The NFL is strongly weighing a one-game suspension for Steelers WR Juju Smith-Schuster...

[Mojouw]

Ramon Foster has an alternative explanation as to to why that is where the NFL "landed" on Gronk's suspension

Foster offered an opinion on why Gronkowski didn't receive a stiffer penalty.

“Why not multiple games?” he said. “Because the Steelers play the Patriots the next week.”

http://triblive.com/sports/steelers/...s-george-iloka

Steelers have not been this pissed off since Goodell went after Harrison in 2010

ANd Foster is right. There was NO WAY that the NFL was going to suspend one of its most marketable stars for a game that has been circled on the schedule by EVERYONE for the better part of a year.

While it may be because the NFL hates the Steelers, it is ALSO because the NFL wants to make sure that in addition to getting every Steeler and Patriot fan to tune in to that game -- they get all the "casual" fans who want to see if Gronk can take it to the Steelers again. Or if LBell can run through an improved Pats defense. Or can Ben finally topple Brady? And on and on -- the NFL was never going to suspend a marketable star player for one of its most highly anticipated games on the entire TV schedule.

Its all about how many eyeballs they can get on how many screens because that makes them lost of money. And star players drive people to those screens.

[El-Gonzo Jackson]

THat's the thing - I'm not trying to justify it. I'm not trying to agree with it. And I'm not trying to defend it. I'm trying to argue where I think the league is at with the issue of violent head hits.

.

Bomani Jones of ESPN had a good question today when Iloka suspension was reversed and JuJu upheld.

1. Isnt the NFL trying to eliminate head shots to defenseless receivers? That seems to be what Iloka did.

2. Isnt the Iloka hit, a direct shot to the head and no attempt to play the ball....the exact same type of hit that got Vontaze Burfict suspended for 3 games a couple seasons ago?

3. The Smith Schuster play was a case of where "dude gotta keep his head on a swivel, its not like the NFL has ever said they are legislating not keepin your head on a swivel out of the game".

If your point is that the league is at a certain point with hits to the head, then they really gave Iloka a pass on this one because he made no attempt to play the football or tackle the receiver. JuJu at least hit Burfict face up, not behind and not even a side shot.

Bomani Jones then went on to make fun of the fact that the NFL trots Troy Vincent out to quote nonsense, as Vincent said the taunting action had no bearing on the suspension. If the NFL has said they want to take action on head shots, then they give Iloka a pass on the same type of hit, on the same WR, that they suspended Burfict 3 games for and its a joke. Fact is they cant give Iloka 3 games, if they gave Gronk 1 and the taunting made JuJu seem worse than Iloka, so they had to give him something between Iloka and Gronk.

The suspension is a joke, there is no guideline on fines and they don't have an agenda, just the appearance of one. Again, I love the hit by JuJu, sit down this week, rest up and get ready for the following week.

[Mojouw]

In in increasingly media driven culture, where everyone has to have a "take" - these are the types of opinions that terrify the league office and I feel drive ALL of their decision making.

https://deadspin.com/that-was-bad-football-1821008439

https://deadspin.com/oh-god-this-was...tal-1821002618

https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2017/1...fict-joe-mixon

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...=.bb098a211e07

https://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2017/12...t-george-iloka

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/s...ittsburgh-win/

None of those articles (and most are really really easy to find) has anything positive to say about the game. Nothing. Most express disgust, anger, and call for more stringent and forceful in-game penalties/ejections and increased post-game discipline. I don't agree with much of what is said in any of those articles, but I am in the minority based on radio, internet, and television comments by non-Steelers and non-Bengals fans. And that is all the NFL cares about.

- - - Updated - - -

Bomani Jones of ESPN had a good question today when Iloka suspension was reversed and JuJu upheld.

1. Isnt the NFL trying to eliminate head shots to defenseless receivers? That seems to be what Iloka did.

2. Isnt the Iloka hit, a direct shot to the head and no attempt to play the ball....the exact same type of hit that got Vontaze Burfict suspended for 3 games a couple seasons ago?

3. The Smith Schuster play was a case of where "dude gotta keep his head on a swivel, its not like the NFL has ever said they are legislating not keepin your head on a swivel out of the game".

If your point is that the league is at a certain point with hits to the head, then they really gave Iloka a pass on this one because he made no attempt to play the football or tackle the receiver. JuJu at least hit Burfict face up, not behind and not even a side shot.

Bomani Jones then went on to make fun of the fact that the NFL trots Troy Vincent out to quote nonsense, as Vincent said the taunting action had no bearing on the suspension. If the NFL has said they want to take action on head shots, then they give Iloka a pass on the same type of hit, on the same WR, that they suspended Burfict 3 games for and its a joke. Fact is they cant give Iloka 3 games, if they gave Gronk 1 and the taunting made JuJu seem worse than Iloka, so they had to give him something between Iloka and Gronk.

The suspension is a joke, there is no guideline on fines and they don't have an agenda, just the appearance of one. Again, I love the hit by JuJu, sit down this week, rest up and get ready for the following week.

I totally agree! It is a joke and it is all about appearances. The suspensions are tied to the perceived level of public outrage and are a "guess" at what it will take to quite things down. Then they contort existing policy to fit what ever predetermined outcome the league needs.

This is a political issue for the NFL and they are reacting like all politicians and bending to public opinion.

[fansince'76]

Monday’s grudge match between the Steelers and Bengals—and when I say grudge match, I really mean it—was barely a football game. It was more like anarchy, a cheap shot festival of horrifying proportions.

