Morning Links (and Daily Thread)…

Eh, Harrison should just be quiet and hope that he doesn’t get suspended. I don’t think the hits were particularly dirty, but he has a reputation and adding to that isn’t going to help matters. We might think it’s a funny quote (it is)l, but if the refs throw a 15 yarder on something questionable in an important game we are all going to be pissed.

In other news, I’ll be in the Pittsburgh area during the Oakland Raiders game. Does anyone have extra tickets they are wanting to sell? I’m looking for two anywhere in the stadium.

i’m glad you showed the IKE hit here. this is a classic example of over-legislation that the NFL could end up doing. white ducks down at the last minute (albeit to brace for impact). ike doesn’t leave his feet. and ike leads with his left shoulder.

on the massaquoi hit, the receiver did the same thing, ducking at the last minute. so as a defender, you aim for the middle, but then the offensive player changes, so there’s no chance for you to react. deebo lead with his freaking arms, for goodness sake!

many of the helmet-to-helmet shots where when the hittee’s head snaps forward on impact, and then runs into the hitters helmet (ala hines ward on keith rivers).

if deebo gets fines, it’ll be another example of goodell not knowing what to actually do, but instead reacting to the public. get a freaking spine if you are going to be a leader!

Eddie,

Deebo won’t be suspended. The rules (except for Brandon Meriweather, it seems) go into effect starting Week 7. I’m sure he’ll get fined though.

Good stuff from Prisuta and Labriola regarding the issue of hits.

http://www.steelers.com/video-and-audio/audio-browser/talking-steelers-football.html

Ray Anderson, NFL’s VP of football operations, says the Harrison hit on Massaquoi should have been flagged. Do I remember correctly that was the same play when a Browns player kicked the ball off the field and got a delay of game penalty? It would have offset the Harrison penalty.

Yeah that would have been an effective deterrent. Actually it would have been a more effective illustration of how futile it is for the NFL to try to make the game safer.

I don’t thing the solution is ejecting players, stiffer fines, suspensions or better helmets. The problem is that this is football. The same sport that named Harrison defensive player of the year two years ago. And he’s the same player he was then. This game celebrates and encourages hard-hitting action.

The stakes are too high for Harrison or any other player to play any other way. He had to lay out Cribs and Massaquoi. Ward has to hit hard enough to break someone’s jaw. There’s no way the Steelers could let the Browns win. That would mean two losses to divisional opponents. That could have dire consequences when it comes time for deciding who goes to the playoffs. So every play is do or die.

We cannot condemn any player for doing what it takes to win each game. It’s what the game demands.