Meriweather & Roger G

[Kilmer72]

No I haven't heard that. I never played football Deadskins except in the neighborhood or playground (Hippie not jock here). Just seems to me that the laws of leverage would go against keeping your head up and having an accidental head to head to someone that speared. Just my thoughts on it. Even head up on a knee. I am not a doctor either so maybe I got it wrong.

Next game you watch, look for it coming back from the break. The NFL is making a big push to get youth football coaches "Heads Up Certified." Anyway, someone posted a video (I think it was Darth) a couple of years ago, of a football clinic where the kids were being taught to tackle "Heads Up," and I had the same exact reaction as you did. Seemed like a recipe for injury to me. But I did a little research, and found out that it was actually much safer. I'm a bit of a hippie too, as you might have guessed, but I played football growing up, from pee-wee to HS. We were always taught to tackle the old-fashioned way, shoulder into the waist, and wrap him up with your arms. I guess the science has progressed a lot from those days.

I believe you. I wouldn't put on a helmet and spear on a tree and certainly wouldn't with my head up either but I get it. I just have a hard time of logically putting that all together which would be safer. I think Oldschool should be nominated to do the scientific debate. Once with a spear and then with a heads up approach. I will listen to his experience after I have a few photos.

[Deadskins]

Can Meriweather appeal?

[SkinsJock]

Can Meriweather appeal?

I thought he was going to ... http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/11412 ... n-redskins

[Kilmer72]

Can Meriweather appeal?

I read yes on that but I don't have a link handy.

There you go Skinsjock posted it

[FLWSkin]

Because if you watch it again you will see that Merriweather was aiming for the spot between the shoulders and hips like they are supposed to and the receiver ducked his head in to that area and the Merriweather actually made contact with the receivers shoulder first. Watch it again, it was a legal hit.

Absolutely correct!!!

I watched it a couple of times to be sure. Now, I can see the flag...speed of the game and all that. But a suspension after the NFL looked at it...no.

[cowboykillerzRGiii]

http://httr4life.com/brandon-meriweathe ... uspension/

He has appealed..
Dhall and Others support him publicly, including Torry Smith (Raven who was hit).. The first Hall Quote came before the actual penalty was decided... thought that should be clarified which this article failed to do so.

[langleyparkjoe]

Because if you watch it again you will see that Merriweather was aiming for the spot between the shoulders and hips like they are supposed to and the receiver ducked his head in to that area and the Merriweather actually made contact with the receivers shoulder first. Watch it again, it was a legal hit.

Absolutely correct!!!

I watched it a couple of times to be sure. Now, I can see the flag...speed of the game and all that. But a suspension after the NFL looked at it...no.

It's a flag because of the rule so yes I get it but what's a DB to do when the offensive player lowers his head after the DB has made his initial move yuh know? The intent by the NFL to keep the players safe is really great but man I'd hate to be a DB in the league now with all the restrictions.

[Deadskins]

I don't know that the league "has it out" for Merriweather. But the fact remains that he's never going to get the benefit of the doubt ever because of his history. He's going to get suspended every single time. He's a huge liability for us as a result.

I don't think the league has it out for Meriweather, so much as for the Redskins. We may be a bigger liability to him, than vice versa.

[StorminMormon86]

I don't think the league has it out for Meriweather, so much as for the Redskins. We may be a bigger liability to him, than vice versa.

This I agree with.

[Countertrey]

1: There is no conspiracy towards Merriweather... while the penalty is crap, the fact is, Merriweather has repeatedly used his helmet to punish receivers, and has earned the extra attention paid to him. That said, that was NOT a hit for which a penalty should have been called, much less the suspension.

2: There IS a league conspiracy to cut the nads off of the Defense, in general. They are in love with scoring, and will do anything to get more of it, even if that results in fundamentally changing the game. The ultimate result will be token defenses, and incessant whistles, with the officials deciding who wins the game...

