The Death of the "Legal Lick"

[Cowboyz1]

I was watching the game last night and I saw the beginning of the end. I watched a defensive linemen fight through a block, put his eyes and face mask dead nuts center into Big Ben's chest, wrap his arms and drive through Ben for a sack. I thought at the time, wow that was a nice play. Then I saw it. The yellow flag. I thought surely it's for holding or something else. I mean, no way they're calling that sack a penalty. I mean if they call that sack a penalty, the game as we know it is over. If that's penalty, they may as well change the name from tackle football to something else. If that's a penalty, they need to cancel the "heads up program". If that's a penalty, they need to just change the rules so that QB's are no longer able to be taken to the ground. If that's a penalty, defenses should just grab the ball handler and hold him up until the whistle blows. If that's a penalty, Clowney's play in college that went viral and got him drafted #1 should be considered assault and prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Seriously, if that's a penalty then the NFL as we know it is dead.

 

So I just told myself, ok, they made a bad call. It happens. Get passed it. But then, in the third Quarter with the steelers in desperate need of a stop or inspirational play to seize momentum back and stop Baltimore from driving. Troy Polamalu sets Owen Daniels in his sites and lowers his shoulder and puts a lick on him that anyone who calls themselves a football fan would have stood up and applauded no matter what team your pulling for. Yellow Flag, personal foul, 15 yards, automatic first down. At that moment, I realized. It's over, the game I love has been ruined. By the time I witnessed the final two blows by Mitchell, also called personal flags, I had come to grips with the fact that the NFL rules committee have turned the game on it's head and removed the most important tools the defense has at this level. Intimidation and ball separating licks. It to the point now if you play your cards right, an OC you can now game plan and count on at least 15 to 30 yards in penalties to help your drive.!

 

It was bad enough when Quarterbacks were treated as wall flowers but now it's anyone with the ball. I mean it's gotten ridiculous. I honestly have no idea how Polamalu is suppose to play his position anymore. I watched that play over and over again, while trying to figure out what he could have done differently other than tag Daniels with two hands and hope he doesn't keep running. Not to mention if he doesn't come with full force with his shoulder, he's giving up what 40 lbs. So say Troy just comes in soft, head up and tries to wrap him up. He gets run over and possibly separated shoulder as Daniels runs through his wrap.

 

I guess it's over. The game has become unplayable for the aggressive hard hitting defender. They need to stop touting players like Clowney and others known for their aggressive hits. They need to get rid of the "Heads up program" and start training them to take out knees. The days of hitting to jar the ball loose is over. The days of going low and taking out players knees have begun, accept for Quarterbacks as you cant' hit them low now either. It reminds me of that movie "The Jerk" when Steve Martin is employed by the Carnival as a weight guesser. He is trying to explain what the person can win. He proceeds to say " anything from here to there, but not here, anything from this to that, everything on the left side of this but doesn't include this or that, everything from this to there excluding this and that". Whittling a spot down to a very small area about 6" x 6". As of today the only place left to hit is below the shoulder and maybe his a$$. So that's it, you can hit the QB's arms and a$$.

 

With the new rule changes in favor of the Wide Receivers, the game is just becoming a joke. The concussion stuff has just ruined the game. You don't see Boxers suing the Boxing association and their job is to receive and deliver as many concussions as one can in the ring. In fact the object is to concuss the other person to the point that they are no longer able to stand or no longer a treat to concuss him. Football players know what they signed up for. They have been playing the game since childhood and know full well they are going to get hit and HARD.

 

It just makes me angry that the very traits and attributes we covet in defensive players from Pee Wee football to the NFL draft, is the very thing the league is trying to legislate out of the game. This is going to be a very frustrating year of football.

Edited September 12, 2014 by Cowboyz1

[Donutrun Jellies]

I'm a diehard Steeler fan and thought the hit on Ben R was clean. With the flag, I expected to see that I'd missed the tacklers helmet hitting the QB face mask. Nope. Then I thought they'd blown an early whistle on stopping forward progress, which would have been lame given Ben's escapability. Spearing? Leading with helmet? Didn't look like it live, but maybe in slo-mo????? Still looked like an allowable hit to me. Was he supposed to tilt his head slightly to the side? I slept through the Polamalu play later (I'm old, it was late).

