|
I have some pretty high end video software and equipment here and by slowing down and cleaning up Vid #1 you can see helmet leading to helmet and the blocker readying himself and then leading with the head....when I slow it wayyyy down and pause and rewind to just the right millisecond. Should it have been called?..probably. Is it called even close to enough? No..and I think must of us would agree with that. Review clip 1 and pause it and try it a few times...even on the grainy clip you can see the initial contact of H to H. Vid #2 I was able to clearly see shoulder contact prior to any head contact prior to the player getting knocked on his arse. The argument that the player getting knocked and spun to his hind end could only mean a shot to the head is a little much. I've seen tons of hard blocks and shots on receivers across the middle who have ended up in the same condition and few, if any, have been IHC, face tackling, or any similar form.
Vid #3 of the Pop Warner/Youth kids is just a product of the game at that age. A bigger, taller tackler versus ball carrier (or vice versa) makes things look more vicious than they are and it's the unfortunate nature of the game at that age level.
I see John's point and argument, but I'm in the same boat as the rest of the majority. It wasn't completely clear cut from the angle I saw (in #1) and I don't have the luxury of slow-mo replays in a split second on the field. The game of football has progressed to the point at almost any level that pancake blocks and hits are a big energizing part of the game and would say that even if most of us thought we may have seen something bordering on an illegal hit on a play like this....would rarely ever call it. Unless it was incredibly blatant and judging by the overall vote here....it's nothing of the sort. Good day.
|