the future of finley

[red]

in those two pictures PB, it looks to me like finley is higher in the first pic, while the brown is lower. in the second pic of the collision, they are both at the same height. and it makes since because finley is going down. at the point of collision you see finley's back bent where it was straight in the first one

it still looks to me like finley is moving into the hit

i don't disagree it was wrong for the brown to just be throwing himself at finley, but i do think there is plenty of blame to go around. the brown launched head first at finley (head or midsection) and finley lowered his head to protect himself

combine the two and you get the ugly hit

[Fritz]

All I know is that in my very limited football-playing experience, I'd have wrapped him up around the shoulders, not lowered my shoulder to give him a shot.

[red]

If he were to permanently lose feeling in one of his, ahem, extremities, maybe he wouldn't be fathering so many children.

But more seriously, this is all good news. Who knows what the future holds, if he'll ever play, if he'd play this season, if he'd be a different, more hesitant player. Who knows.

LOL, good point

[Freak Out]

[red]

All I know is that in my very limited football-playing experience, I'd have wrapped him up around the shoulders, not lowered my shoulder to give him a shot.

well this just brings up a whole different debate

players launching their bodies at other players. as of now its still legal i think, as long as it isn't aimed at the head.

maybe outlawing this sort of thing would help more then anything else?

i was reading earlier about a play in the colts bronco game last night. broncos return man got free and was on his way to the endzone. the colts kicker or punter absolutely blew him up on the sideline. the kicker did launch a bit and the helmets did collide, just above the kickers facemask hitting the side of the return man. PFT explained that it was not a H2H because it wasn't the crown of his head that came in contact with the other guys helmet

so it seems its still legal to launch yourself and hit another guy in the helmet with your, just as long as its not the very tippy top.

the rule just sucks

[red]

i think by todays rule that might be an illegal hands to the head, or maybe a facemask. and we can't see where rays right hand is. it could be the thing thats ripping the guys head around

at least yesterday they called a 15 yard penalty on hawk for touching weedens helmet

[pbmax]

I just think that the technology of helmets (ironically, right when I was playing though still before High School) got so good (late 70s early 80s) you suddenly had no need to commonly worry about where to stick your head on a tackle. Gone was the suspended web that made it seem like a construction hard hat and in were the all foam-pad models.

Then Kenny Easley, Steve Atwater and Chuck Cecil show up and make a name for themselves as human missiles. Highlights and riches follow, well, riches for the first two anyway. They no longer needed to fear lacerations or skull fractures that previous generations had to think about.

Its led to incredibly sloppy technique. The problem is, as I have written before, that these hits might not be the most damaging ones. It might be the sub-concussive ones on the LOS where head to head contact occurs almost every play that are most worrisome. But Roger can't even get teams to coach better form tackling.

[red]

I just think that the technology of helmets (ironically, right when I was playing though still before High School) got so good (late 70s early 80s) you suddenly had no need to commonly worry about where to stick your head on a tackle. Gone was the suspended web that made it seem like a construction hard hat and in were the all foam-pad models.

Then Kenny Easley, Steve Atwater and Chuck Cecil show up and make a name for themselves as human missiles. Highlights and riches follow, well, riches for the first two anyway. They no longer needed to fear lacerations or skull fractures that previous generations had to think about.

Its led to incredibly sloppy technique. The problem is, as I have written before, that these hits might not be the most damaging ones. It might be the sub-concussive ones on the LOS where head to head contact occurs almost every play that are most worrisome. But Roger can't even get teams to coach better form tackling.

i wonder if those old helmets would be better, or a modern version of it. something where the helmet is suspended off of your head.

and like you said, maybe it would reduce head hunting due to the fact that guys would have to worry about hurting their pretty little faces again

[Joemailman]

MM live PC should be about to start. http://www.packers.com/media-center/live-webcasts.html

[Harlan Huckleby]

I disagree that an ugly hit was made on Finley. Finley was not defenseless, he was plowing into the defensive backs. The second defensive back hit Finley without leading with his helmet. Finley is falling forward to get extra yardage, it's tackle football.

[Joemailman]

MM started by saying it's a significant injury. When he uses the word significant with injury, that's usually not good news as far as how long the player will be out.

[Teamcheez1]

On the personal side, Finley's recovery and health are the most important things, even if it means he doesn't play again soon (or maybe ever). If you don't have your health, you don't have anything. The guy is giving his all and it's not his fault that he has incurred serious injuries.

On the business side, if he does recover well enough to play again this season, I have the feeling TT is already working on his decision regarding Finley's contract. I expect that we would only re-sign him at a greatly reduced rate, or send him on his way. I think we are going to really see this team become gun shy when it comes to injuries.

[red]

boy that interview by MM sure didn't make it sound good

sounds like he'll be alright life wise

but it sounded like his immediate and future football career may be in doubt

[ThunderDan]

I disagree that an ugly hit was made on Finley. Finley was not defenseless, he was plowing into the defensive backs. The second defensive back hit Finley without leading with his helmet. Finley is falling forward to get extra yardage, it's tackle football.

Except Finley is going parallel to the line of scrimmage and not advancing up the field. And from pb's picture in post #42 the CLE player has lowered his helmet and is leading with his helmet even though he makes contact with his shoulder pad.

Other than that you got everything right!

[pbmax]

I disagree that an ugly hit was made on Finley. Finley was not defenseless, he was plowing into the defensive backs. The second defensive back hit Finley without leading with his helmet. Finley is falling forward to get extra yardage, it's tackle football.

I agree with you he wasn't defenseless. About the rest ...