[IrishPride]

They should just play without helmets, getting ridiculous. Sooner or later the game will evolve into Soccer. That's what all the kids do now anyway. Not a bad sport but look at your youth fall programs now, being from the north east, we never had fall baseball and lacrosse? All good sports but they are eating away at the foundation of football because they aren't as violent. This is just an opinion, my opinion. This is fact "Youth football numbers are down, for the fear of Concussions and Brain Trauma." I think the new rules are to get the parents of our youth athletes convinced that football is not as violent as it appears, which we all know, is just a big political campaign for moms. But I still love the game but would never want to play defense at any level, the NFL is changing.......its future is "Family Entertainment or at least that's the direction its headed, not just for Dads anymore."

[flemingd]

Are we still whining about this 4 years later?

 

Roethlisberger hit the right call, hitting with the crown of the helmet.

 

Polomalu and Mitchell (lol that's what you get for signing a horrible player) hits were clearly penalties as defined by the league. Hits to the head or neck area of a defenseless receiver.

 

edit: see below

Edited September 12, 2014 by flemingd

[stevegrab]

According to Simms during the game that was an obvious penalty (the hit on Ben), maybe they even had their official expert talk about it.

 

I agree I initially was shocked and thought "yeah this is what people have been complaining about, a great play is a penalty, because of placement of the helmet or whatever." I even saw the player trying to talk to the ref later between plays asking "so how do I tackle him".

 

I do understand the intent, and the desire to protect the high paid star players, but it does seem to be going overboard. Not sure what that guy was supposed do, stand bold upright and tackle him how? How do you bend and tackle with the arms without leading with the helmet?

 

Oh well better than talking about you know who and the you know what crisis.

[Joebirds55]

I even think Big Ben would say that was a good football play...

[Joebirds55]

Also, I do think we know way more information at this point about the effects of concussions. For some of the older generation of players it truly is sad to see some of the issues these guys have. But now that we do have so much more data, it really is a choice for these players to risk their futures for this career path. I agree with adopting the rules to a certain extent but some of the changes are ridiculous. If these guys are worried about concussions and the lingering effects, sell cars with josh gordon. Just my opinion of course.

[stevegrab]

I even think Big Ben would say that was a good football play...

 

After that play they were saying Ben told them the worst hit he ever took was from Suggs and similar. Hit him in the chest, he came off his feet looking at the sky and couldn't breath. My thought was "well then don't be an NFL QB." They are making it impossible for defensive players to do anything. I thought Ben would go down before that, he didn't was still standing and the guy sacked him. No apparently there are a hundred different types of hits that are illegal on the passer (QB unless he takes off running), but legal in all other cases.

[flemingd]

According to Simms during the game that was an obvious penalty (the hit on Ben), maybe they even had their official expert talk about it.

 

 

Yeah I had forgotten about the spearing part:

 

Article 6

 

:

 

Unnecessary Roughness

 

.

 

There shall be no unnecessary roughness. This shall include, but will not be limited

 

to:

 

 

<snip>

 

(i)

 

using any part of a player’s helmet (including the top/crown and forehead/‖hairline‖ parts) or facemask to butt, spear,

or ram an opponent violently or unnecessarily;

Edited September 12, 2014 by flemingd

[stevegrab]

Thanks for the rules clarification, I guess players will continue to have to change how they play. I still don't think that gets called if the player being tackled is a QB.

[IrishPride]

The protection of the athletes keeps getting mentioned but I think its deeper than that? I think its preservation of the game. Its really specific as stated in the rule previously posted. The NFL is a product and for it to continue to be Americas sport, more changes will come. Look at the last decade? The slide rule for example we all hated that but now who talks about it? We as fans embrace change even though we disagree with its consequence's. I bet Randall Cunningham and Steve Young would have liked that rule?

Edited September 12, 2014 by IrishPride

[flemingd]

The protection of the athletes keeps getting mentioned but I think its deeper than that? I think its preservation of the game.

