James Harrison's appeal denied

http://twitter.com/#!/SteelersDigest/status/147700401569923072

not a surprise

 

Shocker!

 

Honestly did anybody expect anything less?

You can be sure that Rog will be watching James closely in the playoffs and salivating at every hit he makes to see if he can possibly suspend him for a game or 2 in the playoffs.
JMHO.

 

Exactly what was expected. Why do they even have an appeal process?

 

It gives NFL Total Access something to talk about I guess.

Maybe prolonging the debate about suspensions/"repeat offenders" etc. by challenging the ruling is a good thing? Though I'm not sure I've seen too many people change their minds about it.

 

If Harrison gets another personal foul flag, he'll be gone for the rest of the season, not a game or 2 in the playoffs.

 

Harrison should know better by now. I know that is his style of football but he belongs to the NFL and must follow their rules. He must sit on his brains. Once, Twice maybe but after that he gets what he deserves. All he is doing now is hurting the team and his bank account.

 

I'm a little surprised no one has made the argument that this is for Harrison's safety, too. Would you lead with your head if you had recently had your eye socket broken? And isn't he at risk for concussions (at least concussion-like symptoms ) if he continues to tackle this way? Maybe this is really for his own good.

 

What about the argument that because he has hurt his orbital bone he wasn't trying to hit the guy like that because he thought he was gonna be running it (ball was tucked as JH approached)?

Intent needs to be taken into account with this. And offensive players need to share in the responsibility for H2H and illegal contact penalties.

Bob Labriola said it on Talkin' Steelers Football on Steelers.com... if the NFL is going to work toward player safety, "...then DO IT. No, 'you can hit this guy, but not that guy.'" And I agree with him. Bob L. referenced the Browns LB that initiated H2H on Mendy.

Also, offensive players shouldn't be able to duck once the defender has launched themselves. Otherwise, the offensive player is initiating H2H.

McCoy tucked the ball, became a runner, then pulled up to pass at the last minute. Also, he was outside the pocket. There should be a change in the rules for something like that. If QBs want the protection then they have to stay in the pocket. If they leave the pocket, then it's open season. They're still football players. Sheesh!

But the league, the "anyalysts" and the commentators don't want to have these kinds of conversations.

 

Did you ever see a running back be effective running through the hole in a straight up position ? Thats why you'll never see the rule apply to RB's. The day they do that we might as well stop watching football.

 

The game needs fewer rules, not more

 

I'm just sayin'

 

Love his reaction...
Harrison said via Twitter: "17 games,1000+ snaps, 100+ tackles, 12+sacks and 2 forces fumbles since my last incident and I get a suspension for a football play!"

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11350/11 ... z1gj1Tfs2L

 

How in the world do you detemine intent? Ask the player? Say "Well, he had a broken orbital bone so it doesn't make sense that he would do it intentionally"? Offsides penalties aren't intentional... false starts aren't intentional... facemasks and horsecollars may or may not be intentional. It's impossible to take intent into consideration.

I agree with Labriola's comment. If Goodell truly wants to protect all players, make all H2H contact illegal for both the offense and the defense. No more RBs dropping their heads to blast a defender, no defenders dropping their heads to blast a RB.

As for your comment about offensive players not being allowed to duck their heads once a defensive player launches themselves... 1) Defensive players aren't allowed to launch themselves and 2) It is a natural reaction to drop your head if you see someone coming at you. There is no way the NFL could ban natural reactions.

 

And that is the attitude that is going to end his season(s) and/or career prematurely.

 

no its not...... its called a real football player

 

So real football players don't have to follow rules?

 

It sounds like you agree with the rules that James is being asked to follow.

I do not. There was nothing malicious or dirty about James' hit on McCoy. Was it against the rules? Apparently so...which is why I disagree with the rules.

If you agree with the rules, you are not alone...others share that opinion too. There are also those who disagree. It's really not a question of whether or not real football players have to or don't have to follow rules. It's about what rules they have to follow.

 

You've already said a number of times Harrison intended to go for McCoy's helmet. That he chose to do so when he didn't have to. That he made the decision. How do you know, since it's impossible to determine his intent?

 

If it wasn't his decision to drop his head and make contact with McCoy's facemask, whose was it? Ok, maybe he didn't intend to go for his head but he clearly intended to go high. He knew he was on thin ice so going high shouldn't have even been a consideration.

 

I don't think as much planning goes into this as you think. The only thing we know for sure he decided is to hit the guy, which of course is not a fineable offense and only borderline of being worth a penalty.

You just conceded that we can't prove he actually went for his head, which is true. So now we're just talking about the general location of where he tackled the guy. Now it's a matter of two inches or so + a bunch of BS from last year that got him suspended.

The only thing that he really, really did that's different from other players (besides be better and a bigger badass) is the magazine article. So if that deserves a suspension, fine, but be straight about it and do it at the right time. Don't say "No worries" and then screw him over later. Don't pretend it's about what he does on the field, when his on-field actions don't deserve anything resembling a suspension.

 

I don't agree with the rules, but James is stupid (and hurting himself + the team) by not playing within the rules.
He can't just act like a little kid and stomp his feet and say "I DON'T WANT" and hope he gets what he wants. If he wants to keep playing football in the NFL, he will have to adapt, otherwise he won't be playing much longer in Pittsburgh (maybe the punks in Oakland will take him)

And yes, i'm losing patience with him. It's true that Goodell and his crusade is stupid but the players have to deal with it, firstly by playing within the rules and if the majority is against those rules, negotiate for rule changes as a group.

 

Works for Tom Brady.

 

so you'd give your kid what he wants just because the spoiled brat next door has success with his foot-stomping?