Taking my shot at a Bill Parcell

[Guest danielisthor]

From the Sporting News: The Bill Parcells Football Show: Week 7

 

Excerpts from Bill Parcells, heard during his Oct. 17 show on Sporting News Radio:

 

 

On the hit by Broncos safety Kenoy Kennedy on Dolphins wide receiver Chris Chambers last week:

 

"I agree with (Broncos coach) Mike Shanahan, definitely. I don't think there was any intent there. Hey, this is a split-second decision. We have the advantage of watching these things in slow motion. Being down there on the field, do you know how fast this stuff happens? You have to make a snap judgment. This guy's told to play through the receiver to the ball. That's how he's coached. You're told to separate the receiver from the football if you can with a good aggressive play. If someone can prove to me that that was intentional, then he should be suspended, but I think the kid's just playing on his instincts. He's going in there, he's trying to knock the ball loose from Chambers. And I think that when you suspend a player for a week, that's one-sixteenth of his salary, and I think that's pretty stiff for a judgment that is a very difficult one to make. "

 

Everything he said there is correct except that he left out one important vital thing, ALL PLAYERS FROM THE PEEWEE LEAGUES AND UP ARE TAUGHT TO SEE WHAT YOU HIT AND NOT TO HIT WITH THE CROWN (TOP) OF YOUR HELMET. If they hit hard enough they can paralize themselves from the neck down, let alone hurt their opponent.

[Guest DrTom]

I don't think it was intentional, either.

 

The problem is, the NFL isn't strict enough in its discouragement of helmet-to-helmet hits. A player who, in the judgment of the officials, commits a flagrant helmet-to-helmet hit should be ejected from the game, suspended from the next game, and fined the pay he would have earned for both. If you want to discourage something, you have to stop throwing lame $5000 fines at millionaires.

[Guest Leena]

Every guy on ESPN has said the suspension was stupid, and they're right. Kennedy was aiming for the ball with his helmet. He glanced off Chambers' shoulder, and hit him in the lower part of the face mask.