There was some controversy last night as to whether or not there should have been “booth review” of the last fumble by Kurt Warner. According to NFL VP of Officiating Mike Pereira, the replay official upstairs did see the play clearly.
“We confirmed it was a fumble,” said Pereira. “The replay assistant in the replay booth saw it was clearly a fumble. The ball got knocked loose and was rolling in his hand before it started forward. He has to have total control.”
I actually thought the officials called a nice game. They had some tough calls but they got them all right.
Why wasn’t Harrison immediately ejected after his blatant beating up of the Arizona player who was on the ground in the middle of the field? That was the most distasteful act I’ve seen from a professional athlete in years and to not have him ejected by an official was unheard of.
I totally agree with you! That was horrible.
“Why wasn’t Harrison immediately ejected after his blatant beating up of the Arizona player who was on the ground in the middle of the field?”
Because he was defensive player of the year and it was the Super Bowl. Notice they didn’t replay it very many times and almost no one mentioned it after the game in commentary? The super bowl is a time to reflect on the positive quality of the sport, not the flaws of its participants. I agree the guy should have been thrown out on his ear, but I recognize why they didn’t.
Maybe this is just me being a Steelers homer, but I really don’t see what the hubub is about. Here’s the clip, although it cuts off a little early.
Watch the background. Up until the point that Harrison pushes the guy onto his back, the ball is still in the air. Most of what occurs, happens during the play. Is it excessive? I guess.
Should he have been thrown out? I think not.
The officiating was OK, but at times as usual they were very off. The Play with Harrison for example. He is nothing short of a Bully. And in this case should have been thrown out. The reason being the play was not near these two players and he continued to bait and attack.
Then on the 100 yard interception, we found a holding and a block in the back. Neither called and both clearly perpetrated.
I was glad they called a lot of penalties.
All games in all sports are getting out of hand now and all plays and actions should be called from the Video Booth.
Hence, why Golf is the greatest sport of all..
You know what? I agree with Brian, as long as the play is in progress, holding someone, then punching that same someone (who’s already down) in the back of the neck, and then as they try to get up, punching them in the throat, and then shoving them twice more for good measure, should be acceptable in any organized sport.
I mean, John Madden is watching on the video and comments that the guy should get thrown out, but honestly, what does Madden know?
I’m trying to find some more clips, but are you seriously saying that what occurs in that short sequence, in relation to all the other things that go on throughout a football game, is worthy of ejection?
Compare what Harrison did, to the “legal” hits which occurred in the Steelers-Ravens game.
And please, don’t get me wrong. Its not like I don’t have some sympathy for what ya’ll are saying. It was in fact a play exactly like this in seventh grade, with Chris Martin playing the role of James Harrison, which caused me to decide that football wasn’t my sport….
“Compare what Harrison did, to the “legal” hits which occurred in the Steelers-Ravens game.”
See also:
1. Bandwagon Fallacy
2. Argument Tu Quo
3. Moral Equivalence
First of all, if you want to start listing logical fallacies, at the top of the list has got to be “citing John Madden as an authority.”
But seriously…..
In addition to a 15 yard penalty, disqualification is enforced for the following fouls, if they are flagrant:
Striking opponent with fist.
Kicking or kneeing opponent.
Striking opponent on head or neck with forearm, elbow, or hands whether or not the initial contact is made below the neck area.
Roughing kicker.
Roughing passer.
Malicious unnecessary roughness.
Unsportsmanlike conduct.
Palpably unfair act.
Also, “actions that involve flagrant helmet to helmet contact are the likely acts that will include disqualification.
Here is how you described the play:
Here’s how I would describe it:
Legally holding someone down during the course of a play after he’s dove at your waist/knees. Punching him on the back left shoulder through his shoulder pads. Pushing him while in a not totally defenseless position. And then shoving him twice more for good measure.
If you watch the clip, the refs throw the flags for the push/punch to the neck, which occurs right at about the same time that the Cardinal in the background is catching and downing the ball.
