He did keep his head up facing the target but it still a natural reaction in a high speed collision to turn your head away on contact it's a reaction and often head to head hits are because both players are reacting by turning away and the heads hit. That's not a dirty play it happens in almost every game. Wasn't Coles Up in the air and didn't he get hit in the chin?
Throwing the red flag would just lose us a challnge at that point , if it was reviewable. What are refs meant to do every time they feel a hit is too hefty , call it? As you said the helmet law was violated , but it was the viciousness of the tackle , the force used was to put it mildly ,excessive. Most sports it seems are now reviewed after games have finished and 'dirty' players are brought to book , some may feel they are harshly treated , eg; Eric Bartons supposed late hit , whilst others like ZT have been caught red handed. I think the league is spot on on this.
Only the player who is making the tackle can prevent helmet to helmet hits. In that circumstance it makes sense to force them to modify their play style to avoid that type of hit. The simplest answer would of course be to teach tackling styles in which the head was never lowered during the tackle. I'm guessing that that is the direction the NFL is moving and that in five years you will see players tackling purely with their shoulders and very sensitive to head position. They got rid of the below the knees block from behind because it was dangerous. Then they got rid of the below the knees block from the front because it was dangerous. Progressive rules modifications designed to keep NFL players relatively safe in an environment in which they were becoming larger and larger and less safe every year. There are a hundred different ways in which the rules have changed to protect the players over the years and each and every one of them has provoked howls of protest from all sides that the NFL was ruining the game. Every year the NFL sets a new revenue record. Somehow I think they know what they're doing.
I thought the spearing on Klingon Washington the previous play was far worse. Easily helmet to helmet. WTF. Am I alone on this? Will be highlight film everywhere, but should have been 15 yards. Why has there been no talk on this hit? Because it wasn't Thomas on Coles? WTF
Who cares about this. I was there and the hit was right in front of me. It looked clean at first and then the replay showed the H to H. I do not think it was an overt attempt to hurt a player. It looked like a situation that any LB or Safety dreams off......... A floated pass that required the receiver to become a sitting duck to catch the ball. Hate on Thomas bacause he plays for the stinking dolphins ( which suck btw) not because he is dirty.
Yes, exactly true... During tackling drills in football, if we put our face towards the ground while blocking or tackling and the coach saw it, we had to run.. Every time... That's not only considered dirty... It was considered stupid....
I think he is appealling it more out of a Players Union thing rather than the amount of the money. $7,500 for him is like a Big Mac for you and me. In his position and playing at his level, it would be hard to go an entire season without getting a couple of those fines.
he was comming down from a short hop. when i saw the hit, it looked like he was charging at coles full steam looking at coles' feet. part of ZT helmet got LC in his chin, which they had to slap some gauze on there to sort of control the bleeding. calls like this are judgement calls though...and everybody is going to take something a bit different from what they see. the NFL has a responsibility to stay on top of this though, and let players know what and where the line in the sand is. imo thats what the fine is about.
i still didn't think the hit was dirty...w.e. i have alot of respect for zach, hes one of the more underrated guys at his position. I'm sure it wasn't intentional.
Good Thomas is a POS. He ran off the field laughing and screaming. Coles looked like he was out cold and ZT is running off the field laughing. What a prick.
how is he underrated? maybe his first few seasons, but since then him and taylor are the face of their D.
Exactly!! Cole's is laid out face down and this bag of douche is running around celebrating even after it's clear Cole's is injured... Then the half a fag goes to the sideline and has a good ol' knee slapin' good time explaining it to his bag of douche coach who, thinks it's just a hoot!!!
He led w/ the helmet, that's illegal in any league from Pop warner to the NFL. On every helmet there is a warning sticker about spearing, it's dangerous for the tackler and the player being tackled.
http://forums.theganggreen.com/showthread.php?t=14349&highlight=Hobson+sack Here's how I see it. We act like whiny bitches when our players make a play that's against the rules but when a hated rival makes a tough play we scream foul. The fact is the Refs and the players don't fully get it. The problem is a fine later doesn't change the incorrect game changing call on the field. It should be reveiwable and if the Head Ref on the field doesn't over rule than that should be the end of it. In the NBA the refs control the action. Some refs call touch fouls some refs don't and the players adjust. In the NFL personal fouls that are and aren't called effect the game dramatically. Fining a player after the fact doesn't change the outcome, a blown call does.
Are saying the Hobson sack on Brady was dirty or against the rules and if so was equal to the cheap shot Thomas took on Coles? I hope not.