If you like incessant whistles, game stoppage, and arbitrary rule interpretation, go watch HS Girls Field Hockey. Otherwise, let players play the game... it's a contact sport... stop emasculating it. Bring back bump and run. Penalize dirty play, and obvious intent to injure... but stop penalizing bang-bang action. Equalize pass interference penalties... the penalty should be 5 yards and a first down against the defense... loss of 5 yards and loss of down for the offense... if you insist on penalizing the defense at "the point of the foul", then you should be deducting that amount of yardage for offensive PI. ...and, OBTW... Offensive PI should be called as often as is Defensive PI... what a load of crap.

the league has abandoned fans of Defensive football.
[/rant]

[emoses14]

1: There is no conspiracy towards Merriweather... while the penalty is crap, the fact is, Merriweather has repeatedly used his helmet to punish receivers, and has earned the extra attention paid to him. That said, that was NOT a hit for which a penalty should have been called, much less the suspension.

2: There IS a league conspiracy to cut the nads off of the Defense, in general. They are in love with scoring, and will do anything to get more of it, even if that results in fundamentally changing the game. The ultimate result will be token defenses, and incessant whistles, with the officials deciding who wins the game...

If you like incessant whistles, game stoppage, and arbitrary rule interpretation, go watch HS Girls Field Hockey. Otherwise, let players play the game... it's a contact sport... stop emasculating it. Bring back bump and run. Penalize dirty play, and obvious intent to injure... but stop penalizing bang-bang action. Equalize pass interference penalties... the penalty should be 5 yards and a first down against the defense... loss of 5 yards and loss of down for the offense... if you insist on penalizing the defense at "the point of the foul", then you should be deducting that amount of yardage for offensive PI. ...and, OBTW... Offensive PI should be called as often as is Defensive PI... what a load of crap.

the league has abandoned fans of Defensive football.
[/rant]

Yeah, this right here is the nutshell on this latest suspension. While Merriweather is right that he shouldn't have been fiend/suspended, Merriweather doesn't have anyone else to blame for this instance of overstepping but Merriweather.

[riggofan]

Actually, that's the way they teach tackling these days. You must have heard the "Heads Up Certified" commercials. It's much more likely to cause a neck or spinal injury to hit with your head lowered.

I believe what you guys are saying about the technique, and it makes sense to me not to lower your head. My point/question though was that the WR lowered HIS head. Doesn't that put the defender in a bad spot?

Completely disagree though that this has anything to do with the Redskins. I'm sure the league isn't looking to do us any favors, but Merriweather has been repeatedly fined, suspended, etc; for the hits. He's just never going to get any kind of pass or an objective look from the league. It sucks because he's been playing pretty well. Huge risk for the team that he could be suspended.

[emoses14]

Something that is bugging me today: Why is that this preseason game "illegal" hit results in a 2 game REGULAR season suspension? Regular season and post season carryover suspensions make sense as all of those games count, but preseason doesn't. No stats count, wins don't (injuries do, of course) nor anything else about them. So why isn't Merriweather suspended for the 1st two games of next year's preseason? Or, suspend him for the NEXT two games, 1 preseason and 1 regular season, even that would make more sense than the first 2 games of the regular season.

[Irn-Bru]

Something that is bugging me today: Why is that this preseason game "illegal" hit results in a 2 game REGULAR season suspension? Regular season and post season carryover suspensions make sense as all of those games count, but preseason doesn't. No stats count, wins don't (injuries do, of course) nor anything else about them. So why isn't Merriweather suspended for the 1st two games of next year's preseason? Or, suspend him for the NEXT two games, 1 preseason and 1 regular season, even that would make more sense than the first 2 games of the regular season.

Agreed that there is hypocrisy here. This is just another example of the league asking players to shoulder risk so the revenue stream keeps rolling in.

[masterkwon]

Please cut this cheap shot artist before he hurts someone or himself.

[welch]

I saw the play. If Merriweather cannot learn to tackle properly, if he keeps drawing penalties for illegal hits, then he is a liability.

