Can We Stop This Pollard "Dirty" Talk, Puh-leez?
Monday, September 8, 2008
Labels:
Bernard Pollard,
Tom Brady
Get Off His BackHonestly, I can't believe some of this talk this morning. Can not. This is when our modern sports media environment enables a discussion that would be (or sure as hell should be) otherwise absurd. It's also another glorious example of what I once called the "wussification of America," although I'd desired to use choicer terms. I wrote on this topic last November but, frankly, it seems I can unfortunately slate in such a piece every fall from now until eternity.
If you haven't figured it out yet, I'm flat-out annoyed at this talk that Bernard Pollard's hit on Tom Brady was "dirty." Instead of just going into a diarrhea-of-the-mouth style tirade, I'll try to succinctly capture why this is just silly-talk:
1. If this hit is on any other quarterback in the League (save maybe Favre), the topic of "dirty hit" never even comes up. That should be one clue of how dumb is such talk.
2. The play was legal. Sure, you can have dirty hits and not be flagged for penalties. But, most of the time, those plays just happened to escape the watchful eyes of the zebras. This didn't. Didn't escape their eyes. Didn't draw a flag. Didn't break any rules.
Didn't x 3 = not dirty
3. Defenses are supposed to "go after the quarterback." Pollard was coming after Brady. He was blocked. Got up. And basically crawled to somehow throw whatever portion of his body possible at #12. This is what defensive players are supposed to do. It was not as if he was unblocked with a clear path to Brady and, instead of hitting him up at the shoulders, torpedoed himself at his knee. That didn't happen.
4. Randy Moss is the individual who has most vociferously brought up the dirty hit subject. 'Nuff said.
5. This is PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL! This is the NFL! You are supposed to hit the quarterback!
Ugh. I have no more energy for this topic. For those convinced of Pollard's filthiness, do share.
If you haven't figured it out yet, I'm flat-out annoyed at this talk that Bernard Pollard's hit on Tom Brady was "dirty." Instead of just going into a diarrhea-of-the-mouth style tirade, I'll try to succinctly capture why this is just silly-talk:
1. If this hit is on any other quarterback in the League (save maybe Favre), the topic of "dirty hit" never even comes up. That should be one clue of how dumb is such talk.
2. The play was legal. Sure, you can have dirty hits and not be flagged for penalties. But, most of the time, those plays just happened to escape the watchful eyes of the zebras. This didn't. Didn't escape their eyes. Didn't draw a flag. Didn't break any rules.
Didn't x 3 = not dirty
3. Defenses are supposed to "go after the quarterback." Pollard was coming after Brady. He was blocked. Got up. And basically crawled to somehow throw whatever portion of his body possible at #12. This is what defensive players are supposed to do. It was not as if he was unblocked with a clear path to Brady and, instead of hitting him up at the shoulders, torpedoed himself at his knee. That didn't happen.
4. Randy Moss is the individual who has most vociferously brought up the dirty hit subject. 'Nuff said.
5. This is PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL! This is the NFL! You are supposed to hit the quarterback!
Ugh. I have no more energy for this topic. For those convinced of Pollard's filthiness, do share.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
2 comments:
Agreed. it's damn football. Pollard is paid to hit the other team as hard as he can. Sometimes, people get hurt. Such a silly discussion.
Also, I don't know if anyone noticed, but Brady still had the ball in hand when he was hit.
Post a Comment