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12/3/08
NFL Defends Ryan Clark Hit On Wes Welker
The NFL Apparently Is Totally Cool With Players Attempting To Kill Wide Receivers Like Wes Welker
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You may remember this hit above from this weekend's Steelers/Pats game. It's the one where Wes Welker had his brain scrambled by Ryan Clark, even though Welker was pulling up and wasn't anywhere close to the ball. And just to top it all off, Clark also launched himself into Welker, leaving both his feet, which is, you know, sort of dangerous. See, for all those reasons, the refs threw a flag on the play.

Naturally, today the NFL has stepped in to fine Clark for this vicious hit, right?

Hahahaha, no, of course not. Instead they're here to tell us just how legal it is. Take it away NFL head of officiating Mike Pereira:

"A lot of people think it's a foul to leave your feet," ... Pereira said yesterday from New York. "Launching is not a foul. There is nothing in the rulebook that states that at all. It's a misconception people have.

"It is a foul to hit with your helmet against a defenseless receiver. It is a foul to throw a forearm into the neck or head area of your opponent. I don't think either of those things happened. I'm not a fan of those high hits but if you do it with your shoulder you're OK."

Wow, so this hit was totally cool then?

"When you look at it and slow it down it probably was not an illegal hit. You might have to factor in that it was deflected early and does that make it become late. But the actual hit itself is probably OK."

Oh, well that's good to know. Sure the hit that nearly paralyzed Welker was probably late, but the hit itself was OK. Which means everything's cool! Man, the logic behind Pereira's statement there is like saying, yes our bomb accidentally fell on a school, but we went through all the proper pre-drop requirements. Like that somehow makes the end result better.

God, what a joke. Meanwhile, Roger Goodell scoffs at medical reports that strongly suggest that NFL players suffer the same brain damage as boxers, all while Welker's still trying to figure out what zip code he's in.

Way to look out for your players NFL. I'm sure receivers everywhere are glad to know it's open season on their heads.

NFL Defends Wes Welker Hit [Boston Herald] via [Fanhouse]
24 comments
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214 days ago
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Back to basics here. Pro and D1 College sports are about entertainment. As long as sports shows on TV and sports websites (ie, like FanIQ) feature "greatest hits," stuff like this isn't going to go away anytime soon. This is a bit like the pot calling the kettle black.
 
214 days ago
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Exactly! I watched this game and saw the hit live - unexpected by all concerned, including Welker.  Hubby was in the kitchen having a smoke when he heard my "HOLY F***" and came back for the replay.  His expletive wasn't any better.  For the NFL to explain it away is ludicrous.
 
214 days ago
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This is NOT a worse hit than the Boldin hit are you serious..? Boldin got hit in the last minutes of the game and this guy decided since his team wasn't going to win he would step up and be the "badass." That hit was totally uncalled for and totally illegal. Welker didn't even get hit in the helmet and that IS the rule. It was a clean hit, it was just hard.. personally i expect nothing less for that Pittsburgh defence
 
214 days ago
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you guys are probably the idiots who love to see defensive backs get flagged when quarterbacks are barely touched. if a ball is deflected into the air every player is still viable to make that catch, the guy was just taking Welker out of the play
 
214 days ago
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Ugh, never thought I'd hear a fan complaining that the NFL DOESNT fine people for vicious hits these days.  This is football.  Remember that manly, rough and tough game ruled by guys like Lambert, Butkus, Ray Lewis?? Remember that game??  I can't believe that I'm seeing people complain about hard LEGAL hits.  Yes, it was legal.  As soon as the ball is tipped, Clark made the decision to lay that poor soul out.  Was it vicious?  Absolutley.  Painful? You bet.  Do I feel sorry for Welker?  Only in the same way that I feel sorry for the cowboy getting trampled by the bull, the hockey guy losing 8 teeth, or anyone else that signed up for a high-impact sport.  Welker didn't expect contact?? Why wouldn't he?  He's going over the middle of the field (the most dangerous route to take as a receiver) and the ball had just been tipped.  His dumbass has been in the league long enough to know what's probably coming.  Your bomb analogy makes as much sense as John Madden explaining nuclear physics.  I like how you claim to know more about the ruling of 'launching' then Pereira, if not literally...you did by complaining about the launching, even when the VP of officiating explains the rule otherwise.  And no, this isn't just because I'm a Steelers fan.  I'm a football fan first and foremost, and I've gotten sick and tired of the league turning into two-hand touch, putting a dress on the quarterback and not allowing anyone to touch him.  Remember when Santonio got layed out the week before?  Love it.  Sucks seein' your player get hit like that but that was a sweet hit.  Get over it, or go watch badminton.

 
214 days ago
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RenegadeLG wrote:
The play was over well before he hit him.

