James Harrison suspended

By now all Steelers fans are aware that James Harrison has been suspended for one game because of his hit on Colt McCoy.  The decision by the league is galling ~ the rule against helmet-to-helmet  hits does not include "incidental contact by the mask or non-crown parts of the helmet in the course of a conventional tackle on a passer," which this it appeared to be ~ as is his being barred from practices and team facilities for this week.  But, for what it is worth, here is the NFL's announcement and rationalization in its entirety:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

12/13/11



HARRISON SUSPENDED FOR ONE GAME FOR FIFTH ILLEGAL HIT AGAINST A QUARTERBACK IN THREE SEASONS



JAMES HARRISON of the Pittsburgh Steelers has been suspended without pay for one game by NFL Executive Vice President RAY ANDERSON as a result of Harrison’s fifth illegal hit against a quarterback in the past three seasons, the NFL announced today.



Harrison was penalized for roughing the passer in last Thursday night’s Steelers-Browns game for an illegal helmet-to-helmet hit against a defenseless quarterback, Cleveland’s COLT MC COY. In addition to four fines for illegal hits against quarterbacks in 2009 and 2010, Harrison also was fined twice for unnecessary roughness during that period. Harrison totaled six fines in that two-year period.



The 2011 League Policies for Players manual states: “Players who were fined for violations in 2009 or 2010, and whose fines were either partially or fully upheld, will be considered second and/or repeat offenders under this policy.” 



Harrison may not practice this week or be at the team practice facility or stadium for any other activities during the suspension. He will be reinstated on December 20. Under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, the suspension may be appealed within three business days and an expedited hearing and decision would take place this week in advance of this weekend’s games. Appeals are heard and decided on a rotating basis by either Art Shell or Ted Cottrell, the officers jointly appointed and compensated by the NFL and NFLPA to decide appeals of on-field player discipline.



Rule 12, Section 2, Article 9 of the NFL Rule Book states: “It is a foul if a player initiates unnecessary contact against a player who is in a defenseless posture. (a) Players in a defenseless posture are: (1) A player in the act of or just after throwing a pass.     



Rule 12, Section 2, Article 13 (8) and (3) is also applicable to the roughing the passer penalty called against Harrison.



When a passer is outside the pocket area, as McCoy was, he is still afforded the protection of Article 13 (3), which prohibits defensive players from using their helmet against a passer who is in a defenseless posture, including by “forcibly hitting the passer’s head or neck area with the helmet or facemask, regardless of whether the defensive player also uses his arms to tackle the passer by encircling or grasping him”.



The applicable rules:



PASSER OUT OF THE POCKET

(8) When the passer goes outside the pocket area and either continues moving with the ball (without attempting to advance the ball as a runner) or throws while on the run, he loses the protection of the one-step rule provided for in (1) above, and the protection against a low hit provided for in (5) above, but he remains covered by all the other special protections afforded to a passer in the pocket (numbers 2, 3, 4, 6, and 7), as well as the regular unnecessary-roughness rules applicable to all player positions. If the passer stops behind the line and clearly establishes a passing posture, he will then be covered by all of the special protections for passers.



HITS TO PASSER’S HEAD AND USE OF HELMET AND FACEMASK

(3) In covering the passer position, Referees will be particularly alert to fouls in which defenders impermissibly use the helmet and/or facemask to hit the passer, or use hands, arms, or other parts of the body to hit the passer forcibly in the head or neck area (see also the other unnecessary-roughness rules covering these subjects). A defensive player must not use his helmet against a passer who is in a defenseless posture for example, (a) forcibly hitting the passer’s head or neck area with the helmet or facemask, regardless of whether the defensive player also uses his arms to tackle the passer by encircling or grasping him, or (b) lowering the head and making forcible contact with the top/crown or forehead/”hairline” parts of the helmet against any part of the passer’s body. This rule does not prohibit incidental contact by the mask or non-crown parts of the helmet in the course of a conventional tackle on a passer.<>

Roger Goodell knows you

It has bee said on this site, on several different occasions, that we do not buy into the conspiracy theories (i.e. the league is out to get the Steelers). But the seemingly mean-spirited, ill-timed comments by Roger Goodell regarding Ben Roethlisberger left us wondering.

