late hit on Pennington will cost Seau $7,500

[uart]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2599720&campaign=rss&source=ESPNHeadlines

"Continuing its emphasis on sanctioning players for what it deems late hits on quarterbacks, the NFL has fined New England Patriots linebacker Junior Seau $7,500 for a play in the Patriots' 24-17 victory over the New York Jets last Sunday.

Seau

The incident occurred with 6:30 remaining in the third quarter, on a play in which Jets quarterback Chad Pennington completed a 71-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery.

Seau hit Pennington low, around the knees, as he released the ball. He was penalized 15 yards for roughing the passer, and the penalty was enforced on the ensuing kickoff. Pennington sustained a slight calf injury but he returned to the field on New York's subsequent offensive possession.

The fine, one of the few of Seau's long and celebrated career, can be appealed. It is not yet known if Seau will contest the fine. Pennington has not experienced any lingering ramifications from the play.

In the opening weekend, at least four defenders were fined between $5,000-$7,500 for what the league perceived as excessive or late contact against a quarterback.

League officials continue to emphasize protecting quarterbacks, especially when they are in so-called "defenseless" situations or on late hits, and some of the fines have been levied on incidents that did not draw penalty flags during the games."

[Blackout]

what a classless peice of ****

[PatsFanTX]

what a classless peice of ****

Maybe PennyBoy should take up square dancing if he doesn't like contact.

[green and white forever]

Maybe PennyBoy should take up square dancing if he doesn't like contact.

Or maybe the rules regarding hitting the QB after the ball is long gone should be respected.

[*62]

Not to mention the late forearm shiver to the face which one of the Pats' defenders delivered.

[Exit 117]

Or maybe the rules regarding hitting the QB after the ball is long gone should be respected.

Or maybe you should read the article... or watch the game:

Seau hit Pennington low, around the knees, as he released the ball. He was penalized 15 yards for roughing the passer, and the penalty was enforced on the ensuing kickoff.

Not exactly "after the ball is long gone."

It's the NFL making QBs a bunch of pussies. Might as well wear skirts. Pennington and all other QBs should just man up and take the hits.

[tonysxl1200c]

Pennington and all other QBs should just man up and take the hits.

The rule has nothing to do about taking hits. If you can get to the QB while he has the ball, you have every right to level him. However, the reason the rule is there is because the QB is in an awkward, undefensable position when releasing the ball and through his follow through.

Also, it was a low hit, and the NFL has no interest in losing it's star QB's to knee injuries on low, late hits.

[#27TheDominator]

Or maybe you should read the article... or watch the game:

Not exactly "after the ball is long gone."

It's the NFL making QBs a bunch of pussies. Might as well wear skirts. Pennington and all other QBs should just man up and take the hits.

They already are pussies. The NFL is just trying to keep their cash cow pussies on the field so they can sell more jerseys.

I don't think Seau is a "classless piece of ****." Apparently the league doesn't either. How big of a hit do you think $7,500 is compared to one game check? He might appeal it, but why bother?

[serphnx]

Or maybe you should read the article... or watch the game:

Not exactly "after the ball is long gone."

It's the NFL making QBs a bunch of pussies. Might as well wear skirts. Pennington and all other QBs should just man up and take the hits.

So to be a tough guy, you have to stand in one spot, while people twice your size get running starts and slam into your knees? You can't even use your arms to fend them off, because those arms are used to hold and throw a football.

What exactly do you do for a living that makes you tougher than an NFL QB? Do you enter MMA rings without fighting back? Oh wait, that probably isn't a fair comparison either, you probably won't fight someone that's in a higher weight class than you.

I can't stand people on the internet that like to go on and on about some professional athletes being "pussies" because they're given a fighting chance on a football field. I'm pretty sure these QBs can beat most of us up, including you and myself. Listen, why don't you try an experiment out? Go find 5 300 pound guys, set up a tire or something, and tell them to run at you while you throw the ball. No late hits or anything. Take about 15-20 hits over a 3 hour period. Since you believe they should be able to go for your knees, make sure to tell them that too. It won't be on the same level as the NFL, since I doubt your friends will be as big, fast or strong, but it'll give you an idea. I guarantee you will change your tune. If you honestly can take that, THEN I'll start taking you seriously. Otherwise you just look like some internet bad-ass.

[Blackout]

nice post serphnx, i agree

[war ensemble]

I agree with serphynx's post. The rules are good, 300-pound guys shouldn't be able to just tackle guys by thge knees the whole time. If you go like that, every quaterback in the league is going to get injured. The fine is big, but he'll be able to pay it no problem. I doubt he'll appeal it. The quaterbacks aren't pussies, they just don't want to be getting injured every game because of this. With the motion they're in while and after they throw the ball, they're sitting ducks to get destroyed by the monsters on the other end of the ball without these rules.

