Harrison Hit Recap on ESPNews

ESPNews just recapped the plays for which Harrison has been fined. They all looked like pretty legit football plays. There were several where there was no H2H contact (Ryan Fitzpatrick comes to mind). What a joke!


(Thanks to snipit73)

 

Herm's also was a defender in the league. He was coached his whole career to call that a good hit.

 

Can we get Ronnie Lott to be an NFL Network or ESPN analyst?

 

Didn't see the recap, but if I recall correctly, there was only one in all of last season that should have actually been a penalty, and that was the late hit on Brees. The rest of them shouldn't have even been fouls, let alone fines.

The FitzPatrick one was especially stupid. He was practically already touching him when he released the ball, and the ref went for his flag before they even touched.

 

The Brees hit looked to me to be the least offensive.

 

Herm Edwards hit the nail right on the head.

 

So are we blaming Harrison's suspension on the poll that ESPN did or are we saying they're right when they say Harrison shouldn't have been fined or suspended?

:?

 

I don't think that an ESPN poll had anything to do with the suspension. Goodell saw the hit and thought, "Bingo!"

 

I agree... but check one of the threads about Harrison and you'll see people blaming ESPN.

 

It was the softest hit, for sure. He destroyed FitzPatrick, for example, but it was perfectly timed and clean. He didn't hit Brees that hard, but the ball was gone and he saw it, and hit him a little anyway. That's a penalty, although I don't see the need to fine it (and everything else they fine these days).

 

Like it or not, Goodell is the boss, and Harrison knows this. I love the way he plays, but it was a risky play given the rules and who he is. I wish we would play smarter, even if we don't like it.

 

My first thought, when I heard they actually DID suspend him, was...
The entire Steeler organization, should just fold up shop, close up, and go outta business...
Not because we are quitters, but because whatever we are playing today is NOT football!!!
I would have a hard time living without football, and having my favorite team since childhood, simply cease to exist,
but, what the league has become, is NOT the game I`ve watched all my life, or what The Chief had a passion for, when he founded this team!!!
After I calmed down a bit...(Im still so ticked off I can`t think straight),
I wondered if there was a way for the Steelers to start another league, based on REAL football rules, and try to restore the spirit of the game.
I`m sure there`s not, based on copyrights, legal BS, and the fact that no other league has had any chance of competing with the NFL, for lucrative tv contracts, the fanbase, etc,
Even thogh the "usfl","xfl", "arena league", "cfl", etc, have tried...
Hell, "The lingerie league" hits harder than we are allowed to now, apparently!!!
JUst venting right now... Sorry...
I agree the hit was illegal, but nowhere near worth a suspension, based on what other players do, week in and week out...
It`s the nature of the game, Roger!!!!!! It is a violent sport, and that`s why we love it, and spend our hard earned money to see it, and support our teams!!!!
You better realize that before you pussify it so much, that no one wants to watch anymore!!!!!
I guess the best revenge would just be for us to bring home the next 5 or 6 Lombardi trophies in a row!!!
Hard to do, when they outlaw our style of football, though...
Got the best lb in the game today, but he isn`t allowed to play the game the way it was meant to be played!!!
Maybe we could follow some of the suggestions from last year when he was being fined, and just not play any defense...
See how many people would still watch...
Trying to mellow out and get over this, but it is ABSURD!!!!!!!

 

I watched those highlights. In those 5 mintues it was like a one man wrecking crew with JH laying bodies out all over the field LOL !! Seriously though when you string all those hits together like that the appearance alone makes it difficult for JH to make his case against the suspension right or wrong. That said it was great entertainment to watch for any Steeler fan

 

Personally, I think that the media played a big role in the current punishment of JH. First of all, it was the ONLY game played that day, so EVERYONE was watching, and everyone weighed in immediately and afterward on what would/should happen. If it had been a 1:00 Sunday game, I don't know that it gets the same amount of attention. Secondly, while there were talking heads who defended JH, there were plenty more who said that the league would HAVE to suspend him because the fines weren't working. Thirdly, the print media was almost DARING the league to make an example out of Harrison and send a message to the rest of the league regarding plays "between the whistles".

In my opinion, the hit was not worthy of a suspension, but I will reserve judgement on the specific punishment based on what the league does from here out. You know that someone's going to go after Ben if he tries to play through his injury. Let's see what happens when he gets hit low or if someone head-hunts HIM. If a similar reaction from the league does not happen, then I think we'll have more evidence for what most of us suspect at this point - Goodell and the league are looking for ways to punish the Steelers.

 

That's ok we will win and win big to send a message to godell and the league.That STEELERNATION is more powerful then anything he could try and do against "US" :godell:

 

I agree with all of this except the suggestion that there's some major conspiracy where Goodell and the NFL in general is out to get the Steelers. Let's be honest here Harrison in being fined for the same thing over and over again made the suspension decision pretty easy for Goodell. If anything I'd believe Goodell has a personal beef with Harrison and not the Steelers in general and again JH didn't help his cause there too much either by the personal attacks he made on Goodell in that magazine article in the off season. If the NFL was really out to get the Steelers we'd be seeing flags and fines being thrown at us all over the place and on multiple players and I just don't see that, at least no more than I see being called for other teams / players.

 

Steelers are the most fined team this year, with the most individual players receiving fines. Further, players that commit penalties against the Steelers are not routinely being fined or penalized. To me, that points to some kind of issue that Goodell has - or had - with the Steelers. His personal beef that he has with Harrison may be all that is behind the current situation, but I'm not seeing the wide-spread punishment of hits across the league. Another case in point - I think it was Ryan Clark fined for a hit when a player on the opposing team was NOT fined for just as devastating a hit against Ward in the SAME GAME - sorry I'm fuzzy on the specifics.

I'm not saying there IS a conspiracy against the Steelers as a team, but I do think that the powers that be are definitely trying to influence the outcome of the season, using these kinds of tactics among others.

 

WHile I did not see the montage of hits on ESPN, I would be willing to bet you could go through the past few years of Ravens games and put together a montage of Ray Lewis similar hit, most of which not flagged, and all of which not fined.

Additionally, I feel 100% confident that if the hit Ray put on Hines (that knocked him out of the game) was Harrison on another receiver, he would have been flagged, and either fined or suspended.

 

I saw Herm Edwards talking about it on ESPN and while he didn't think the hit was worthy of a fine or suspension, he said he was warned (flagged and/or fined) 5 times for illegal hits on QBs in the last 3 seasons and that he was suspended because he is a repeat offender.

RayRay was fined $20K for the hit on Ward. The only issue was no flag which is an issue with the refs.

 

Since when did we start having an issue with the refs?

 

Every team has had issues with the refs, not just us.