Ryan Clark Must Change!

[HollywoodSteel]

The hit was legal, I agree. This game has its rules enforced by referees who are in fact human beings. They will make mistakes and judgement calls. If there is any question that a defender hits a defenseless receiver and injures him, that flag is coming out. You guys and bitch and moan and whine all you want, that's the reality. Ryan needs to change his ways, adapt or die.

No. The other option is to play great, solid football the way Clark has been playing all year, deal with the all the bullshit they throw at you, and win anyway. You know what you do when they suspend your QB for being charged with nothing and convicted of nothing? You go to the Super Bowl. You know what you do when the refs spot the other team 14 points with bad calls? You shut their asses down and take it out of the refs' hands.

Sometimes, after a game like that, I feel like Matt Damon in Good Will Hunting, and I think of Roger Goodell as my abusive stepfather. As unwise as it is, I choose the wrench. 'Cause fuck him, that's why.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrajmbFShA8

[Craic]

The hit was legal, I agree. This game has its rules enforced by referees who are in fact human beings. They will make mistakes and judgement calls. If there is any question that a defender hits a defenseless receiver and injures him, that flag is coming out. You guys and bitch and moan and whine all you want, that's the reality. Ryan needs to change his ways, adapt or die.

Nope.

The flag will not be coming out every time. There's too much media exposure for that to happen. What we saw last night was the first time, as I've said all morning and last night, it'll happen a couple more times. But when the uproar begins for legal hits being flagged, it'll stop, quickly. No, he needs to keep playing EXACTLY like he is, and let the flags fall where they may. In truth, I'm impressed that he's actually learned how to hit legally of late. Good for him - now if the bonehead had just learned that a year or two ago.

[Animal Mother]

Nope.

The flag will not be coming out every time. There's too much media exposure for that to happen. What we saw last night was the first time, as I've said all morning and last night, it'll happen a couple more times. But when the uproar begins for legal hits being flagged, it'll stop, quickly. No, he needs to keep playing EXACTLY like he is, and let the flags fall where they may. In truth, I'm impressed that he's actually learned how to hit legally of late. Good for him - now if the bonehead had just learned that a year or two ago.

Disagree. The media exposure the last 2 years has been heavily skewed in favor of player safety. There will never be backlash regarding a flag on a player hitting a defenseless player no matter how legal the hit may look if that player is subsequently injured or looks injured. I hate that receivers without integrity now have an additional tool to get refs to throw a flag, but player safety is paramount. The referees I'm sure have been coached to throw a flag when in doubt. Remember the Wallace play a couple plays later? Ref threw the flag because it looked like an illegal hit. They got together and discussed that Wallace was a runner and had already made the move to get up and the hit was legal, flag was picked up. But the point is, the flag flew because there was doubt.

I also believe that the NFL and referees will not change this behavior, they are in the midst of a culture change to a safer game. These brutal hits by safeties will become a thing of the past. Ryan Clark needs to wake up and realize this before a "legal" hit costs us a game.

[zulater]

Disagree. The media exposure the last 2 years has been heavily skewed in favor of player safety. There will never be backlash regarding a flag on a player hitting a defenseless player no matter how legal the hit may look if that player is subsequently injured or looks injured. I hate that receivers without integrity now have an additional tool to get refs to throw a flag, but player safety is paramount. The referees I'm sure have been coached to throw a flag when in doubt. Remember the Wallace play a couple plays later? Ref threw the flag because it looked like an illegal hit. They got together and discussed that Wallace was a runner and had already made the move to get up and the hit was legal, flag was picked up. But the point is, the flag flew because there was doubt.

I also believe that the NFL and referees will not change this behavior, they are in the midst of a culture change to a safer game. These brutal hits by safeties will become a thing of the past. Ryan Clark needs to wake up and realize this before a "legal" hit costs us a game.

You need to wake up and realize that you're on your own little island here. Not one person agrees with you. That should tell you something.

[HollywoodSteel]

What Ryan Clark and the other Steelers safties realize is that the form tackling that everyone talks about is the dumbest thing you can possibly do in the end zone. You have to go for a hit that dislodges the ball. If that means taking the chance of penalty, so be it. It's better than giving up a TD. In this particular instance, Ike had already broken up the pass but Clark was moving too quickly to realize that.

[HollywoodSteel]

You need to wake up and realize that you're on your own little island here. Not one person agrees with you. That should tell you something.

