader said...

Ken B said

Oh hell man. If you can get lawyers and judges smashing each other with helmets I’ll buy season tickets.

This is pretty close, so here you go.

FOX News - An alcohol-fueled evening in May that resulted in two Indiana county-level judges being shot in a White Castle parking lot has resulted in the two male judges, plus a female judge, being suspended without pay, according to reports.


https://www.fox13news.com/news/3-indiana-judges-suspended-without-pay-after-white-castle-shooting-incident

mccullough said...

Francisco,

You are the idiot who said Garrett was “twice the size” of the backup. You also keep calling a clean play “unnecessary roughness.”

You also keep ignoring that the backup tried to rip Garret’s helmet off first. That’s what started it. Ever have a guy who is 6’5 and 235 pounds try to break your neck by ripping off your helmet?

No.

Neither did your “stepson’s friend.”




Jon Ericson said...

Myles Garret news

Original Mike said...

"Garrett's behavior was way, way over the top."

That's why I don't think the suspension will be reduced. The league needs to to draw a line. OTOH, they've never shown a spine in the past.

Francisco D said...

You are the idiot who said Garrett was “twice the size” of the backup

mccullough fails elementary reading comprehension and sees what he wants to see because he imagines himself as a tough guy. LOL!

I said the kid (my stepson's friend) who made a video swinging a helmet to break a wooden chair was half the size of Garrett. I never commented on the respective sizes of the two players. The issue is Garrett's assault with a deadly weapon. Whether he was angered by Rudolph is not relevant.

Go back to your little girl books, sonny. The dumb macho act is annoying.

Known Unknown said...

"My prediction is Garrett suspension will not be reduced, but history certainly argues otherwise."

Probably cut from indefinite to the final 6 games and any possible playoff game. He will be back in 2020.

RobinGoodfellow said...

“ Blogger Nonapod said...
Maurkice Pouncey (Steelers #53) and his twin brother Mike played at the University of Florida. They were close friends with Tim Tebow and Aaron Hernandez (who was convicted of murder). ”

Many people played with Hernandez. Only Hernandez is responsible for his crimes.

Your comment doesn’t make any sense.

Achilles said...

Francisco D said...
God watching you bitches whine and moan about this is depressing.

Did you ever play organized tackle football?

I did. If you read my post your would have seen the mention of it.

If you had or if you had been paying attention, jerking off someone's helmet is taboo. When the helmet comes off (by accident or on purpose) everyone backs away. The action stops.

Mason Rudolph was the first person to go after Garret's helmet. He clearly started it. Fortunately for him he was too weak to get Garret's helmet off. Garret was not so fortunate when he retaliated.

Garrett's behavior was way, way over the top. He could have killed Rudolph if Rudolph had not slipped and had his teammates had not jostled Garrett, thus avoiding a head-on smack from the crown of the helmet. That was assault with a deadly weapon.

Watching internet tough guys pump themselves up is hilarious.


Internet tough guy? Ok.

Could have killed him? There were 3 Steelers attacking him. You call this "josteld." You are pathetic. Watch the video and get off your high horse.

Rudolph started the fight then 2 linemen jumped in. This was a multiple attacker situation.

Over the top? You haven't seen real violence. That was a joke. In multiple attacker situations shit happens.

You people are being absolutely ridiculous. Our society is being turned into a bunch of weaklings.

AZ Bob said...

The other guy started it.

True. But was Garrett's mode of self defense reasonable under the circumstances? I don't see a criminal case arising out of this.

Besides would a Cleveland prosecutor file such a case?

purplepenquin said...

What's the over/under on how many times the word "thug" will appear in this thread?

Whatever it is, pretty safe bet to put money on the "over"...afterall, those dog-whistles ain't gonna blow themselves!

Francisco D said...

You people are being absolutely ridiculous. Our society is being turned into a bunch of weaklings.

What are you overcompensating for, internet tough guy?

Do you drive a big honking truck to make up for other deficiencies?

If you ever played (not sat on the bench) for a HS or college football team, you would understand why players and coaches were horrified at what happened. Almost ZERO current and past players support your view of the incident. Players have condemned Garrett's actions more than other commentators.

tim in vermont said...

