It's funny, during the game Billick said something about Lowery like, "He gets down in good tackling position and knocks the ball out with his helmet.", regarding Lowery's hit that caused the fumble. That is the same thing Smith was trying to do, put his helmet on the ball. I hate all the conspiracy theory on this board, but if this is Bob Sanders or Palomalu, do you think they get the suspension?
Everytime I see the play it appears to me that Smith was using his helmet as a weapon. It reminded me of some of those nasty hits Chuck Cecil used to deliver in the early 1990s. I am not crazy about trying to decipher intent. Who truly knows what Smith was thinking except for Smith himself. For argument's sake, let's suppose that Smith wanted to deliver a nasty hit, but the opponent ducked at the last split second and avoided a collision. Would Smith get suspended in that scenario? Probably not.
It's the Jets, I'm surprised he wasn't sentenced to death by firing squad. That would be the expected result. Of course if it was someone from The Pats they would be given a bonus.
I guess I have faith in the NFL, but I didn't hear one commentator say yesterday that they thought Smith would be suspended. I'm surprised.
I think you know what I meant. You wrote that if Sanders or Polamalu did this, there would be no fine or suspension, as if to say the NFL panders to stars in the way the NBA does, for the most part.
Not me I was one of few people not pissed about the Zach Thomas hit on Coles 2 years ago. They want to fine people for these hits, awesome, how about the jackass Warner for throwing the ball where he did or Pennington hanging his good friend out to dry. Seriously, I am cool with the fine and suspension as he hit him head first and that is a safety rule. It was not intentional and it was a Football play. However if it was reversed I would be upset a player got hurt not how he did because I don't think it was dirty ....... if that makes sense. Edit: Intentionally dirty
I think the fine is appropriate, I was just talking about the suspension. Either way, I do know what you mean and was just giving you a hard time.
He's not going to win on appeal and it would be hanging over him the entire time. He should write a letter stating his position but accepting the fine and suspension. fu**in' bullshit!
The best example of that was Christmastime 2006, when the Jets played the Fins in Miami. Zach Thomas - intentionally - hit Coles in the facemask with the crown of his helmet and gave him a concussion. Remember, everyone, that Coles was ineffective the next week against the Raiders and in fact was used as a decoy only. Oh and Thomas? He wasn't fined by the NFL.
The line about Warner and Pennington made me smile a little. Imagine the league fining Warner and Pennington for not throwing the ball well enough and leading their receivers into vicious hits? Yeah, I don't think the Smith play was intentional (as in intending to injure Boldin). He's not some wacko like Bill Romanowski or Chuck Cecil, but it did appear that Smith launched himself and that's what the league saw. So he had to get some sort of punishment here.
Just saw that....bullshit A fine is OK, not a suspension though. He better not hold up on a guy in the future because of this.
Ridiculous. This is football. Clearly no intent to "spear" or lead with helmet-to-helmet. Boldin was in the wrong place at the wrong time, got hit from behind, then propelled forward, where the helmets met. It's as simple as that. This is totally unjustified, IMO.
From my POV, I think that most of the bitching would be going to Mangini and Schotty for calling a play that put Cotchery in such a place at the end of a lost game. Just a hypothetical scenario, but that's where Card's fans rage should be pointed, not Smith. Although I do agree that Smith deserved a punishment, I think a suspension is a bit much.