 

It's about the preservation against getting their asses kicked in court and paying out millions in damages.

[Zooty]

what if the legal Lick had been on R. Bush?

[faceplant]

It was a great sack to watch, and it was illegal.

 

The game is changing. For the sake of entertainment, it stinks. For the sake of safety, it's for the better. This game will be much different in five more years, and then much different five years from that.

And people will still watch.

They will turn the game into something that a mother will feel comfortable allowing her children to play. That's when it stops. And I'll probably still watch it. What else am I going to do on Thursday and Sunday?

[APackersOwner]

Is there video of this hit? I would love to see Big Ben crushed into the ground.

 

The game is changing because past players are coming to the league with lawyers demanding money for their medical bills of head injuries. The league doesn't want to pay these bills, so the rough and tough game will be softened.

[Big John]

Is there video of this hit? I would love to see Big Ben crushed into the ground.

 

http://larrybrownsports.com/football/courtney-upshaw-penalty-ben-roethlisberger-hit-video/240970

[BA Baracus]

He didn't lead with his helmet. It was a clean hit. The flag was wrong and not in accordance with the rules.

[coordi88]

Yeah I had forgotten about the spearing part:

 

Article 6

 

:

 

Unnecessary Roughness

 

.

 

There shall be no unnecessary roughness. This shall include, but will not be limited

 

to:

 

 

<snip>

 

(i)

 

using any part of a player’s helmet (including the top/crown and forehead/‖hairline‖ parts) or facemask to butt, spear,

or ram an opponent violently or unnecessarily;

 

 

So what constitutes violent or unnecessary force? In the video posted he clearly didn't use "violent or unnecessary" force to ram roethlesburger. He was well within the tackle boxes. I'm not buying it.

Edited September 13, 2014 by coordi88

[flemingd]

So what constitutes violent or unnecessary force? In the video posted he clearly didn't use "violent or unnecessary" force to ram roethlesburger. He was well within the tackle boxes. I'm not buying it.

 

 

You're right, that was just a love tap. He tenderly and gently coaxed him to the ground like something out of a 50 Shades of Gray scene.

[coordi88]

You're right, that was just a love tap. He tenderly and gently coaxed him to the ground like something out of a 50 Shades of Gray scene.

 

You are mocking me but is that what he should have actually done? Maybe your post was being ironic.

[flemingd]

You are mocking me but is that what he should have actually done? Maybe your post was being ironic.

 

 

No irony. I'm mocking you because you made it easy to do so.

 

He should have hit him not with the crown of his helmet. If he's allergic to actually tackling and wrapping up like so many of these youtube babies are, then hit with the shoulder and keep it within the legal strike zone.

[HowboutthemCowboys]

 

 

If he's allergic to actually tackling and wrapping up like so many of these youtube babies are, then hit with the shoulder and keep it within the legal strike zone.

 

Who threw the flag..the ref? Cuz he's behind the QB and I had to watch the replay 3 times and I'm STILL not sure he actually used the crown, how'd he see that??

 

He threw the flag cuz a QB got DRILLED...lets call it what it is..horse****

[Hat Trick]

I'll just say as a fan of the sport, I didn't like to see a flag thrown there. What looked to be a great play was ruined by the refs.

[Hat Trick]

Who threw the flag..the ref? Cuz he's behind the QB and I had to watch the replay 3 times and I'm STILL not sure he actually used the crown, how'd he see that??

 

He threw the flag cuz a QB got DRILLED...lets call it what it is..horse****

 

 

Amen!

[coordi88]

No irony. I'm mocking you because you made it easy to do so.

He should have hit him not with the crown of his helmet. If he's allergic to actually tackling and wrapping up like so many of these youtube babies are, then hit with the shoulder and keep it within the legal strike zone.

 

 

You can insult me but the wording is ambiguous which has made the flags inconsistent. Roethlesburger is 3+ shoulder lengths across. How is he supposed to get a clean shoulderpad hit THROUGH Roethlesburger at this angle? It is actually impossible if you watch the replay. But hey you're too smart for any of this amirite?