You piss off a guy who is twice as strong as you by getting cute, which is what the QB did, shit happens. Now call a cop? Please. You know what cops do when fights start and the guy who instigated it complains? They look the other way.

FullMoon said...

Rough tackle at meaningless time.
Shocked QB reflexively reacts by grabbing Garrets helmet.
Shocked Garret reflexively reacts by smacking QB.

Should have ended there. Simple.


Francisco D said...

Whatever it is, pretty safe bet to put money on the "over"...afterall, those dog-whistles ain't gonna blow themselves!

What was the over/under for when the race card would be dealt?

I figured 24 hours.

Remember Penguin, if you hear the dog whistle, you must be the mutt.

Jon Ericson said...

"Last night, I made a terrible mistake," Garrett said in a statement issued Friday. "I lost my cool and what I did was selfish and unacceptable. I know that we are all responsible for our actions, and I can only prove my true character through my actions moving forward.

"I want to apologize to Mason Rudolph, my teammates, our entire organization, our fans and to the NFL. I know I have to be accountable for what happened, learn from my mistake, and I fully intend to do so."

tim in vermont said...

He should apologize. It’s the grownup thing to do. What he did was wrong, inexcusable. He doesn’t need to be lawyering about what the other guy did. But that guy should be apologizing too. There was more than one bad actor on the field.

rcocean said...

BTW, Myles Garrett was also responsible for a dirty late hit that broke the NY Jets QB ankle. People have accused Rudolph of "starting it". Actually, Garrett "started it" by a let hit on Rudolph (he would've been penalized), with 14 seconds to go, and trying to drive Rudolph into the ground.

Quite rightly Rudolph was upset and grabbed Garret's helmet, after which Myles went bat-shit. ESPN's Steven Smith, who I usually respect, sides with punishing Garrett, but then tried to make it a Race issue. Y'see Garrett is a BLACK MAN in a WHITE MAN'S WORLD, and we're supposed to somehow, give him a pass or something. Fuck that noise.

rcocean said...

Nice he apologized, after the fact. He had little choice. But he still needs to be punished -severely. He should not only be suspended for the rest of the season, he should be made to sit out the first 4-5 games of next season. IF he'd pull this shit in Season Game 3, he'd have been suspended for the next 13 games. Don't give him a lesser punishment because this happened with 6 games to go.

TheOne Who Is Not Obeyed said...

McCollough doesn't seem to have the ability to view video clips of the incident, which would explain his absolute torture of describing what happened prior to and during the helment incident.

1. Rudolph throws the pass just before Garrett wraps his arms around him. At that exact moment, NFL rules protecting quarterbacks requires the defender (Garrett) to stop his action;
2. Garrett pulls Rudolph to the ground. Clearly roughing the passer, as there was no valid football reason to make that move since it was not initiated prior to the pass and the ball had already been thrown;
3. Garrett is holding on to Rudolph, preventing him from getting up to get ready for the next play. That should have been delay of game;
4. In the process of trying to disengage, Rudolph pushed on Garrett's facemask; there was no grasping, twisting, or pulling;
5. You can't break someone's neck by pulling off their helmet, not sure why McCullough keeps repeating that, since it takes a lot more force to break a neck than someone can leverage from the front while the intended victim's head is on the ground and can't be levered backwards;
6. Both players get up and a Steelers offensive lineman (Pouncey) attacks Garrett; note that at this point, Garrett has already pulled off Rudolph's helmet and is holding it in his right hand while Pouncey pushes Garrett backwards and Rudolph is next to Pouncey (but not touching Garrett);
7. Garrett swings the helmet with his right hand and with his arm fully extended, with full rotation upward from the right toward the left and toward Rudolph. It looks astoundingly like the motion of the arm when swinging an axe, and with just as much apparent force;
8. Garrett is amazingly lucky he didn't actually make full contact with Rudolph's head, the blow would probably have done serious damage and would have been seen as a criminal act by more than us panty-waists who accept that there are limits placed on the violence in football.

McCollough has this weird obsession with "the backup" - as if he doesn't have a name. Here's the reality of the NFL: It doesn't matter "who started it", and yet it is pretty clear that Garrett started it. "Who started it" doesn't figure in to how the incidents are punished - it only matters what an individual player did to another player.