PS: New sig! Do you like it? It's old, by the way.

[MasonJet]

Or maybe you should read the article... or watch the game:

Not exactly "after the ball is long gone."

It's the NFL making QBs a bunch of pussies. Might as well wear skirts. Pennington and all other QBs should just man up and take the hits.

Yea Carson Palmer's a real pussy. I can't believe that pussy just let that guy break his leg in 2 like that. He should have played through the pain.

[#27TheDominator]

I agree with serphynx's post. The rules are good, 300-pound guys shouldn't be able to just tackle guys by thge knees the whole time. If you go like that, every quaterback in the league is going to get injured. The fine is big, but he'll be able to pay it no problem. I doubt he'll appeal it. The quaterbacks aren't pussies, they just don't want to be getting injured every game because of this. With the motion they're in while and after they throw the ball, they're sitting ducks to get destroyed by the monsters on the other end of the ball without these rules.

PS: New sig! Do you like it? It's old, by the way.

The fine isn't big. It's tiny. The rules are fine, but I don't think there was any intent to lay out at the guy's knees. Defensive players launch and sometimes they catch knees or helmets unintentionally. Sometimes they call late hits when pass rushers are leaping and the qb gets rid of the ball with them in the air. I don't want unecessary injuries, but I don't want them to take all the impact out of the game either. I remember Cox said something to the effect of I just hit the guy as hard as I can on every play and I'll worry about the fines on Tuesday.

[JetCane]

If every team, or even most teams, started losing their starting QBs to injuries, the league would pretty much suck, and watching the games wouldnt be as much fun.

I have no problem with rules trying to protect the health of QBs.

[TaborJet]

$7500?

Isn't that 1/2 of Seau's salary this season?

[green and white forever]

Or maybe you should read the article... or watch the game:

Not exactly "after the ball is long gone."

It's the NFL making QBs a bunch of pussies. Might as well wear skirts. Pennington and all other QBs should just man up and take the hits.

I saw the play. The rules are there to protect the QB. I guess some believe that Palmer and Culpepper are real men.

I know PFTX likes to bust chops , but if Bradyback was the one who got hit, we would be hearing a different tune.

[green and white forever]

If every team, or even most teams, started losing their starting QBs to injuries, the league would pretty much suck, and watching the games wouldnt be as much fun.

I have no problem with rules trying to protect the health of QBs.

Jetcane, you are absolutely right.Why don't some people get it?

[green and white forever]

Not to mention the late forearm shiver to the face which one of the Pats' defenders delivered.

Seymour.

[JetCane]

Jetcane, you are absolutely right.Why don't some people get it?

Beats me

[bitonti]

the hit seau put on Chad was similar to the hit Kimo put on Carson Palmer last season - low shot - could have been very ugly.

[Exit 117]

My point was that football is football and those plays like what happened to Palmer happen, and like what happened with Pennington and Seau. Seau, another Pat's D player, and a Jets blocker were all going backwards, with it being Seau, Pats guy, Jets guy leading the way. Either the 2nd Pats guy or the Jets guy fell, causing a chain reaction, which caused Seau to fall, too.

I only pinpointed the QBs and called them pussies because the rules around them are so ridiculous. Should the guy with Willis McGahee have been fined (if it were NFL) because he hit the knee? Let's say that happens tomorrow. A linebacker goes low to tackle a running back, hits his knee or below, and completely blows it out like what happened to McGahee. Should he get fined? Should their be a 15-yard penalty for roughing the rusher? If you're going to point out one position like that, it's unfair. I understand the whole thing with throwing and being in motion and having your eyes on the field, etc.

And as far as your smart ass remarks go about having 300 pound guys rushing my knees, I HAVE had my knees blown out. As a matter of fact, just 5 days ago I got knee reconstruction surgery (ACL, lateral meniscus, medial meniscus, and a punctured PCL). So it's not like I haven't experienced what they go through. Rehab and physical therapy are a bitch, the pain is intense, and you don't ever want to walk again. But that is a part of the huge risk of playing football, and accidents happen.

[serphnx]

My point was that football is football and those plays like what happened to Palmer happen, and like what happened with Pennington and Seau. Seau, another Pat's D player, and a Jets blocker were all going backwards, with it being Seau, Pats guy, Jets guy leading the way. Either the 2nd Pats guy or the Jets guy fell, causing a chain reaction, which caused Seau to fall, too.

I only pinpointed the QBs and called them pussies because the rules around them are so ridiculous. Should the guy with Willis McGahee have been fined (if it were NFL) because he hit the knee? Let's say that happens tomorrow. A linebacker goes low to tackle a running back, hits his knee or below, and completely blows it out like what happened to McGahee. Should he get fined? Should their be a 15-yard penalty for roughing the rusher? If you're going to point out one position like that, it's unfair. I understand the whole thing with throwing and being in motion and having your eyes on the field, etc.

