Steelers vs Browns: TNF

[sc85sis]

When you use a helmet as a weapon to whack a guy in the head, that goes beyond aggressive play or the rules of the game. That’s assault. He could have dropped the helmet and thrown a punch. He chose to use the helmet.

 

[BubbaGump]

That was a wild ending, but calling for Assault charges? Both players, Garret and Rudolph should be suspended and fined and made to make this situation right in every way, but charges of Assault are not it. JMHO

What in your eyes makes it not an assault?

This is a highly aggressive sport. If you start filing criminal charges for things that happen during the event on the field of play during intense moments like this it will ruin the sport as a whole. There is a lot of things that happened during this event. I’m not condoning anything by either of these two knuckle heads. The league has things set in place to handle these types of situations and that’s where it should stay.

I agree up to the point people start using weapons on the field.

We’ve all seen fights and scuffles on the field, and it’s definitely a bad look.
The sport doesn’t need that but this was a different level.

This was IMHO, absolutely assault with a weapon.
That same action in a dark alley or parking lot would allow the use of deadly force in many states.

Yes it was on a football field not on the streets but the playing field doesn’t lessen the action.

I don’t believe filing charges for something like this would ruin the sport, I think things like this ruin the sport.

Ok that’s your opinion and I respect that but I disagree. These men can get killed on every hit. They, themselves are loaded Deadly weapons. Just for arguments sake, do you think Rudolph should get assault charges? By definition he could. He tried to rip Garrets helmet off and in the act could of broke his neck. That act showed intent to cause physical harm and could easily be proven. This issue should stay on the field and handled by the league and stay out of the Courtroom.

 

[acer1240]

Lifetime ban? Assault? "Could have killed Rudolph"? Come on. Half the dive bars in the country have more violence than that every single Friday night, and there are rarely any consequences whatsoever. There's letter of the law, then spirit of the law.

Ban him for the next 16 games. You know how much that'll cost him? Looks like somewhere around $5m of regular salary, from a second's worth of Googling.

I was born in 1982, but I've seen plenty of games from the 60s and 70s. A lot of people clearly don't remember the violence in games from that era that happened....every week, lol.

I'm not defending Garrett in any way, but some of the reactions here are ridiculous.

Normally agree with you Roland, but you are wrong here.

If I swing any object at some assholes head in a dive bar I'm going to jail.

Why should this be different? It's literally assault with a weapon here.

 

[pmedic920]

Lifetime ban? Assault? "Could have killed Rudolph"? Come on. Half the dive bars in the country have more violence than that every single Friday night, and there are rarely any consequences whatsoever. There's letter of the law, then spirit of the law.

Ban him for the next 16 games. You know how much that'll cost him? Looks like somewhere around $5m of regular salary, from a second's worth of Googling.

I was born in 1982, but I've seen plenty of games from the 60s and 70s. A lot of people clearly don't remember the violence in games from that era that happened....every week, lol.

I'm not defending Garrett in any way, but some of the reactions here are ridiculous.

It was an assault.
It was an assault with a weapon.

The fact that the helmet was used as a weapon separates this incident from almost every other.

The NFL should have an absolute zero tolerance policy when it comes to players using weapons against each other.


I liken this to a baseball player charging the mound after getting HBP.

It’s one thing to punch the pitcher, it’s another if you clubbed him with the bat.

 

[Seahawk Sailor]

Lifetime ban? Assault? "Could have killed Rudolph"? Come on. Half the dive bars in the country have more violence than that every single Friday night, and there are rarely any consequences whatsoever. There's letter of the law, then spirit of the law.

Ban him for the next 16 games. You know how much that'll cost him? Looks like somewhere around $5m of regular salary, from a second's worth of Googling.

I was born in 1982, but I've seen plenty of games from the 60s and 70s. A lot of people clearly don't remember the violence in games from that era that happened....every week, lol.

I'm not defending Garrett in any way, but some of the reactions here are ridiculous.

Clearly the NFL needs to take action and also ban such deadly weapons from the game.

(I agree with you here—there is a whole lot of hyperbole here.) Yes, it was bad. Worth a year's suspension in my book. Bunch of suspensions to be handed out from the looks of it. But yeah, lot of folks will probably recant some of it once things cool down.

 

[SantaClaraHawk]

Whatever Rudolph might have tried, he didn't remove Garrett's helmet. The play was over, and Garrett could have and should have just gotten up and walked away.

Instead, he, Garrett just ripped the guy's helmet off and then hit him with something that could have had the force of a bowling ball if tipped slightly. Garrett was fully protected and Rudolph was not. That's the difference. That's what makes it actual assault versus just a football move or a fineable move.