McCullough probably also cheered the Toledo player who sent a receiver to the hospital with a dirty hit. Must be something about Ohio football.....

Mark said...

Having seen a better video of the incident, Rudolph should be suspended too for a couple of games for attempting to pull off Garrett's helmet - and for being a whiny p***y in putting his hands up after Garrett took the swing at him.

Francisco D said...

Who knows what the NFL will do to Garrett after they have made a final decision. There is a lot to consider.

A "mitigating" factor is the race angle. If they punish Garrett harshly, the race baiters will crawl out of the woodwork. Purple Penguin has already started.

What if Garrett is reinstated and does the same thing three years from now? Then he really connects and the other guy has a serious brain injury. What would the NFL's legal liability be then?

This incident will not be soon forgotten.

TheOne Who Is Not Obeyed said...

Oops! Correction time! The offensive lineman in the beginning sequence was DeCastro, not Pouncey. The Times regrets the error.

FullMoon said...

What's the over/under on how many times the word "thug" will appear in this thread?


As describing bad behavior?About .03% so far.

FullMoon said...

This incident will not be soon forgotten.

School shooting with dead and crippled kids.

Yesterday's news.

mccullough said...

When you have to use the word “clearly” then that’s a giveaway that it is not clear.

It’s one-tenth of a second between when the backup releases the ball and Garrett wraps his arms around him. His momentum was already carrying him into the passer. There is no way for Garrett to even know if the QB released the ball at that point, much less stop his momentum. Garret pulled the backup on top of himself because it’s roughness to land on top of a QB after last year’s rule change. So that’s the technique now used. It was a clean play.

The reason he doesn’t let the QB up right away is the reason no good pass rusher does: he may have thrown an interception and by not letting him up for a few seconds he prevents the QB from tackling a teammate who has intercepted the ball. This is never called as a delay of game. Never.

The backup knows all of this. He’s just pissed because he’s a backup who is not making the most of his opportunity. He threw 4 interceptions in the game. He’s not going to be on the league much longer and he knows it.

So he picks a fight with an All Pro player. A number one draft pick. Because he’s frustrated. And he wants people to know who he is. Since he can’t get famous by being a good player, he’s lashing out at someone who is a very good player.


Francisco D said...

School shooting with dead and crippled kids. Yesterday's news.

I would normally agree with you, but let's put it in context.

People who watch and/or play football will not soon forget. It will be discussed for a while. Behavior will be monitored more closely by refs, thus ruining the flow of the game.

My wife is a teacher and is constantly reminded of school shootings because schools prepare people to deal with them. I think the training is to run, hide and scream. No guns for self-defense are allowed.

mccullough said...

The backup “was next to Pouncey” because the backup ran after Garrett. It’s disingenuous to ignore this. His two teammates rescued him but then he ran after Garrett.

mccullough said...

The backup also kicked Garrett in the balls.

alanc709 said...

mccullough apparently is following the dems playbook and indulging his bias.

alanc709 said...

Current suspension for Garrett is indefinite, to the end of the season. Pouncey suspended 3 games. Oladipo or whatever his name 1 game for joining the fight. Each team fined $250k, NFL says more to come.

mccullough said...

Alanc709,

No one was hurt. It was a fight at the end of a football game. It’s silly to talk about Attempted Murder or any criminal charges. The police and prosecutors have better stuff to do than sort out a fight in a football game in which no one was hurt.

It is ridiculous how litigious our society is to even mention it. No one was hurt. It was a fight.

The guy who is getting the biggest punishment from the league is the highest paid guy involved in the fight. He makes more than 10 times the amount that the guy who started the fight makes. The guy who started it is a backup QB who will be out of the league soon because he isn’t good enough to play in the NFL. Most people who play in the NFL only play for a few years.

That you bring up politics in your post about a football fight is also ridiculous.

There are a lot of whiners in this commentariat.

walter said...

Helmet violence!

FullMoon said...

It is ridiculous how litigious our society is to even mention it. No one was hurt. It was a fight.

Rumor is backup gonna sue Browns because they hurt his feelings by intercepting so many passes..

Like I said, rumor, so may not be true..

FullMoon said...