I would not be surprised if the refs and the league are watching Merriweather more closely, since he has a history. That's what happens, just as the league illegal-substance investigators were likely to check Fred Davis.

[KazooSkinsFan]

Something that is bugging me today: Why is that this preseason game "illegal" hit results in a 2 game REGULAR season suspension? Regular season and post season carryover suspensions make sense as all of those games count, but preseason doesn't. No stats count, wins don't (injuries do, of course) nor anything else about them. So why isn't Merriweather suspended for the 1st two games of next year's preseason? Or, suspend him for the NEXT two games, 1 preseason and 1 regular season, even that would make more sense than the first 2 games of the regular season.

Agreed that there is hypocrisy here. This is just another example of the league asking players to shoulder risk so the revenue stream keeps rolling in.

I don't know, pre-season or not, he's endangering players careers. A pre-season suspension is really just letting it go. Despite what people are arguing about the proper way to tackle, I don't get how diving in helmet first is the way to tackle whether he is aiming for the guys head or not. And receivers do move, even if he wasn't, he endangered the receiver. I think 2 games is frankly a pretty weak punishment. I think the league should inform Merriweather and the Redskins he's looking at a half season, eight game ban on the next one and see if that gets his attention because what they are doing now is clearly not getting his attention. He's still diving in head first.

[StorminMormon86]

I can't fathom how a guy can beat up his wife and get 2 games, and Merriweather (despite his history) gets the same.

[FLWSkin]

I can't see how the Seahawks can violate the practice rules two years in a row and get a fine that is less than the minimum for a player, yet we get docked 36 million in cap space for violating no rule in 2010 in regards to the salary cap. Yep, NFL sure is fair. I won't even get in to their Adderall problem and their corner who says yeah I take it but I know how to beat the tests, yet he is still playing.

[emoses14]

I can't fathom how a guy can beat up his wife and get 2 games, and Merriweather (despite his history) gets the same.

Purely economically (and a bit cynically), beating your wife doesn't (potentially) remove a desired commodity (i.e. offensive stars like a WR) from that game and possibly others with a concussion. Also, NFL isn't being sued by former and current player's wives over domestic violence, they are, however being sued over the long term effect of concussions. So coming down hard on a knocker out of women isn't nearly as important as coming down on a knocker out of money making stars (i.e. offensive ones).

[Irn-Bru]

I can't fathom how a guy can beat up his wife and get 2 games, and Merriweather (despite his history) gets the same.

Purely economically (and a bit cynically), beating your wife doesn't (potentially) remove a desired commodity (i.e. offensive stars like a WR) from that game and possibly others with a concussion. Also, NFL isn't being sued by former and current player's wives over domestic violence, they are, however being sued over the long term effect of concussions. So coming down hard on a knocker out of women isn't nearly as important as coming down on a knocker out of money making stars (i.e. offensive ones).

Yeah, I recommend shying away from these Player X - Ray Rice comparisons. It's not the NFL's job to administer justice in the case of Rice, but it falls almost entirely on them when it comes to on-field incidents.

[yupchagee]

I can't fathom how a guy can beat up his wife and get 2 games, and Merriweather (despite his history) gets the same.

Rice brings in more revenue than Meriweather.

[Kilmer72]

Old news but still 6 game suspension for big Ben http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d8 ... evaluation

[riggofan]

Yeah, I recommend shying away from these Player X - Ray Rice comparisons. It's not the NFL's job to administer justice in the case of Rice, but it falls almost entirely on them when it comes to on-field incidents.

Its hard not to compare the two, but I think you're making a fair point. I'd actually prefer the NFL to stay out of "off field incidents" entirely. Let the legal system deal with Rice, and allow the Ravens to decide whether to punish him or not.

[StorminMormon86]

Its hard not to compare the two, but I think you're making a fair point. I'd actually prefer the NFL to stay out of "off field incidents" entirely. Let the legal system deal with Rice, and allow the Ravens to decide whether to punish him or not.

That joke of a franchise has already came out and publicly supported him, and tried to make the incident minor and make him into some sort of hero to the community.