[OT NFL] The Garrett/Rudolph Fiasco

[Bolt-O]

[jamrock]

Wow! Kind of surprised Pouncey got 3 games.

[SDBORN]

Figured Pouncey would get 2 or 3 game suspension as well. Throwing the punches and then kicking while someone is on the ground will always get some sort of suspension, no matter the initial reason.

[jamrock]

Pittsburgh was probably hoping Rudolph would get a couple of games. Piss poor performance last night

[captaind]

Figured Pouncey would get 2 or 3 game suspension as well. Throwing the punches and then kicking while someone is on the ground will always get some sort of suspension, no matter the initial reason.

At the same time, I don’t blame him. He’ll be lauded as a hero in his own locker room.

[jamrock]

Figured Pouncey would get 2 or 3 game suspension as well. Throwing the punches and then kicking while someone is on the ground will always get some sort of suspension, no matter the initial reason.

Yeah, the kicks probably did it. Otherwise, he did what every NFL fan wants their team to do when the QB is attacked.

[pacstud]

Not surprised, but disappointed in the majority's opinion on last night. My thoughts:

• This is 100% Rudolph's fault. He literally started the entire melee. Not only did he start it, he did so in EVERY BIT AS UNACCEPTABLE A FASHION AS GARRETT. He literally tried to break Garrett's neck. Fuck that. I'll go further, there's a race element (sorry, not true for everyone, but for many). If a black player had try to snap the neck of a white player, and that white player had responded as Garrett did the national narrative would be different.
• "Assault"? WHAT THE FUCK!?!? The entire premise of football is assault. This may be the dumbest of all the dumb shit I'm reading.
• Garrett's initial response was commensurate (though equally unacceptable) as Rudolph's. You try to rip my helmet/head off, I try to rip yours off. At this point, Rudolph is instigator, Garrett responded...give em both 15 and move on.
• Garrett gets separated by TWO Stealer linemen and he essentially stops as would the situation had not...
• Rudolph attacks him AGAIN with the old "hold me back" bullshit now that he has two linemen on Garrett and it's THREE ON ONE (normally you pay extra for that )
• Garrett then makes his fateful mistake and America is aghast. Horseshit. Yeah, he shouldn't have done it but it's a reaction to THREE people coming at him....one of whom has already tried to rip his head off.
• Pouncey then does what, imo, is WORSE than what Garrett did. Not the punches, those were ok based on the escalation (still dumb and punishable of course)...but the kicks. Those are arguably the most chicken shit thing you can do in a fight in football.
• But make no mistake, Rudolph is BY FAR the most culpable, but as a QB (and yes, as a white one) he will receive little to no punishment.
• I was pleased that NFLN and some former players are agreeing with me. Garrett did wrong, but Rudolph is the instigator of the whole thing.
• The media's narrative is fucked and racist....and I do NOT play the race card nor am I a "bleeding heart"...quite the opposite but I'll call this one like I see it.

Flame away!

[pacstud]

Yeah, the kicks probably did it. Otherwise, he did what every NFL fan wants their team to do when the QB is attacked.

By that logic Cleveland's defenders should have head stomped Rudolph, or at least punched him?

[SDBORN]

For the NFL it's more about player safety and sending a message about violence these days (their image) . So I fully expected Pouncey suspension. They're not gonna tolerate that kind of behavior regardless of how it started or escalation etc.

You lose your cool, you get a suspension. Severity will depend on the level of infraction.

So really not all that surprising. I agree that the steelers locker room will see Pouncey as a hero even if the NFL doesn't.

[pacstud]

For the NFL it's more about player safety and sending a message about violence these days (their image) . So I fully expected Pouncey suspension. They're not gonna tolerate that kind of behavior regardless of how it started or escalation etc.

You lose your cool, you get a suspension. Severity will depend on the level of infraction.

So really not all that surprising. I agree that the steelers locker room will see Pouncey as a hero even if the NFL doesn't.

But if you break a five year old's arm...and are fast enough?

This is all about image and the league is screwing over Garrett for that reason alone.

I'm more pissed that Rudolph has been suspended yet.

Pouncey and Rudolph should both be banned for as long as Garrett is.

[WindsorUK]

Garret’s days is in Cleveland may be over after last night.
Sounds as if his teammates weren’t really thrilled how he reacted. Might be tough for him to regain any stature in that locker room.
Interesting to see how it plays out.

[SDBORN]

Not surprised, but disappointed in the majority's opinion on last night. My thoughts:

• This is 100% Rudolph's fault. He literally started the entire melee. Not only did he start it, he did so in EVERY BIT AS UNACCEPTABLE A FASHION AS GARRETT. He literally tried to break Garrett's neck. Fuck that. I'll go further, there's a race element (sorry, not true for everyone, but for many). If a black player had try to snap the neck of a white player, and that white player had responded as Garrett did the national narrative would be different.
• "Assault"? WHAT THE FUCK!?!? The entire premise of football is assault. This may be the dumbest of all the dumb shit I'm reading.
• Garrett's initial response was commensurate (though equally unacceptable) as Rudolph's. You try to rip my helmet/head off, I try to rip yours off. At this point, Rudolph is instigator, Garrett responded...give em both 15 and move on.
• Garrett gets separated by TWO Stealer linemen and he essentially stops as would the situation had not...
• Rudolph attacks him AGAIN with the old "hold me back" bullshit now that he has two linemen on Garrett and it's THREE ON ONE (normally you pay extra for that )
• Garrett then makes his fateful mistake and America is aghast. Horseshit. Yeah, he shouldn't have done it but it's a reaction to THREE people coming at him....one of whom has already tried to rip his head off.
• Pouncey then does what, imo, is WORSE than what Garrett did. Not the punches, those were ok based on the escalation (still dumb and punishable of course)...but the kicks. Those are arguably the most chicken shit thing you can do in a fight in football.
• But make no mistake, Rudolph is BY FAR the most culpable, but as a QB (and yes, as a white one) he will receive little to no punishment.
• I was pleased that NFLN and some former players are agreeing with me. Garrett did wrong, but Rudolph is the instigator of the whole thing.
• The media's narrative is fucked and racist....and I do NOT play the race card nor am I a "bleeding heart"...quite the opposite but I'll call this one like I see it.

Flame away!

The NFL is all about player safety these days. The helmet symbolizing something the NFL has been trying to perfect as the main protection agent for the player against essentially brain damage - something for which the NFL has had a bad rap for a long while.

When Garrett ripped the helmet off Rudolph's head and then used that defense agent as a weapon against a defenseless player that took it to a whole new level. And he hit him on the one area that defense agent is supposed to protect.

Rudolph smartly stopped right there and threw his hands up. Got knocked down again with no helmet on and did nothing. In sports often the initiator gets away with it. In this case I'm not really sure how it all really started, but once that point of no return is reached, the league throws the book at you.