PurpleGang wonders:What's the over/under on how many times the word "thug" will appear in this thread?


As describing bad behavior?

0.02298850574712645 %

Mark said...

Nice he apologized, after the fact.

??

You think he should have apologized before the fact?

Marcus Bressler said...

There was no call for unnecessary roughness on tackling the backup. So it wasn't. Stop pretending it was.

We call them "thugs" because they think they be "gangstas". They really be thugs when some behaviors show up but they be wannabe gangstas.

Read all the dog whistles in that you want, bitch.

THEOLDMAN

minnesota farm guy said...

I lettered in three sports in college so I have been in competitive situations. What Garret did is so far outside the bounds of sports that it should be treated as criminal behavior. Garrett committed an assault with a deadly weapon on an opposing player. At the very least he should be permanently banned from the NFL and, I believe, that criminal charges should be brought against him. There is absolutely no excuse for Garret's actions.

Achilles said...

Francisco D said...
You people are being absolutely ridiculous. Our society is being turned into a bunch of weaklings.

What are you overcompensating for, internet tough guy?

Do you drive a big honking truck to make up for other deficiencies?

If you ever played (not sat on the bench) for a HS or college football team, you would understand why players and coaches were horrified at what happened. Almost ZERO current and past players support your view of the incident. Players have condemned Garrett's actions more than other commentators.


I am just pointing out you are being a douche. You are the one throwing out stupid childish insults.

No point in engaging douches.

I am pointing out to everyone else there were multiple bad actors on the field.

Garret shouldn't have hit Rudolph with his helmet.

Rudolph deserved to bit hit.

Deal with it.

Guildofcannonballs said...

The Todd Bertuzzi–Steve Moore incident
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Todd_Bertuzzi%E2%80%93Steve_Moore_incident
In the first period, Steve Moore of the Avalanche fought Matt Cooke of the Canucks and served a 5-minute major penalty for fighting. The Avalanche would go on to build up a large lead in a fight-filled game. Late in the third period, Todd Bertuzzi was sent onto the ice for Vancouver. After failing to instigate Moore to fight, Bertuzzi skated after Moore, grabbed his jersey and punched him in the back of the head, knocking him unconscious. Bertuzzi landed on top of him, driving Moore face first into the ice followed by Moore's teammate Andrei Nikolishin and Bertuzzi's teammate Sean Pronger. Moore was knocked out and lay motionless for ten minutes before being carried off on a stretcher.[1] The combination of the hit, fall, and piling-on had resulted in three fractured neck vertebrae, facial cuts and a concussion.[2] The incident ended Moore's professional hockey career, and resulted in criminal assault charges against Bertuzzi, and a civil lawsuit against Bertuzzi and the Canucks.

On August 19, 2014, it was reported the civil trial ended with all parties agreeing to a confidential settlement.[3]

Achilles said...

For fucks sake just look at the video thumbnail.

Rudolph is cranking Garret's helmet around with both hands. If you want to talk about assault with a deadly weapon then start thinking about twisting someone's head with the leverage of a helmet. Then watch the video. Rudolph tries to take off Garret's helmet and almost succeeds.

Garret responds and pulls his helmet off.

Then while Garret is backing away being pushed back by 2 other Steelers Rudolph chases him down and attacks him again.

Garret shouldn't have swung the helmet because it would get him kicked out.

But Rudolph was asking for and deserved an ass whuppin.

The outrage directed at Garret is ridiculous. It is the result of group think and a fear derived of misunderstanding because people are so removed from actual violence they can't really understand what they see.

mccullough said...

Assault with a Deadly Weapon?

Ridiculous.

Garrett was backpedaling as he was getting pushed by another large pro football player when he swung the helmet. He hit the backup so hard with The Deadly Weapon that that the backup threw his hands up and looked around for the recess monitor like a whiny 10 year old on the playground. Garrett’s teammate then pushed the backup down for his childish gesturing.

This was a fight. No one got hurt.

The over-reaction by people to a fight among pro athletes in a contact sport is fucking absurd.




Ken B said...

Achilles
I am quite content with charging both of them. And suspending them for the rest of the year. You make a good case they are both lawless thugs.

Blair said...

Make Football Rugby Again.