Football is a game of hitting. Sometimes that hitting might step outside the boundaries of what is allowable. As in this case, penalties are then called. But I simply don’t think that what occurred in that play rises so far above all of the other things that go on in a game, seen and unseen, that a player should be ejected for it.
Striking opponent with fist. -Check
Striking opponent on head or neck with forearm, elbow, or hands whether or not the initial contact is made below the neck area. -Check
Malicious unnecessary roughness. -Check
Unsportsmanlike conduct. -Check
Palpably unfair act. -Check
🙂
Flagrant — a foul so severe or extreme that it places an opponent in danger of serious injury, and/or involves violations that are extremely or persistently vulgar or abusive conduct.
😉
Bla…… Anyway, it was a great game, and yes, I’ll acquiesce, in the pantheon of flagrant NFL fouls, this one isn’t exactly setting any records. It’s still fun to “argue” about, especially if you can find someone who really cares. Unfortunately, I’m not that person. I actually got bored with the game about halfway through and went to Target. So there you go.
As I once said to a lady standing across from me on the other side of Perry Creek, “What… me obstinate?”
You ability to reference obscure childhood memories so appropriately to the current conversation is astounding.
To this day, I often think about going back and finding that sewer entrance just to see if it is as impressive as my memory portrays it. I swear, I recall “skateboarding” down a half mile of utterly lightless sewer pipe after we panicked thinking we saw raccoon tracks.
Holy Cow, another memory just popped up. Didn’t we actually hack threw the ice to get into that thing once? I seem to recall bringing a hatchet and pocket knife and working for “hours”. Am I dreaming this? And if so, why would I?
Im with Brian on this one. Perfectly legal when ball is in the air. The same thing happens to the gunners doing punt coverage. Usually its two guys wailing on those guys.
Two more things. Im ok with the de-cleater hit. But I still do not understand why that dude didnt get a fine for helmet-helmet contact on McGahee. That was a brutal hit and should have received a serious fine. Commish office blew that one in my opinion.
i think that is a little misleading – if you watch that clip closely he lowers his shoulder right before impact – completely clean and completely legal. When you get two athletes of that caliber coming at eachother at that speed the collisions are nasty – but in the play. I completely disagree w/Brian on the Harrison play. The player on the ground was out of the play and was not going to have any impact. It borders on being a disgrace.
John, I can’t agree that a defensive player at the fifty yard line on a punt, in the potential path of a long punt return by the offensive team is “out of the play and was not going to have any impact.” Yes, in non-penalty cases, a player in Harrison’s position is simply going to keep his hands on the defenders back so that he can’t get up. If the punt returner breaks a long one, his guy is blocked. If not, play over. Harrison went beyond that and was properly punished. But his guy was in the play.
Let’s compare this to the Greatest Game in the World (R). Does Tiger Woods allow Man-boobs Mickelson a “gimme” if he putts it to within three inches? No. Man-boobs is required to putt out. In the same way, would you ask Harrison and the Cardinal defender to stand up, shake hands and agree that if the punt returner breaks a long one, neither of them will get involved?
ah-yo you dissed Man -boobs..you are in trouble now ha ha!!
“Does Tiger Woods allow Man-boobs Mickelson a “gimme” if he putts it to within three inches?”
That depends on if Man-boobs rolls his pants up to his thighs and wades into the water on hole 7 seven at Sun Valley and takes a swipe at a ball on a lilly pad. 😉
Nice references — lets first talk about the Harrison event – that clip lasted for 13 seconds – on the play in question the Cards had downed the ball roughly on the 2 yd line. Most professional punts are in the air 4-6 seconds – tht clip lasted 13 seconds and that was AFTER the ball had been punted. Now moving on to “Manboobs” If it were in Tigers power to allow Mickelson a gimme I am sure that you would see more of it(As in professional match play events)but as stroke play rules define every put must be holed out – this isnt the KAA.
This isn’t the KAA. That is Right. In the KAA you would have been kicked out for the NFL does not stand…’For truth and Justice in the American Athletic way.” That you guys is the motto of the KAA and has always practiced it.