Zu, I'm in total agreement with you on this topic but I think you're being a bit unfair to Animal Mother. His position is kind of reasonable. I find it far more reasonable than what I'm hearing from those who cheer this hit, yet if fate would have had it that Ike's contact with Cruz changed his position ever so slightly to bring his head a little lower and farther back at the last second resulting in a helmet to helmet knockout blow from Clark, those same people would be, ever so reasonably, explaining to all of us how Clark needs to change his game and how he deserves the fine that's coming. Yet Clark, from an objective point of view, would have done the exact same thing in that scenario as what really happened. At least Animal Mother is saying that yes, circumstances ended up... well, not fine this time. He still got the freaking flag even with fortune smiling upon him that Cruz's body position didn't change at the last second. And I'm also being told that even though this was an objectively bad call, it's okay because Clark deserved it. Apparently there's some magic number of bad calls that Clark deserves before he is entitled to have the refs make the correct call. Also, Zu, keep in mind that under fire, Animal Mother is one of the finest human beings in the world.

And, Preacher, I apologize for the "some people" thing when I'm obviously paraphrasing your position. I didn't mean it as a dig on you, I was only trying to convey that I understand Animal Mother's frustration with what can seem like a no win situation if Clark keeps doing what he's doing. As always, I welcome the debate and would love for you to tell me where I'm going wrong.

[zulater]

Zu, I'm in total agreement with you on this topic but I think you're being a bit unfair to Animal Mother. His position is kind of reasonable. I find it far more reasonable than what I'm hearing from those who cheer this hit, yet if fate would have had it that Ike's contact with Cruz changed his position ever so slightly to bring his head a little lower and farther back at the last second resulting in a helmet to helmet knockout blow from Clark, those same people would be, ever so reasonably, explaining to all of us how Clark needs to change his game and how he deserves the fine that's coming. Yet Clark, from an objective point of view, would have done the exact same thing in that scenario as what really happened. At least Animal Mother is saying that yes, circumstances ended up... well, not fine this time. He still got the freaking flag even with fortune smiling upon him that Cruz's body position didn't change at the last second. And I'm also being told that even though this was an objectively bad call, it's okay because Clark deserved it. Apparently there's some magic number of bad calls that Clark deserves before he is entitled to have the refs make the correct call. Also, Zu, keep in mind that under fire, Animal Mother is one of the finest human beings in the world.

And, Preacher, I apologize for the "some people" thing when I'm obviously paraphrasing your position. I didn't mean it as a dig on you, I was only trying to convey that I understand Animal Mother's frustration with what can seem like a no win situation if Clark keeps doing what he's doing. As always, I welcome the debate and would love for you to tell me where I'm going wrong.

Sorry, wasn't meant to be a personal attack any more than Animal's Mother's advise to Ryan Clark to "wake up" was.

[Craic]

Zu, I'm in total agreement with you on this topic but I think you're being a bit unfair to Animal Mother. His position is kind of reasonable. I find it far more reasonable than what I'm hearing from those who cheer this hit, yet if fate would have had it that Ike's contact with Cruz changed his position ever so slightly to bring his head a little lower and farther back at the last second resulting in a helmet to helmet knockout blow from Clark, those same people would be, ever so reasonably, explaining to all of us how Clark needs to change his game and how he deserves the fine that's coming. Yet Clark, from an objective point of view, would have done the exact same thing in that scenario as what really happened. At least Animal Mother is saying that yes, circumstances ended up... well, not fine this time. He still got the freaking flag even with fortune smiling upon him that Cruz's body position didn't change at the last second. And I'm also being told that even though this was an objectively bad call, it's okay because Clark deserved it. Apparently there's some magic number of bad calls that Clark deserves before he is entitled to have the refs make the correct call. Also, Zu, keep in mind that under fire, Animal Mother is one of the finest human beings in the world.

And, Preacher, I apologize for the "some people" thing when I'm obviously paraphrasing your position. I didn't mean it as a dig on you, I was only trying to convey that I understand Animal Mother's frustration with what can seem like a no win situation if Clark keeps doing what he's doing. As always, I welcome the debate and would love for you to tell me where I'm going wrong.

You disagreed with me. So of course you are.



Seriously, I'm not saying that it's "Okay." I am saying however, that the reality of the situation is that he's reaping what he's sown, but that it WILL correct itself after a couple more bad calls, because the media loves making mountains out of molehills.

[Animal Mother]

Sorry, wasn't meant to be a personal attack any more than Animal's Mother's advise to Ryan Clark to "wake up" was.

Which was also written under the duress of the game, just like someone else's thread about a game possibly being fixed... Ha! No offense taken though.

And I have resisted the urge to tell anyone that they can talk the talk but can they walk the walk.

[fansince'76]

And I have resisted the urge to tell anyone that they can talk the talk but can they walk the walk.

You're a real comedian...