I saw the Burfect hit on the Indy WR, and it was nowhere near as bad as that one that got the Browns dude ejected...let alone this fiasco. Burfect got suspended in September with like 11-12 games to go plus potential playoffs (which the Raiders might have due to the Stealers loss).

A five-game suspension for the season isn't going to cut it here. That act is clearly worth at least a lifetime ban. The guy should just be glad that he's staying out of jail (if he in fact does), count his money, and do something else. That was disgusting.

 

[RolandDeschain]

Whatever Rudolph might have tried, he didn't remove Garrett's helmet.

He tried. Yanking someone's head around by the helmet is risking serious neck damage - much worse damage than hitting someone in the head with a helmet.

 

[pmedic920]

What if a player jumped into the stands and hit an opposing fan in the head with his helmet?

I guess the victim being an opposing player changes everything?

What would the conversation be if Ndamukong Suh had done this to Russel Wilson?

 

[RolandDeschain]

What would the conversation be if Ndamukong Suh had done this to Russel Wilson?

I know for an absolute fact I wouldn't be reacting to that like you are to this. Don't believe me if it makes you feel better.

 

[acer1240]

What if a player jumped into the stands and hit an opposing fan in the head with his helmet?

I guess the victim being an opposing player changes everything?

What would the conversation be if Ndamukong Suh had done this to Russel Wilson?

Great point.

I've been watching since 76 and I've never seen anything like this.

I'd have the same opinion on a Seahawks player pulled this bullshit.

 

[Sports Hernia]

Whatever happened to people just swearing at each other when they’re PO’d? Jeez. Adrenaline and testosterone, I get it, but that was seriously out of line.

Add some HGH and steroids into that mix as well.

 

[acer1240]

What would the conversation be if Ndamukong Suh had done this to Russel Wilson?

I know for an absolute fact I wouldn't be reacting to that like you are to this. Don't believe me if it makes you feel better.

You are better than this Roland. You really are.

This is absolutely unforgivable on a football field and you know it.

 

[253hawk]

That was a wild ending, but calling for Assault charges? Both players, Garret and Rudolph should be suspended and fined and made to make this situation right in every way, but charges of Assault are not it. JMHO

What in your eyes makes it not an assault?

This is a highly aggressive sport. If you start filing criminal charges for things that happen during the event on the field of play during intense moments like this it will ruin the sport as a whole. There is a lot of things that happened during this event. I’m not condoning anything by either of these two knuckle heads. The league has things set in place to handle these types of situations and that’s where it should stay.

Marty McSorley got 18 months in prison for hitting Brashear with a hockey stick and never played in the NHL again. He was charged with assault with a weapon, just as Garrett should be.

Fists and feet are one thing. Swinging objects is an entirely different matter, especially at someone's head sans safety equipment.

 

[SantaClaraHawk]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/RuiterWrongFAN/status/1195214692513439745[/tweet]

 

[BubbaGump]

This was between the players on the field not in the stands. I think you are over reacting a bit here. If a players starts raging in the stands, yes that is assault and rightfully so in that situation. This happened on the field between two competitors, playing a game of sanctioned violence for people’s entertainment. There was a lot going on. Rudolph trying to rip the helmet off, and Garret doing so. Then Garret is pulled away by an opposing player, and Rudolph charging after him while Garret is being held and moved away, trying to get back into it. That all happened before he swung the helmet. I’m not condoning anything here by these players but to start calling for lifetime bans and Assault charges is just wrong IMHO. The league should fine the hell out of them and suspend them for their actions including the others that jumped in.

 

[BubbaGump]

At least the Browns won. I loath the Steelers eternally!

 

[SantaClaraHawk]

Whatever Rudolph might have tried, he didn't remove Garrett's helmet.

He tried. Yanking someone's head around by the helmet is risking serious neck damage - much worse damage than hitting someone in the head with a helmet.

I'm not saying Rudolph is blameless here. There's at least one blue-tick on Twitter saying replay shows not only the attempted helmet but also that Rudolph then kicked him in the balls.

It still is true, though, that Garrett could have just gotten up and walked away. Rudolph was down and not going to chase him.

 

[Threedee]

Are the Browns going to now replace the Bungles as the team that brawls with the Steelers twice a season?

 

[253hawk]

It looked like Rudolph was just trying to push him away with his leg, because that's all he could do while being on his back. It wasn't a Draymond Green crotch shot.

Why is Garrett late-hitting a QB with 8 seconds left in the game while up 2 scores and taking him all the way to the ground anyway?

 

[acer1240]

It looked like Rudolph was just trying to push him away with his leg, because that's all he could do while being on his back. It wasn't a Draymond Green crotch shot.

Why is Garrett late-hitting a QB with 8 seconds left in the game while up 2 scores and taking him all the way to the ground anyway?

He body slammed the guy.

Completely unnecessary.