Oh, good lord. Melodrama much?

Want to talk about REAL carnage on a football field? Check this out:

What It Was Like To Play In The Most Violent NFL Game Ever

Not the whole game, but here is a taste of what that game was like:



I still remember that game vividly 30+ years later.

The writer of that Rotoworld piece needs to start watching tennis.

[Hawkman]

I’ll bet the Iloka suspension would have held up if AB had been carted off on a stretcher.

[fansince'76]

“Like an old man sending soup back at a deli”???

Old Seinfeld reference (53 seconds in):

[Mojouw]

Oh, good lord. Melodrama much?

Want to talk about REAL carnage on a football field? Check this out:

What It Was Like To Play In The Most Violent NFL Game Ever

Not the whole game, but here is a taste of what that game was like:



I still remember that game vividly 30+ years later.

The writer of that Rotoworld piece needs to start watching tennis.

Couldn't agree more, but that is the opinion that the NFL is hearing and responding to. It sucks, but the game hardcore fans and the players know and love is disappearing before our eyes.

[Hawkman]

Old Seinfeld reference (53 seconds in):

Loved that episode, but totally forgot about that line. Made my day.

[El-Gonzo Jackson]

Old Seinfeld reference (53 seconds in):

Classic !
- The Sea Was angry that day my friend......
- Is anybody a Marine biologist?
- Hole in one

Its gold Jerry!!!

[SteelMember]

...and now I hear a snippet this morning that Goodell's contract is up for a 5 year extension... just needs approved.

[Mojouw]

...and now I hear a snippet this morning that Goodell's contract is up for a 5 year extension... just needs approved.

Pretty sure it's been unanimously approved.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[SteelerFanInStl]

I’ll bet the Iloka suspension would have held up if AB had been carted off on a stretcher.

Yep, guaranteed. They punish based on the result of the play, not the act itself.

- - - Updated - - -

Oh, good lord. Melodrama much?

Want to talk about REAL carnage on a football field? Check this out:

What It Was Like To Play In The Most Violent NFL Game Ever

Not the whole game, but here is a taste of what that game was like:



I still remember that game vividly 30+ years later.

The writer of that Rotoworld piece needs to start watching tennis.

Absolutely. Everything in this game was blown way out of proportion because of the announcers, primarily Gruden.

[tube517]

[Hawkman]

Man, that was more egregious than JuJu’s hit, and that was telecast in prime time.

[AtlantaDan]

I’ll bet the Iloka suspension would have held up if AB had been carted off on a stretcher.

Yep, guaranteed. They punish based on the result of the play, not the act itself.

Of course they punished Ju Ju based on the outcome - but they lied about that being a factor as well yesterday in order to provide further justification for Gronk only getting one game for his assault that placed a player in concussion protocol

We do not get into the intent? WTF?

[Fire Goodell]

...and now I hear a snippet this morning that Goodell's contract is up for a 5 year extension... just needs approved.

That made me almost smash my phone. This guy is ruining football.

I'm tired off all this BS reactionary discipline. Iloka would have been suspended if AB was carted off the field. Now it's basically the severity of your punishment depends on how badly a player was hurt or appears to be hurt, and not if a rule was actually broken or not. While Juju's hit was more brutal, it was less 'illegal' than Iloka's hit. Juju pretty much squared up and ran straight at Burfict, I wouldn't necessarily call it a blindside block. Iloka actually left his feet and launched into Brown.

Anyway this is becoming a joke, and if penalties / fines are going to be issued based on how injured someone appears to be after a play, we're gonna have a league with drama queens flopping worse than soccer players. When that happens I'll probably quit watching the game.

[SteelerFanInStl]

I was looking for a video of that play a couple days ago. Rodgers was fined, just like all other instances of crack back blocks this year, but not suspended, and no one cared because they were too busy crying about the supposed "illegal" hit by TJ on Hundley that was clean. That hit was far worse than JuJu's and the front office didn't give a shit about it.

[Lady Steel]

Ramon Foster has an alternative explanation as to to why that is where the NFL "landed" on Gronk's suspension

Foster offered an opinion on why Gronkowski didn't receive a stiffer penalty.

“Why not multiple games?” he said. “Because the Steelers play the Patriots the next week.”

http://triblive.com/sports/steelers/...s-george-iloka

Steelers have not been this pissed off since Goodell went after Harrison in 2010

I agree with Ramon. There was no way the League was going to have Gronk on suspension for the Steelers' game. Absolutely no way.

[Hawkman]

I will make a small wager, that there will be no football the year of the next CBA......Unless they get these things clarified. Good article by Labs at Steelers.com.

[st33lersguy]

Of course they punished Ju Ju based on the outcome - but they lied about that being a factor as well yesterday in order to provide further justification for Gronk only getting one game for his assault that placed a player in concussion protocol

We do not get into the intent? WTF?

The league simply has no idea what they are doing. Troy Vincent should be fired from his post as well because he's clueless.

[AtlantaDan]

The NFL's prisoner in Goodell's PR war tweets a plea for help

[Born2Steel]

Suspension served. Now back to football.

[st33lersguy]

Sucks for Goodell that he suspends the juju and the steelers still win 39-38

[SteelMember]

#FREEJUJU

[AtlantaDan]

[Born2Steel]

Sucks for Goodell that he suspends the juju and the steelers still win 39-38

Steelers win both games and the division. That hit on Burfict and subsequent suspension, totally worth it.

[43Hitman]

Man I love this kid! I love his attitude, humility, and work ethic