And while I understand it's football, you can't fine one guy a hefty chunk of his total salary and then let this go. The hits are at least comparable. And why, when I said the Boldin hit was OK, would I be one of those 'idiots' that wants DBs flagged?
Yeah I'm emo because i'm defending a great hit. The play was NOT over maybe you should go you tube it. If you had any knowledge of NFL rules you'd realize that if a ball is still in the air the receivers are still eligable to catch it.. so the ball was near him, he didnt realize it, and got torn up deal with it. i understand what you're saying about the fines it is pretty hypocritical but the hit wasnt illegal
 
214 days ago
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RenegadeLG wrote:
This hit is worse than the Boldin hit, because the receiver was completely defenseless and didn't even expect contact. The NFL is lame.
What if...(and I know that is always trouble)...the ball hadn't been deflected and he had caught it and received the same hit.  Welker is probably in the same shape and we are not having this conversation but instead praising Clark for the best hit of the day!
 
214 days ago
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Fbccuth wrote:
What if...(and I know that is always trouble)...the ball hadn't been deflected and he had caught it and received the same hit.  Welker is probably in the same shape and we are not having this conversation but instead praising Clark for the best hit of the day!
yep, it's a double-standard. no question.
 
214 days ago
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(Edited 12/03/08 3:52PM by brianmc0331)
finally somebody that has some sense I agree 100%. Every Wr  that goes over the middle knows that he is going to be hit and gets paid a mil or so a year to do so. 

Hell soupz I hate the Steelers and  I completely agree with you
 
214 days ago
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RenegadeLG wrote:
Maybe. But when Eric Smith went up to hit Boldin he assumed he had caught the ball as well.

the Boldin hit was an illegal helmet to helmet hit though not a legal hard hit on Welker

 
214 days ago
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RenegadeLG wrote:
But it didn't mean to hit him helmet to helmet. He took off when Boldin was still at the height of his jump, and the hit happened as Boldin was coming down. Based on the unpredictability of physics in such a fast-paced games, either fine everybody or fine only the most malicious.
I actually disagree, I don't necessarily like the fines...but I see what they're trying to do with helmet-to-helmet.  Whether you meant to or not, if they fine EVERYONE who does it, it sends a message.  Helmet-to-helmet IS incredibly dangerous.  Look at the way Ryan Clark very clearly led with his shoulder, very purposefully, maybe the fines are having an effect.  Now there are several cases where players have been fined for LEGAL hits...which I think is ridiculous.  As a Steelers fan, a couple of Hines Ward hits comes into mind, I'm sure everyone knows of a few being dealt to their favorite team as well.  That's where the inconsistency and hypocrisy comes in to play.
 
214 days ago
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soupz6 wrote:
I actually disagree, I don't necessarily like the fines...but I see what they're trying to do with helmet-to-helmet.  Whether you meant to or not, if they fine EVERYONE who does it, it sends a message.  Helmet-to-helmet IS incredibly dangerous.  Look at the way Ryan Clark very clearly led with his shoulder, very purposefully, maybe the fines are having an effect.  Now there are several cases where players have been fined for LEGAL hits...which I think is ridiculous.  As a Steelers fan, a couple of Hines Ward hits comes into mind, I'm sure everyone knows of a few being dealt to their favorite team as well.  That's where the inconsistency and hypocrisy comes in to play.
I Agree, heck you can't really call it an incidental malicious hit...oh wait they even got rid of the 5yrd facemask.
 
214 days ago
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soupz6 wrote:

Ugh, never thought I'd hear a fan complaining that the NFL DOESNT fine people for vicious hits these days.  This is football.  Remember that manly, rough and tough game ruled by guys like Lambert, Butkus, Ray Lewis?? Remember that game??  I can't believe that I'm seeing people complain about hard LEGAL hits.  Yes, it was legal.  As soon as the ball is tipped, Clark made the decision to lay that poor soul out.  Was it vicious?  Absolutley.  Painful? You bet.  Do I feel sorry for Welker?  Only in the same way that I feel sorry for the cowboy getting trampled by the bull, the hockey guy losing 8 teeth, or anyone else that signed up for a high-impact sport.  Welker didn't expect contact?? Why wouldn't he?  He's going over the middle of the field (the most dangerous route to take as a receiver) and the ball had just been tipped.  His dumbass has been in the league long enough to know what's probably coming.  Your bomb analogy makes as much sense as John Madden explaining nuclear physics.  I like how you claim to know more about the ruling of 'launching' then Pereira, if not literally...you did by complaining about the launching, even when the VP of officiating explains the rule otherwise.  And no, this isn't just because I'm a Steelers fan.  I'm a football fan first and foremost, and I've gotten sick and tired of the league turning into two-hand touch, putting a dress on the quarterback and not allowing anyone to touch him.  Remember when Santonio got layed out the week before?  Love it.  Sucks seein' your player get hit like that but that was a sweet hit.  Get over it, or go watch badminton.

Well put, young man.
 
214 days ago
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RenegadeLG wrote:
One thing I definitely think the NFL needs to look at is scale fining. Eric Smith (I'm not even sure if that's his name), makes 750k a year and was fined 50 grand. Adrian Wilson is one of the highest paid defensive players in the league and was fined 20 for his hit on Trent Edwards. A player should be fined similar to how much money he makes. Just like in socialist Finland, where the CEO of Nokia received a six-figure speeding ticket.
+1,000,000 for finding a way to use Finland, Socialism and speeding ticket within one post.
 
214 days ago
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Hey to Officer Teamu Poncherello the law is the law. 
 
213 days ago
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Welker himself even said it was a clean hit.
 
 
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