On Friday a member of the press corps stepped-up and asked the commissioner about his feelings for the Steelers. With thanks to the National Football League here is a transcript of the question and the commissioner's answer:

Q: A Steelers player on Tuesday at Media Day said that his ultimate scenario for Sunday would be to see you have to hand the MVP trophy to either James Harrison or Ben Roethlisberger and have to “eat humble pie like you never have before.” How would you feel about having to give that trophy to them? And to answer an opinion that has been voiced on a number of occasions at Pittsburgh, a lot of Pittsburgh fans are saying it’s a bigger deal to see you have to do that than even beat the Packers – that beating you is a bigger deal than beating the Packers.
 
A: “I know Steelers fans; I don’t buy that. Listen, I would be happy – if the Pittsburgh Steelers win, I would be more than happy to hand the MVP trophy off to Ben Roethlisberger or James Harrison. They’ve had extraordinary years, and I think it’s great for the game of football. I think it’s great for them as individuals and I hope they will have terrific games on Sunday. I can’t root for anybody, but whoever gets up to that stage, I’ll be proud to hand the trophy off to, I promise you that.”

We will have more on the manner in which the Steelers ~ the players and organization ~ have been treated this season next week, but this assumption that Roger Goodell has made, that he understands Steelers fans, is symptomatic of the arrogance emanating from NFL headquarters.

National Football League institutes concussion policy

Some will call this a "new" policy, but the view from here is that a sea change is underway at the NFL corporate offices. Here is the full-text of the statement released today:

NFL ADOPTS STRICTER STATEMENT ON RETURN-TO-PLAY FOLLOWING CONCUSSIONS

COMMISSIONER ROGER GOODELL notified NFL teams today that a new and expanded statement on return-to-play for a player who sustains a concussion will take effect with games beginning this week.

The stricter 2009 statement on return-to-play was developed by the NFL’s medical committee on concussions in conjunction with team doctors, outside medical experts, and the NFL Players Association in order to provide more specificity in making return-to-play decisions. The new guidance supplements the 2007 statement on return-to-play that encouraged team physicians and athletic trainers to continue to take a conservative approach to treating concussions and established that a player should not return to the same game after a concussion if the team medical staff determined that he had lost consciousness.

The 2009 statement advises that a player who suffers a concussion should not return to play or practice on the same day if he shows any signs or symptoms of a concussion that are outlined in the return-to-play statement. It further states:

“Once removed for the duration of a practice or game, the player should not be considered for return-to-football activities until he is fully asymptomatic, both at rest and after exertion, has a normal neurological examination, normal neuropsychological testing, and has been cleared to return by both his team physician(s) and the independent neurological consultant. A critical element of managing concussions is candid reporting by players of their symptoms following an injury. Accordingly, players are to be encouraged to be candid with team medical staffs and fully disclose any signs or symptoms that may be associated with a concussion.”

Based on the 2009 statement, a player who suffers a concussion should not return to play or practice on the same day if any of the following symptoms or signs is identified based on the initial medical evaluation of the player:

[1]. Loss of consciousness;

[2]. Confusion as evidenced by disorientation to person, time or place; inability to respond appropriately to questions; or inability to remember assignments or plays;

[3]. Amnesia as evidenced by a gap in memory for events occurring just prior to the injury; inability to learn and retain new information; or a gap in memory for events that occurred after the injury;

[4]. Abnormal neurological examination, such as abnormal pupillary response, persistent dizziness or vertigo, or abnormal balance on sideline testing.

[5]. New and persistent headache, particularly if accompanied by photosensitivity, nausea, vomiting or dizziness;

[6]. Any other persistent signs or symptoms of concussion.

“The evidence demonstrates that team medical staffs have been addressing concussions in an increasingly cautious and conservative way,” Commissioner Goodell said in a memo to the NFL clubs. “This new return-to-play statement reinforces our commitment to advancing player safety. Along with improved equipment, better education, and rules changes designed to reduce impacts to the head, it will make our game safer for the men who play it, and set an important example for players at all levels of play.”

Why does the NFL hate America?

A recent posting at Consumerist.com about the relatively large number of games expected to be blacked out in local markets this season got me to wondering just why the NFL is so inflexible in its approach to permitting fans of the NFL, who happen live in this country, to watch the games live.

In that Consumerist posting NFL commissioner Roger Goodell expresses empathy for all the fans who, as a result of the economic downturn, are no longer able to purchase game tickets. For those fans who are unable to see their team play in person, and whose games are blacked out, the NFL will allow them to watch the game tape delayed, online.

It can be argued that something is better than nothing ~ this does represent something of a step in the right direction; however in Canada the Sunday Ticket package, which is only available via DirecTV in the United States, is available through cable operators. Moreover, in Europe NFL games stream live on the internet.

