Trent Green is out

That was the first time Roethlisberger looked like he had been seriously injured.... and wasn't

 

Did that play look as bad as Green's hit? Green was lucky he wasn't paralyzed. We're talking about the play Green got hit on, and if it was one of the NFL's "name" QBs if a penalty would have been called, not a play Roethlisberger was hurt on last year.

Read Whitlock today. He pretty much hits the nail on the head. No, Geathers wasn't playing dirty or trying to hurt Green, but that doesn't mean he shouldn't be punished.

 

so geathers wasn't playing dirty, but because it looked really bad he should be punished?

 

kc fans are calling murder, and the rest of the world hopes green is ok and think it's just football. should tell you something

 

Point is, just because someone gets hurt doesn't automatically mean it's a penalty or a dirty play. OK, Green might be lucky he wasn't paralyzed. That said, it was a clean hit, one Green could have avoided had he slid a yard or two before that. It's unreasonable to think a defender can avoid making contact when he's already in mid-air just as the quarterback decides that he's going to hook slide.

 

especially on the same drive the qb has scrambled -- and decided not to slide -- in an attempt for a 1st down

 

Just my two cents as a Cincinnati fan who wanted blood from KVO after he rolled into Carson's knee last year.

The whole thing is frustrating. Taking myself back to that place last year, I think people want to blame someone. Whether or not the blame is based in anything rational doesn't matter, which is why we end up with columns like Whitlock's.

Was Geathers pushed? Yes.
Did Green wait too long too slide? Yes.
Was Geathers already in the air? Yes.
Did Geathers recoil to get his head away from Green? Yes.

No flag. No penalty. No fine.

I'm amazed at the number of "experts" that have written stories about a play that didn't happen. Do you realize the great big Bristol monster had "helmet-to-helmet" headlines up for almost a day when it was clear SECONDS after the play that there was no helmet-to-helmet hit? The same goes for John Clayton's column that was later changed.

KC fans -- Whitlock included -- I understand your pain. It sucks. And it's fine if you want to kick and scream, but what Geathers did wasn't anymore illegal than KVO's hit on Palmer, which was totally clean.

 

OK, let's review the play. Now, here are the facts:

1. Green was already into his slide when he was hit.

2. Geathers did not hit Green helmet to helmet.

3. Geathers was not trying to hurt Green.

4. Eddie Kennison pushed Geathers.

5. Kennison did not push Geathers enough to have much of an impact on the hit. Geathers was already lunging at Green when Kennison pushed him. Kennison IS NOT BIG ENOUGH to have had much of an impact on Geathers.

6. It was not a cheap or dirty play.

7. Had it been a Golden Boy quarterback (like Brady or Manning), a penalty/fine/suspension/ejection would have been handed out.

Like I've said before, shit happens, but you still have to suffer the consequenses.

Once I was playing goalkeeper in a club soccer game in high school. One of my defenders is getting back, trying to catch his man. He stumbles just as his man enters the penalty box. The ball comes across to box, and my defender falls down, and clips the heels of the guy he's chasing. Penalty kick called. Did my teammate mean to do that? Of course not. Was the penalty kick justified? Yes. Just because the intent wasn't there doesn't mean it's OK.

 

I guess there's a fundamental difference to me.
One resulted in an illegal play (your story). The other didn't.

 

So in other words, any time someone gets hurt, "that doesn't mean it's OK" as the sport allows. Say Clinton Portis gets tackled, pops his shoulder -- well dammit, just because the intent wasn't there doesn't mean it's OK, dude deserves a fine. Fine logic there.

 

Jesus Fucking Christ I can't believe you are making that comparison. Comparing apples to oranges there, aren't you? If Clinton Portis gets tackled and pops a shoulder on a regular, average joe play, no there's nothing there. If Clinton Portis is a few yards out of bounds, but some klutz flying toward him nails him, popping his shoulder out of place, yes, there should be a penalty even if the guy didn't mean to hit him.

Trent Green was not hit on a regular play. He was in his slide. Thus, he's off limits. Guy didn't mean to clobber him, but he did. Thus, a penalty/fine should occur. That's the big difference between Portis getting hit on a regular play and Green getting smacked on the said play.

Just because a penalty wasn't called doesn't mean one should have been. That's the whole point I'm making. Just because the referee didn't see it doesn't make it right. I could be playing in a company softball game, and cut from first to third base while the umpire follows a long fly ball down the line to make sure it's fair. Just because the ump didn't see me cutting illegally across the diamond doesn't mean I was playing within the rules.