And as far as your smart ass remarks go about having 300 pound guys rushing my knees, I HAVE had my knees blown out. As a matter of fact, just 5 days ago I got knee reconstruction surgery (ACL, lateral meniscus, medial meniscus, and a punctured PCL). So it's not like I haven't experienced what they go through. Rehab and physical therapy are a bitch, the pain is intense, and you don't ever want to walk again. But that is a part of the huge risk of playing football, and accidents happen.

You say you understand throwing and being in motion and the other stuff, but then you claim it's the same thing when someone is NOT doing that. Are you sure you really understand it? It's not a rule protecting the QB, it's a rule that protects a person performing the QB's functions. When an RB is passing, it's the same thing. When a QB is running, he doesn't get those rules. It has nothing to do with injury either, Chad's injuries in the past haven't been fined, and either have Vicks numerous injuries. People say Young will get injured if he runs around on the NFL field, but they don't make a rule against QBs being hit if they're running.

So have you or have you not had 300 pound guys rushing at your knees? Are you trying to tell me that's how your injury came about? Or are you instead making this weirdly illogical leap from being injured in some other way to being an NFL QB? I think I pulled my hamstring once, I guess I'm a pro bowl DE or an NFL WR.

It seems to me that you're just a whiny bitch. You avoided answering this too, do you really think you're tougher than NFL QBs? If you're calling them pussies, you must really think of yourself as a bad ass. So tell me what dangerous violent activity you engage in where you willfully put yourself into highly likely situations to injure yourself, when there is an easy way to prevent those injuries. I don't see how that's even manly, frankly I think it's completely retarded, but I'll play along.

[#27TheDominator]

You say you understand throwing and being in motion and the other stuff, but then you claim it's the same thing when someone is NOT doing that. Are you sure you really understand it? It's not a rule protecting the QB, it's a rule that protects a person performing the QB's functions. When an RB is passing, it's the same thing. When a QB is running, he doesn't get those rules. It has nothing to do with injury either, Chad's injuries in the past haven't been fined, and either have Vicks numerous injuries. People say Young will get injured if he runs around on the NFL field, but they don't make a rule against QBs being hit if they're running.

So have you or have you not had 300 pound guys rushing at your knees? Are you trying to tell me that's how your injury came about? Or are you instead making this weirdly illogical leap from being injured in some other way to being an NFL QB? I think I pulled my hamstring once, I guess I'm a pro bowl DE or an NFL WR.

It seems to me that you're just a whiny bitch. You avoided answering this too, do you really think you're tougher than NFL QBs? If you're calling them pussies, you must really think of yourself as a bad ass. So tell me what dangerous violent activity you engage in where you willfully put yourself into highly likely situations to injure yourself, when there is an easy way to prevent those injuries. I don't see how that's even manly, frankly I think it's completely retarded, but I'll play along.

I agree with your point, but don't give me any BS that a qb running isn't treated differently than a rb. That's simply not true. The rules are to protect qbs and they have to do with money, not the altruism of the NFL. The NFL doesn't care that the guy is vulnerable when he's throwing, only that it's bad for the fans and tv revenue when the Farves, Bradys and Roethlisbergers go down.

PS: In my day they only weighed 280.

[Exit 117]

You say you understand throwing and being in motion and the other stuff, but then you claim it's the same thing when someone is NOT doing that. Are you sure you really understand it? It's not a rule protecting the QB, it's a rule that protects a person performing the QB's functions. When an RB is passing, it's the same thing. When a QB is running, he doesn't get those rules.

Just like the QB can't see the player coming at them because they're focused on throwing the ball and going through the motions, a runningback, for example, could not see the linebacker coming from his blindside and not be prepared.

It has nothing to do with injury either, Chad's injuries in the past haven't been fined, and either have Vicks numerous injuries. People say Young will get injured if he runs around on the NFL field, but they don't make a rule against QBs being hit if they're running.

Chads injuries didn't get fined because they were normal plays, I agree. But you see stupid plays like the Seau one where he should not have been fined.

So have you or have you not had 300 pound guys rushing at your knees? Are you trying to tell me that's how your injury came about? Or are you instead making this weirdly illogical leap from being injured in some other way to being an NFL QB? I think I pulled my hamstring once, I guess I'm a pro bowl DE or an NFL WR.

That wasn't my point at all. My point was I can see why they would go the extra mile to protect a player because of the extreme pain and rehabbing that has to be done. I didn't compare myself to any players at all. I'm just saying that the extent of my injuries compared to Palmer's isn't that different at all other than he tore 2 ligaments instead of my 1 and I tore 2 meniscuses instead of his 1. I didn't say they were hurt in the same way. I was just relating the fact that I understand why they would want to protect players, but football is football.

It seems to me that you're just a whiny bitch.

