Violence in the N F L

[Koyaanisqatsi]

Yeah, I think this one should go down as assault and the guy should be arrested. You get three hundred pounds pressing down on cleats that are pressing into your head and there's potential for some serious damage there, much beyond the thirty stitches that came out of this incident.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Yeah, a bit lower, and it may have taken an eye!

[reds4ever]

Whenever possible the justice system should be kept way from sports. Lengthy bans for the offending players and points deductions for the offending teams (fines are meaningless with the amount of money in most "big" sports these days) are the way to go.

[Pekka]

Right. NFL is tough and it's a war. NHL also has fights and sometimes there's lots of fights, good old fist fights with everyone knocking each others brains out. But even those have limits.. It is accepted to some degree, it is seen as part of the sport but... every now and then there can be charged for assaults etc... if you go and hunt someone with your stick and strike them out cold, you're going to court for it.

I tihnk that's right. We need to send a message that we undersatnd contact sports, we like contact, and even in heated situation, there might be something going on and the crowd will get in on it too.

But there are still limits.

For example, that was not a fight. That was stomping someones head on a non-fight situation. Quite obviously an assault. We must ask, is this in the spirit of the sport? I dont' think that's in the spirit of the NFL.

Cheap shots with intention to hurt should be always considered illegal and subjected to investigation.

[reds4ever]

So ban the player and deduct points from the team. As soon as the courts are involved in this sort of thing its hard to get them out of it, they'll start getting into lesser cases and before you know it every elbow or flair up between players will be reported to them.

Football (proper football) in England is going that way, fans are reporting opposing players to the police for "offending" them with goal celebrations.

Stuff like this needs to be dealt with "in-house" whenever possible, the NFL/ NHL / FA or whatever should pre empt police involvment by coming down hard on the guilty parties.

[Grandpa Troll]

I see positives and negatives in many comments, without bashing opinions, which is what we all have, I think the District Attorney should have jurisdiction over sports, its not like "sports events" are a so called safe haven for whatever you can do...

I think the 5 game suspension was a ~pift~ minimal response

Now if something happens like when Boom Boom Mancini killed Duk Koo Kim, that was unfortunate but not with criminal intent

[Imran Siddiqui]

For something like this internal punishments are definately not sufficient. It definately is not within the scope of the game. After the play was over, he ripped off the guy's helmet with his shoe and stomped on his head with his cleat... this deserves the courts' attention.

[Drake Tungsten]

The play mentioned in the OP definitely was out of bounds. On the whole though, the NFL has gotten too girly lately. Just look at the bull**** unnecessary roughness call in the Bengals/Patriots game.

[SlowwHand]

A civil lawsuit is an option, as well.

[Grandpa Troll]

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten
The play mentioned in the OP definitely was out of bounds. On the whole though, the NFL has gotten too girly lately. Just look at the bull**** unnecessary roughness call in the Bengals/Patriots game.

Drake

This is also a Point I would like reiterated...

Football is a violent sport with real big men hitting real big men

I love football

But, this was way beyond a late hit on a stopped play or even a hit of helmet on helmet which also needs addressing.

If I did a flagrant act like this at my work, I would be fired, arrested and quite possibly sued.

The fact that the Cowboy victim doesnt complain or simply downplays it, does not matter.

This is similiar to domestic violence, doesnt matter you beat your better half you go to jail.


Man, this was just ugly.

I am glad Haynesworth apologized, he should. I am not even saying he has not gotten some remorse in his heart but that would only enhance the violence issue. He lost control and he needs to be punished.

Gramps

[reds4ever]

Ban the player for 5/10 years, life or whatever just make sure you are strict. It'll send the message out.

Just keep the business "in-house".

[SlowwHand]

It's a job. If you assault and batter someone at your job, do they handle it internally? The only difference is, there are millions of witnesses.

[reds4ever]

It's sports Slow, have you ever played? "What happens on the field, stays on the field".

If that can't happen then the governing bodies should deal with it.

[Nubclear]

let's stop with the sports threads now, okay?
Unless they are football.

[Grandpa Troll]

Originally posted by reds4ever
It's sports Slow, have you ever played? "What happens on the field, stays on the field".

If that can't happen then the governing bodies should deal with it.

Thats ludicrous

These football players are still subject to the laws of the land, not above even though some of the prima donnas feel so

How about the dads that attack coaches in an a game?

Thats "in a game"?