I thought about putting this in IMHO, but it’s sports-related, so CS it is.
In Sunday’s game against Dallas, Titan Albert Haynesworth stomped on Andre Gurode’s face. Gurode’s helmet had come off. Here is the link.
I watched the video on the NFL post-game show last night and couldn’t believe it. It was so deliberate. The play was over. Gurode was laying on the field and Haynesworth just stomped on his head! Gurode had 30 stitches and the reporter said the gash narrowly missed his eyes.
They were talking about what the appropriate punishment should be. Chris what’s-his-name said a 4-game suspension, another guy said no, don’t suspend him, just fine him. :eek:
That got me thinking about how far a player could go before criminal charges might apply. If this had been a street fight, Haynesworth would be arrested. Stomping on a guy’s bare head with cleated shoes isn’t in the same category as clipping on blocking a guy from behind – it’s more than a sports foul. There are no specific rules against it because who’d ever think someone would do such a thing?
Lifetime suspension and criminal prosecution. There is a point at which something is so far outside the rules that no excuses can be made. Tyson’s ear biting. Lemiux’s check of Draper during the playoffs, and this are all things that come to mind. If the game;s gonna get out of hand for you and you can’t handle the idea that coaches use hyperbole and you’re not actually at WAR with the other team, then get the hell out.
One year suspension and a fine, somewhere in the neighborhood of 30 to 40K.
When I say a year, I don’t mean the rest of the season… I mean a year. In addition, he needs to make restitution for all medical expenses and for pain and suffering to… umm… to boot.
His teammates and other players will shun him to one degree or another. Any future contract will certainly be for less.
I’ve never seen anything like that and don’t particularly want to again.
Definitely criminal prosecution to the fullest extent of the law. That’s felony assault with intent to cause serious harm or even attempted murder. Some people may try to minimize it, but remember his helmet had come off.
And what was he complaining about to the ref and then his coach afterwards? That was crazy stupid. While I think five games is a bit light, it is three games longer than any other suspension for an on-field action.
5 games is quite light, I agree with lieu that the penalty should be a minimun of 12 months. There should be criminal charges as well.
So far there really hasn’t been any sort of media frenzy over the incident. Of course I expect that everyone who called for Todd Bertuzzi’s head will be calling for Haynesworth’s head.
I would have said 8 games at least. That’s so far beyond the bounds of acceptability that a half-season of missed game checks barely qualifies as “a good start.”
I was glad to see that Titans coach Jeff Fisher stepped up and said if the league didn’t suspend him, the team would.
What they don’t seem to be mentioning on all the sports shows or airing in the replays, is that Haynesworth not only stepped on the guy’s head, he PULLED THE GUY’S HELMET OFF FIRST, so that he could then stomp on him. I was watching the game and they showed that in the replays during the game, but I haven’t seen that little bit being aired since.
Ban him from the game. And bring him up on criminal assault charges.
The article indicates that Haynesworth is not going to appeal the punishment.
I don’t credit Haynesworth with the brains to make such an appropriate decision. I imagine Coach Fisher summoned him to his office and said, “You will NOT appeal.”
That’s how I feel. An apologist on the NFL network was basically saying cut Haynesworth some slack. He’s a good player, he said he’s sorry and it looks like he means it, he’s never done anything like this before, he was frustrated, yadda yadda.
I guess that’s all true, but where are they going to draw the line? I don’t see that this punishment establishes a line anywhere. You can stomp on a guy’s head and this is what it’ll cost you. Not enough.
“What ifs” aren’t fair, but what if Gurode had been blinded or permanently injured?
And it wasn’t an immediate heat of the moment reaction – the play was over, some seconds had passed. It looked to me like Haynesworth thought about it first and just didn’t care.