Multiple times. It looked to me like he was trying to go after the ball. There wasn't excessive body contact. It was a hand swipe and Ford was flying from one side of the basket to the other. The contact to the face was clearly inadvertent. A flagrant and maybe even the ejection was warranted. A suspension, however, would be more a reaction to Ford's injury than the actual play itself.
the ball is nowhere near TJ's head, that is clearly a flagrant foul of the highest level, it may not be malicious or deliberate but it is careless and dangerous and certainly worse than a Kobe offensive elbow... and worth a 3 game suspension
Exactly, the ball was nowhere near his head. He went for the swipe even after TJ decided to do a reverse. <object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/mC0GpXInX84&rel=1"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/mC0GpXInX84&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>
I feel sorry for TJ ford but you cant blame Al. There was no malicious intent. Ford is just a fragile little player. Back in 80s this would have been a touch foul. The pu$$ification of NBA continues.
Couldn't agree more. AI would not be averaging 26ppg at his age 15yrs ago. Thats what made MJ so special, he took it into the paint consistently when few guards could. Now Stern hands the little guys VIP passes to the Big Man's club. Sad for TJ though. Hope he is fine.
The foul doesn't look that bad. I wouldn't be surprised if Ford was trying to milk it but then got more than he bargained for with a floor that becomes slippery with the slightest drop of sweat. That's a bit of mileage from when Horford fouls him to the moment he bangs his head on the floor.
ugh...I hope he's ok. I remember the vid of his first injury, still makes me cringe. I dropped him for Calderon but this was a couple of weeks ago when he had another injury so I don't feel as guilty about it.
That was either malicious or Horford is just not very bright. You can't tell me Horford didn't realize he had zero chance for the ball. He drilled T.J. in the face so hard he was stunned in the air, which is why his head hit the floor so hard. T.J. didn't brace for the impact because he was out of it.
WTF are some of you smoking?!?! That is about as blatant a flagerant as I have ever seen. Should be suspended minimum 10-20 games to send a message. You could end someone's career like that.
I watched it last night multiple times, but also the video on this page in the thread. Flagrant, yes. Ejection, yes. More than that, no. Al was clearly at first trying to get the ball. As he says himself, Ford DIDN'T go up on one side and stated going towards the other. Al now has to reach across to try and get the ball, and takes a swipe. No ball, Ford's head. Bad bad foul, but I don't think malicious.
Horford was just stupid - he wasn't trying to take a cheap shot. Looks to me like a rookie mistake of the worst kind. He shouldn't be suspended, but he should probably be punished with some sort of fine.
TJ definitely passed out while in the air. I think Al was trying to make a hard foul, but didnt mean to hurt TJ. I think he should be penalized in some way.
I couldn't agree more with this statement. From Sekou Smith of the AJC: I’ll be the first person to sound off in defense of this guy, because long before everyone else had vacated the premises Tuesday night, Horford made his way to Piedmont Hospital to check on Ford, who remained under observation overnight but reportedly had movement in all of his extremities. Horford was one of several people affiliated with the Hawks to go directly to the hospital to check on Ford - Dominique Wilkins and Josh Smith’s father Pete Smith were there, too - and make sure he knew that what happened was purely accidental. Horford, I’m told, waited quite a while for Ford to get done with tests just to make sure he got the chance to speak with him personally. And when told that Horford came to check on him and wanted to speak with him, Ford let it be known that he knew Horford’s lick wasn’t intentional and that he welcomed Horford to stop by and visit. http://www.ajc.com/blogs/content/sh...2/12/horfords_a_clas.html?cxntfid=blogs_hawks
It was a .3 of second of stupidity on Horford's part coming down with the arm. And he was still NOWHERE NEAR the ball, sorry...thats bad depth perception of the worst kind So Ford is fragile, but isnt this why the rules and suspensions are made, for this sort of thing? Any hit to the face whether its an elbow or "touch foul", NO ONE'S gonna like that. A player's not gonna just take his lick to the face and happily go the line cuz thats the "way it is". If that was Barkley getting fouled like that he'd be fighting
No, I determined that by watching the footage, considering his history, and using a bit of common sense. Do you have any? Or do you just watch basketball, mouth agape, without thinking? If that play occurs on most any other player in the league, his head wouldn't snap back like that.