In an effort to cultivate fans in far-flung parts of the globe it seems that the NFL is, once again, giving short-shrift to those who made the league the financial and entertainment juggernaut that it is.

The MVP Meets the Press

Santonio Holmes met with the media this morning, here is the transcript of that session as provided by the NFL:

(NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell’s opening statement): “Before we talk about the spectacular show last night, let me just take a minute to thank all of you, and most importantly, our host: the people of Tampa Bay. It was a spectacular week, obviously capped off by a tremendous game. But we’re thrilled and we’re grateful to everybody here who did such a spectacular job for us in making sure that we all had a good week, and our visitors had a great week. I think (it’s) fair to say that did occur. As far as the game, you all are talking the same way we are: what an incredible performance by both clubs. The Cardinals deserve a tremendous amount of credit for playing all the way and (having) a tremendous season. But it’s the Steelers’ night. It was a performance for the ages. It was something that I think we’ll all remember, a back and forth game with some great team performances and some great individual performances … We’re here to celebrate that. We’re here to talk to the MVP. Santonio Holmes had just an extraordinary night. It was really something to marvel at. We’re thrilled that he’s here, and we’re thrilled that Mike (Tomlin) is here. They represent everything that’s great in the NFL, and we’re proud that they’re here. I’d like to bring up Santonio to get his MVP trophy.”



(Santonio Holmes’ opening statement): “It’s definitely a pleasure to be here. I’d like to thank my teammates, and first of all, thank the Lord upstairs for allowing me to be here and the opportunity he gave me to step out on the field and play to the best of my ability. I’d definitely like to thank the fans for their support (and for) being here, my family, my kids, everybody that’s been there through all the thick and thin, helping (to) provide the way for me, keeping me humble throughout the whole time I’ve been going up and down as far as this season. I’m really excited about getting back to Pittsburgh for this parade so that we can definitely enjoy it all together. So I’m open for any questions.”



(on whether he knows Jaguars RB Fred Taylor): “We’re actually second cousins. So I definitely know a lot about him.”



(on whether he will meet with Taylor in the near future): “I know he’s probably not going to want to bother me now. A lot’s going on. But I’ll definitely hear from him within the next couple days. I’ll definitely get a chance to spend some time with him this offseason. I know he’s very proud of me right now, coming from where we came from, the first guy from my high school, from my college, to win MVP of the Super Bowl. This is truly a blessing.”



(on what he did last night and whether Hines Ward has talked to him about how being the MVP of the Super Bowl changed his life): “Last night, I just spent time with my kids. I didn’t not want to be with the fans at the time, but I think my play on the field and everybody that witnessed me holding up that trophy, that sticky Lombardi, and being able to celebrate with everybody at the time, I’m pretty sure I knew that they appreciated that. But I definitely spent a lot of time with my kids, made sure they were well taken care of. I put on a movie. They were very excited about watching Madagascar 2 last night. We definitely spent a little time together, watched the movie. I really just stayed in and relaxed a lot. As far as talking to Hines about what’s definitely going to change about my life, he just told me, ‘Stay humble.’ Things are going to come for me, (I just need to) be ready to represent my family, this team, and this whole organization, because everybody behind me has my back. (He told me,) don’t lose sight of where I came from and definitely what I’m trying to accomplish for the rest of my life.”



(on what went wrong on the play before his game-winning touchdown): “It definitely can be thought of as redemption. It was a play that I should’ve made. Ben (Roethlisberger) put the ball where only I could catch it. I really took my eyes off of it thinking about keeping my feet down before I got my hands on the ball and just lost sight of the ball. But coming back, and having the faith in me and believing that I could be the one to make that play, he gave me the opportunity in the back of the end zone and I promised myself this time that I wouldn’t lift those feet off the ground.”



(on what he was thinking about the Larry Fitzgerald hype this week): “It was definitely our destiny to win the Super Bowl. I knew that he was a great player. He’s been doing great things thus far in the postseason, but I wasn’t worried about him. We have the number-one defense. We have guys that were definitely going to push forward to stop him from being the big-play guy that he has been all postseason. My thoughts, though, on how the game played out: it played exactly how it was supposed to. Our defense stepped up when they needed to. They gave up some big plays, but at the same time, when they really needed to clamp down on that offense, they did just that. (I) focused on what I know how to do and what my coaches allow me to do. I really wasn’t worried about anybody else. The Cardinals can’t win the Super Bowl for the Steelers. I know what I can do for this team, and the coaches and the players allowed me to just do that.”



