[OT NFL] The Garrett/Rudolph Fiasco

[jamrock]

I don't know what a "red line" is. I lol at the first part though.

It's also not about equating, it's about inaugurating. Rudolph made the transition from football to fighting.

Using the helmet as a weapon.

[FoutsFan]

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!

No flame, you make a lot of valid points. The only thing I would extrapolate on is Garrett from an optics point of view was the worst. We live in an Instagram .GIF society unfortunately and Rudolph barking away and instigating does not make a WOW .GIF like hitting someone with a helmet. 99% of the people will not do a deep dive like you did but will watch the .GIF and scream OMG the NFL has to do something! The NFL did something and it was a reaction to the masses.

[Boltdiehard]

They play each other again in 17 days.

opcorn:

[Boltdiehard]

ESPN was almost gagging they were so shocked last night! Please Americans are beating the fuck out of each other for chicken sandwiches for fucks sake.

I love it when the NFL speaks on integrity when they have no problem moving teams out of cities whose fans have been generationally loyal. Last night put the NFL on the front page and made the Astros take a back seat for now and they’re fine with that.

[Boltjolt]

Can't disagree more, and we'll have to leave it at that.

Double standard.

Rudolph was a fucktard in the whole exchange.

Rivers has been sacked worse many, many (many) times and never wrenched a guys facemask at a 90 degree angle while kicking him in the nuts.

Rudolph grabbed the back Garrett's helmet, not his facemask... That I saw.

Regardless, you can't swing a helmet at anyone and hit them in the head. That could have been alot worse.

[Topcat]

They play each other again in 17 days.

opcorn:

They better have the riot police ready...this is so ugly it could spread to the fans...seriously...hope it doesn't...

[richpjr]

He tried to break Garrett's neck? Are you serious?

[jamrock]

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!

I call bullshit on the racist angle. If Nick Bosa did that to Russell Wilson you would see the same outrage and action from the league office. The only thing that would be different is that former Players would be on the other side.

the whole game is assault but there are rules. This was way outside the rules of acceptable football assault

[Electric Chicken]

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[Electric Chicken]

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[Protect17]

I look at this as criminal .He was absolutely trying to knock Rudolph unconscious with that swing .The man is a professional Athlete he knows exactly what he was doing in that moment .Ban for minimum 2 seasons and anger management classes the entire time 1 Million dollar fine by league .

[Charge!]

I look at this as criminal .He was absolutely trying to knock Rudolph unconscious with that swing .The man is a professional Athlete he knows exactly what he was doing in that moment .Ban for minimum 2 seasons and anger management classes the entire time 1 Million dollar fine by league .

Agree...... that was criminal assault and he should be in jail...... if any of us were to get upset at work and grab a keyboard or coffee pot and beat another employee in the head with it, we would be in jail...

a 280-300 pound muscular athlete could easily crush someones unprotected skull with a helmet and kill them, much like we see in violent movies........ most people are treating this like it was just a mistake and accident, etc.....