Personal attacks are completely unnecessary. Calm the **** down.

You avoided answering this too, do you really think you're tougher than NFL QBs? If you're calling them pussies, you must really think of yourself as a bad ass. So tell me what dangerous violent activity you engage in where you willfully put yourself into highly likely situations to injure yourself, when there is an easy way to prevent those injuries. I don't see how that's even manly, frankly I think it's completely retarded, but I'll play along.

First of all, I never said or insinuated that I was tougher than any NFL player at all. I'm not trained and conditioned like they are, and I don't have the experience they do. I never tried to act tough.

The point of my initial post was the NFL getting weaker and weaker. Watch every week, and you'll see plenty of "late hit" calls and roughing the passers that shouldn't be called when other players are taking worse hits. Same is starting to happen for receivers, such as when Darius hit the Steelers' receiver on MNF this week and simply knocked him down. Completely unnecssary.

You need to calm the hell down because you're getting worked up and angry over a small comment made in the internet. What is your problem?

[serphnx]

Just like the QB can't see the player coming at them because they're focused on throwing the ball and going through the motions, a runningback, for example, could not see the linebacker coming from his blindside and not be prepared.

That's not really it. When you're in a pass mode, your body is positioned differently and you're basically hanging yourself out for a hit. In order to throw a football well, you can't brace yourself for a hit, you have to calmly follow through, and make yourself a target. You can see when QBs brace themselves, usually the passes are crap and off target. When an RB runs, even if he doesn't see what's hitting him, he's running in such a way that a hit is okay. He's not going to step in, transfer his power from his legs, to his hips, to his shoulders and into his arm. It's the same reason why you can't run into a punter, their legs are going an unnatural motion. Throwing a football is not a natural motion. There's also the difference of going forward, and that of basically hopping in a pass mode. It isn't easy. There's a reason why so few people are good QBs on any level.

Personal attacks are completely unnecessary. Calm the **** down.

First of all, I never said or insinuated that I was tougher than any NFL player at all. I'm not trained and conditioned like they are, and I don't have the experience they do. I never tried to act tough.

The point of my initial post was the NFL getting weaker and weaker. Watch every week, and you'll see plenty of "late hit" calls and roughing the passers that shouldn't be called when other players are taking worse hits. Same is starting to happen for receivers, such as when Darius hit the Steelers' receiver on MNF this week and simply knocked him down. Completely unnecssary.

You need to calm the hell down because you're getting worked up and angry over a small comment made in the internet. What is your problem?

First of all, you attacked me first with the "smart ass comment" thing. So I just responded to that. Secondly, it's fine to have an opinion, but it looks like you're discounting the opinion of the rest of us. Basically your view looks like you think it's the only right one, and everyone else should just listen to what you said. Maybe that's not your intention, but that's how it comes off. And finally, I was a QB in HS, and yeah it's not the NFL, but I guess I have a certain sort of empathy towards QBs on any level. So when QBs get attacked, I sort of feel like I've been attacked too. That's my bad I guess.

[Blackout]

I agree with your point, but don't give me any BS that a qb running isn't treated differently than a rb. That's simply not true. The rules are to protect qbs and they have to do with money, not the altruism of the NFL. The NFL doesn't care that the guy is vulnerable when he's throwing, only that it's bad for the fans and tv revenue when the Farves, Bradys and Roethlisbergers go down.

PS: In my day they only weighed 280.

i think Ledanian Tomlinson and Larry Johnson are just as valuable to the NFL as Alex Smith and Billy Volek, who those rules are protecting

[jetophile]

Also, it was a low hit, and the NFL has no interest in losing it's star QB's to knee injuries on low, late hits.

Right. As in let's cripple Joe Namath. On purpose. And you know they tried to kill him every way they could, knowing it was a weak spot suffered in college when he was a scrambling QB. Fancy that. Dirtbags...

[PFSIKH]

The penalty was BS. The fine is to, but I can see the reasoning behind it. Seau was not going to be able to stop. If he was running, that would be one thing but he was falling.

All things being equal the size of the fine probably indicates it is more of a warning order for Seau to watch it.

[JetCane]

Right. As in let's cripple Joe Namath. On purpose. And you know they tried to kill him every way they could, knowing it was a weak spot suffered in college when he was a scrambling QB. Fancy that. Dirtbags...

That's true. If the league left it up to the players, there would be plenty of maimed QBs on the sidelines.

[Jetfan13]

Or maybe you should read the article... or watch the game:

Not exactly "after the ball is long gone."

It's the NFL making QBs a bunch of pussies. Might as well wear skirts. Pennington and all other QBs should just man up and take the hits.

you make like Carson Palmer did last year against the Squealers?

[Preston Howley III]

I think I pulled my hamstring once, I guess I'm a pro bowl DE or an NFL WR.