Miami brawl shows Rule 12 inadequate
 

In case you haven't seen it, there was a mammoth fight in the 3rd quarter of the <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Miami</st1:place></st1:City> v Florida International game. This was the most violent fight I have seen in my life in a football game. I saw several helmets used as weapons, punches to the throat, players stomping on the back of the leg and kicking of players, fists flying underneath chins. The game officials got some, but also failed to get the most violent offenders as the replay bears out because they could not see it all. Several of the most heinous violators remained in the game.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>
Unfortunately, Rule 12 does not allow officials to review the replay to ensure that flagrant violators are dealt with accordingly. I think it should be amended to allow a flagrant situation to be reviewed for immediate sanction.<o:p></o:p>

The officials might not have got them, but you can bet the NCAA will get them. With that said, hopefully they come down hard too. From what I saw, some of these players should be suspended for the remaining season at the minimum.

I was suprised to learn of the rule difference on fighting situations between NCAA and Fed. Apparently NCAA substitutes are disqualified for fighting only. In Fed, if a substitute leaves the sideline period, during a fight, they are disqualified. Would make the officials life easier in this, assuming they would actually disqualify the entire benches of each team. But if this rule was in effect, maybe they could have just dealt with the 22 on the field if the rest were bright enough to stay out of it. I agree that all video available at NCAA level should be used to disqualify any player who took part in the fight in any way. Would be nice if the coaches had some balls to suspend anyone who doesn't get a reasonable suspension from the confrences. IMHO using a helmet in a situation like that or a group of guys kicking a player who's already down deserves more than the 1 game I suspect they'll get, but I doubt anyone will do anything about it. Ok, Im done ranting now.

It will be interesting to see if with replay in all the games if they will change that rule. It will be even more interesting to see if the coaches hit the kids harder than the NCAA does.

At Miami?

They'll probably get more stickers for their helmets and be excused from running windsprints for a week.

They might make em go to class.

That's just crazy talk right there.

I think the worst part was the celebration afterwards like they just beat the rival gang in a drive-by shooting. Coker should be fired just for that alone.

The FIU players actually started the brawl from all accounts. Miami is going to get most of the blame because of the high profile of their school and program. This was a brawl between two teams and both teams are equally responsible for the actions. Once the brawl started it was obvious some Miami players took the situation too far, but the same goes for the FIU players as well. FIU players kicked Miami players in the head and sucker punched them early in the fight. This happens more in baseball games than it ever does in football settings, so I am not sure why we are so appalled by this fight than what takes place in other sports.

Peace

Right. Because you certainly have lots of experience with the behavior of gangs engaged in drive-by shootings. No racist overtones there at all, schmitty.

31 players suspended spread over the two teams so far..
News source said more to come.

A couple of forfeitures would better fit the crime.

SORRY! I lost my head for a moment. :confused:

The NCAA will need to hammer down on these teams. Otherwise, they'll be dealing with this type of problem every weekend. Watching the video is disgusting. I know the refs were in the middle of it from the beginning. One announcer is heard suggesting that the two teams meet in the tunnel after the game. That wasn't real bright either. I saw that version via the Drudge Report.

That announcer ought to be fired.

That would be model citizen Lamar Thomas, a former Hurricane wide receiver.

Send an email to the CSS sports people! That idiot needs to be terminated!

The 31 players who were suspended (and others if they were also determined to be involved) should be looked at very closely at pulling their scholarships immediately. Playing college football on scholarship is not a right, it is a priveledge. I know that some will argue that the schools are exploiting the student-athlete, etc.....but this does not mean anyone should condone these actions. If they had taken place in the Wal-mart parking lot these young thugs..ur, men, would be behind bars right now.........Maybe that is where they should be.

I don't care where these guys came from, their backgrounds, etc. or any other bleed heart responses I expect to hear from Illinois, this should not be tolerated. If these guys want to do this stuff, let them do it where the guards can inforce much greater penalties than a 15 yard flag :)

Its problems like this that filters down to the lower levels, High School and Pop Warner. Not that I have seen this behavior on any field I have been on, but it has happen. The in your face smack talking that goes on in college level that drifts down to the lower levels. Kids see it on TV and it follows them into their games. The lack of sportsmanship.

Exactly. I had a kid last Friday completely amazed that he received a USC for taunting. He managed to knock down and keep on the ground an o-lineman, then proceed to taunt him, yelling out "Yeah, you like that b*%ch, who owns you know?!" I personally don't see how it does any good, since he effectively removed himself from the play.

Spoke too soon. That may happen after all.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=2628184

I emailed Mr Fuhrman very early this morning to express my outrage and received a response in a few hours.

Part of the response was:
"We share your disappointment and concern over Saturday’s events. Please be assured that we are taking appropriate disciplinary action while consulting with the University to guarantee that such comments do not occur during any future CSS broadcast."

I'm glad they felt the same way a lot of us probably felt when we saw incident and heard the commentary.

In the mid 1980s the NHL had a bad reputation as a league that did nothing but brawl.

NHL said if you leave the bench to brawl you are suspended several (10?), games, the head coach is suspended several games and the franchise is fined significantly. There hasn't been a bench clearing brawl in the NHL for YEARS.

NCAA can stop this tomorrow. Come off the bench? You're automatically ejected and suspended two games, the coach is suspended one game, the team is suspended from post season play, and the team goes on a two year probation--any further brawling while on probation doubles the length of penalties.

Brawls would stop tomorrow.

CSS has taken action against Thomas
 

Just read, Lamar Thomas has been fired by CSS. FIU has also suspended 2 additional players.

Our association officiates the scrimmages during the HS football camp at our local university. It is an issue every single summer to get the kids to quit talking smack to the other team. Foul language and taunting are the worst amongst the "All Star" squads. I think some of this behavior is encouraged at the college level (at least the smack talk). I think some coachings staffs and players view emotion as a key ingredient to success, and coach the players to get excited, then fail to coach them to control those emotions.

Oh, by the way, Lamar Thomas is a "victim."

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald...s/15774438.htm