hf, first off glad to see you around, as I remember it you were pretty sick in the spring. Glad your feeling better and your health is well, good health is everything, sometimes people take for granted.
Secondly, got to disagree with you on that penalty brother. When the ball is high, leaving the receiver Hung in the Air, unable to protect himself, its illegal for a defender to launch himself and with his helmet or shoulder direct a hit at the vulnerable receiver s head. That's the rules. And their is a reason for it, Darryl Stingley is a good friend of mine, he has been unable to move since 1977 because of that exact hit. And there are many other football players like Chuckie Mullins who ultimately died from such a injury, there are many others.
Let me say unequivocally the NFL has got a little over zealous protecting players. I see defensemen lineman that unintentionally slap the QB on the helmet and are given 15 yard penalties, also defensive players arriving seconds late and simply pushing the QB down also penalized. These hits in no way equate to that hit on Caldwell. The NFL needs to undoubtedly clarify these circumstances. There are RULES, AND RIGHTLY SO, for kickers, QB s and receivers that are in vulnerable positions, unable to defend themselves. Whether it be throwing kicking or in the Air receiving a ball, and unable to protect their body from serious injury, this only makes sense. However it has become more difficult, as kickers and QB s now throw themselves on the ground looking for penalties, which in essence only complicates their own safety.
65 was absolutely correct when he blamed Brady for this collision, and Brady admitted it himself on radio in Boston this morning. He stated himself he should have thrown the ball closer to the sideline on Caldwell outside shoulder, this would have minimize the possibility of such a tremendous hit. Instead what Brady threw was a hospital pass. Majority of the time QB s look off receivers in this position, or throw to the outside as stated above.
I see all kinds of name calling and such above, people sometimes forget football is a game, a great game, but entertainment. Nobody should get paralyzed for life or killed for entertainment in a game. I played football many years, complete knee reconstruction on one knee, cartilage surgery on the other. Broken ankle with steel plate and 9 screws still in my right ankle, and a dislocated left shoulder I still can t sleep on. These all come with the territory of playing football, I have no bitterness or regrets. But getting crippled or killed is another issue. Players deserve to be protected in instances where the action leaves them unable to. The NFL owes them that. That's why those rules exist. Frankly I love football, but I don't care to see someone like Dennis Byrd or Darryl Stingley get crippled for life on Sunday afternoon, that won't make my day any better.