Professional Football Researchers Association Forum
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JKelly wrote:I agree I don’t think Rudolph should be suspended. What I don’t like is the fact that what he did was discounted as a nonfactor in this mess here and by a good deal of the media. Like I said if he just waited and got up no harm no foul. It’s not like he was in a prison shower. Rudolph’s overreaction caused and even larger and more dangerous overreaction.
I can't see a highly competitive QB like Bobby Layne or Joe Kapp or Jim Kelly, etc., "just waiting" to be let up ... I wouldn't want my QB "just waiting" either. I'd want him to send a message to the other team that he won't be pushed around, but that is basically what you are suggesting Rudolph should have done.
"Gentlemen, it is better to have died a small boy than to fumble this football."
JKelly wrote:I agree I don’t think Rudolph should be suspended. What I don’t like is the fact that what he did was discounted as a nonfactor in this mess here and by a good deal of the media. Like I said if he just waited and got up no harm no foul. It’s not like he was in a prison shower. Rudolph’s overreaction caused and even larger and more dangerous overreaction.
I can't see a highly competitive QB like Bobby Layne or Joe Kapp or Jim Kelly, etc., "just waiting" to be let up ... I wouldn't want my QB "just waiting" either. I'd want him to send a message to the other team that he won't be pushed around, but that is basically what you are suggesting Rudolph should have done.
I totally agree. We've got people here semi-justifying Garrett by suggesting that football is such a competitive and emotional sport that sometimes a guy just has to rip off his helmet and attack somebody with it, and we've got people saying that Rudolph should just lie there waiting for Garrett to let him get up.
rhickok1109 wrote:I totally agree. We've got people here semi-justifying Garrett by suggesting that football is such a competitive and emotional sport that sometimes a guy just has to rip off his helmet and attack somebody with it, and we've got people saying that Rudolph should just lie there waiting for Garrett to let him get up.
I can only speak for myself, but I'm not at all justifying (semi or otherwise) what Garrett did -- that was ridiculous and over the top. And Garrett was also wrong in pinning Rudolph down the way he did. But I feel Rudolph played a part in this also, and I'd like to have seen him get a one game suspension for helping escalate the issue. In fact, if Rudolph had stayed put on the ground while Garrett kept him pinned, the refs would have seen it soon enough and reacted accordingly, likely hitting Garrett with a personal foul or unsportsmanlike conduct penalty -- and the situation might not have progressed beyond this. Macho competitiveness shouldn't enter into it, I don't think. Let Garrett deservedly shoulder every ounce of the blame.
We've got people implying the Browns shouldn't have played defense at all on that play and I guess just let the Steelers throw for a TD?
And we have people fabricating what happened with stories implying Rudolph was pinned on the ground and Garrett was not letting him up -- which didn't even happen.
Step 1: Everything was normal, Garrett hit and wrapped up Rudolph as he released the ball -- a fraction of a second after the ball came out of his hand, he hadn't even finished his follow through, hence his arm being straight out when he got hit.
Step 2: Garrett brings Rudolph to the ground as we've seen a million times in football either A. because he believes the QB still has the ball and/or B. because he hit him as he released the ball and is finishing the tackle and/or C. because he hit him as he released the ball and is a defensive player that wants to take the QB down.
Step 3: As they're going to the ground Rudolph is trying to get Garrett off of him, as soon as they hit the ground (he wasn't pinned down on the ground, they landed side-by-side) that instant, he starts trying to rip Garrett's helmet off of him. And it's here where anyone being unbiased and applying any sort of logic to and about the incident would say that this is the true starting point of anything extra curricular.
Step 4: As Garrett is getting up -after Rudolph failed to rip his helmet off- Garrett responds (<-key word) by grabbing Rudolph by the facemask, as this happens Rudolph responds by putting his cleat spikes up between Garrett's legs.
Step 5: Garrett completes the process of ripping Rudolph's helmet off and steps away. Rudolph runs at Garrett. Garrett responds by swinging Rudolph's own helmet at him and bouncing it off his head.
Step 6: Pouncey runs in "protecting his QB" with some punches and a kick.
Step 7: Ogunjobi takes the typical cheap-shot we usually see when players are standing around a pile (not every time but officials have got better in recent years at penalizing that cheap-shot more than what used to happen when the player that got hit would get up and go back at the player who cheap-shot him and would get the penalty as the "second guy getting caught") with the obvious difference being that instead of standing around a normal football pile Rudolph was standing around a scuffle.
Conclusion: Rudolph wasn't happy being wrapped up and taken to the ground. Rudolph started the extra curricular by trying to rip Garrett's helmet off as soon as they hit the ground side-by-side. Garrett responded by ripping Rudolph's helmet off. Rudolph inexplicably then ran after Garrett. Garrett even more inexplicably (obviously) swung the helmet at and hit Rudolph on top of the head. Pouncey reacted to that. Ogunjobi took the opportunity to take the 'other guy is standing around a pile' cheap-shot. Media reacts as expected acting like it's the most heinous, violent, criminal act in the history of sports and not even just sports, worst thing they've ever saw any time in their lives.
People who actually watched the game saw Rudolph try to rip Garrett's helmet off and fail, Garrett rip Rudolph's helmet off and succeed, which evidently in many eyes instantly makes Rudolph a faultless victim. Then we see Rudolph run at Garrett and see Garrett swing the helmet and normal people reacted with; "gotta suspended him."
Reaser wrote:Honestly, this entire thread is weird.
We've got people implying the Browns shouldn't have played defense at all on that play and I guess just let the Steelers throw for a TD?
And we have people fabricating what happened with stories implying Rudolph was pinned on the ground and Garrett was not letting him up -- which didn't even happen.
People who actually watched the game saw Rudolph try to rip Garrett's helmet off and fail, Garrett rip Rudolph's helmet off and succeed, which evidently in many eyes instantly makes Rudolph a faultless victim. Then we see Rudolph run at Garrett and see Garrett swing the helmet and normal people reacted with; "gotta suspended him."
What are we even talking about?
Done.
"Gentlemen, it is better to have died a small boy than to fumble this football."
I see this turning ugly, so I am going to close the thread. People have had a chance to say what they want to say on the topic. All complaints can be sent directly to me.