(on his fluctuating performance throughout the year and why he was able to then come back from that and be the MVP of the Super Bowl): “Having that faith come from my quarterback and hearing him day in and day out, every Sunday, telling me, ‘Just stick with me no matter what goes on throughout the game, and we’re going to make plays together.’ Just hearing that from a guy that believes in the third-year guy, and allowing me to just go out there and play freely. The coaches, they always have my back 100 percent. Coach T (Tomlin), he’s always been there for me. We always have side conversations on and off the field. He’s just been believing in me in being a playmaker for him. Unfortunately (for the Cardinals), things happened the way we planned it, you know? My off-the-field goals that I set for myself to win the Super Bowl and to be a Pro Bowler didn’t (completely) work out in my favor, but I think that hoisting that sticky Lombardi Trophy works out more in my favor than anything.”



(on his off-the-field incident earlier this season): “The next day, I came in to work after that happened, and I sat down and had a meeting with Coach Tomlin. He told me how he felt, and he told me that he was going to handle the situation accordingly. At first, I didn’t want to hear that from my head coach. I was hoping that he just trusted my word that nothing went wrong, but I see that he put me in a better situation by handling the situation firsthand, getting the distractions away from the team, and away from myself, and allowing me to come back to the team the following week, ready to go. He accepted all of that.”



(on naming his game-winning catch): “I haven’t really thought about it. I’ll leave it up to my family members. They’re definitely going to throw some things out there for me to think about once I get a chance to settle down and talk to the family and spend some time with them. I’ll definitely have a name for that play once it’s all said and done.”



(on if this win was vindication for him and Ben Roethlisberger): “I think those quick passes early in the game kind of got him in the flow of the game and allowed him to relax. He knew he didn’t have any pressure on getting me the ball. We talked all week that if I get (double) teamed in the game early, I know that he’s going to feel comfortable playing the in the Super Bowl and (that) is going to allow him to just go out and play more freely. We all made plays tonight, myself, Hines Ward and Nate Washington, and we definitely can’t forget Heath (Miller). With the ability that Ben has to scramble, get open and escape from guys and throw us the ball, that’s what we do. Having a 6-5, 250-260 pound quarterback, knowing the strength and play-making ability that he has, we always know that there is a play to be made, no matter what.”

The Line in the Sand

We've been concerned about the possibility of a player's strike in the NFL for awhile now; and it appears that we now know what one of the core issues will be in the upcoming death match: a rookie salary cap.

On the day after the NFL draft concluded commissioner Roger Goodell went on ESPN radio's "Mike and Mike" show and told the world that he is "a big fan of the rookie salary cap."

Then two days later Pro Football Talk alerted us to comments by Patriots' owner Robert Kraft, in a piece by Mike Reiss of the Boston Globe, that "[i]t's kind of nuts that you pay draft picks in the top 10 as if they were free agent veterans on their second contract and have been to a Pro Bowl."

But beyond just complaining about the "system" the outline of the NFL's method of attack is clear -- pit the league's veterans (i.e. the NFLPA membership) against the rookies. Need proof? Here is more from Roger Goodell:

"I think that it is very much in the best interest of our veteran players, being able to be rewarded for what they achieve on the NFL field, and to the kind of money that's being guaranteed for rookies that have not played – there's still a question of whether they can play at the NFL level. That's something that I don't think is appropriate, and I think it's one of the things that we've already outlined with the union that we want to discuss and reevaluate it."

And more from Robert Kraft:

"We've suggested to the Labor Committee and the commissioner that we scale that back and take that money and give it to the veterans. We're still going to spend the money, [but] we think it's a misallocation of resources and actually can cause problems in your locker room when a young guy who has never played a down is getting paid more than some of your vested veterans."

Despite Gene Upshaw's contention that the NFLPA will never agree to a rookie salary cap there appears to be some support for the concept amongst veterans. The following is from a piece written by Chris Cooley, tight end for the Washington Redskins (thanks to Pro Football Talk!):

"The point here is that if a rookie in any other profession could step on the scene and make more than someone with a proven track record, the business would turn upside down. Imagine a first year staff accountant making more money than a senior partner simply because his 10 key skills were top in his class. This is basically what's happening in the NFL. Players are making money simply based on the number they were taken. Something with this system needs to change."

Creating a schism amongst the players on this issue won't prove to be much of a challenge for the owners; and what happens then (can anyone say "decertification"?) is anyone's guess.