Except there's one huge difference... the guy Lewis hit was actually in on the play! Burns was trying to chase down McAllister (in fact, I think he had the angle), and Lewis took him out. While the block was excessive, it's not the same situation. This time, the guy Sapp took out was 40 yards from the damn play, and obviously not going to get in on it. I don't care if it's legal or not. If you're Sapp on the field, you can't seriously think that OL has a chance of getting in on the play. While I don't think Sapp was trying to hurt him, I do think he was trying to show out for the fans. And if you're an NFL player, you should consider the possible consequences of something you do to "show out". It wasn't part of the play; it was extracurricular activity that could've been avoided had Sapp used some damn common sense. I know it all happened in a matter of seconds, but the fact that a prominent NFL player would do that to show out (and without thinking about the other player) is an embarassment.
But Sapp's hit wasn't like that. What Sapp probably would not have helped his team at all unless he injured the player. I don't agree with allowing hits like that. Suppose the guy didn't suffer the injury -- you don't think it might have made him a little weary next time he matched up against Sapp? Or it might have let Sapp get into his head a bit more? Every hit builds up and that was just one more good, easy to hit to make, in my opinion. This is just my general philosophy in sports - if you don't do your end, don't complain when the other side keeps playing hard. He plays soft / wanders around aimlessly, that's his problem - don't expect the other side to just let up because he does.
The hit that Sapp laid on the lineman was perfectly legal. Period. Sherman is the one who apparently told Sapp to go screw. Not the other way around. Didn't Favre take a cheap shot at one of the Minnesota defensive backs after an intereception last week? I didn'e see Mike Tice tell Favre off after the game. Sherman has a right to be mad at the loss and the fact that his player was hurt on the play in question. I'm fairly sure that Sapp didn't intentionallytry to hurt the guy. Gimmie a break! How many times do you see a QB get smoked by a DL after an interception...or a punter get leveled on a punt return who has no chance of catching the returner? This is football. If you go on that field and don't expect to be hit hard on EVERY play, then you are in the wrong sport.
The actual hit that Sapp put on Clifton was just the beginning of Warren Sapp's pathetic display. Sapp celebrated another player's injury, cursed out Mike Sherman, pushed a Green Bay assistant coach, and then with a big wad of tobacco in his lower lip proceeded to curse out Sherman again. It's amazing that a 30-year old man can be so utterly stupid. I'm glad he's a good football player, because otherwise I'd be helping to pay for his welfare check.
Why else would he build up a full head of steam with a 15-yard sprint and then unload his 300 pounds on a defenseless player? To say hello?
This is like abortion.....I can see both sides. Given the circumstances, I think Sapp's hit was pretty cheap. Celebrating showed a complete lack of class (again, IMHO). That being said, this is the NFL. None of these guys are gonna be up for the Nobel Peace Prize anytime soon. The NFL has tried to clean up their image to make thenselves as mainstream and unoffensive as possible.....but the game has been cleaned up as much as possible. The nature of this game simply calls for brutality. As Americans, we love it. There probably weren't too many Bucs fans who complained about this play. I'm sure there are those of you who would say that if you were a Bucs fan, you'd be complaining--if not downright stopping your support for the team, but that's OK....for every fan that quit, there would be one more to take his place. That's just the nature of this game....and the people who watch it. Supply and demand. Do I wanna see people get hurt? Nope. What will I be watching next weekend? Football. It's just the way it is.
he celebrated a good block, not an injury after Sherman told him to f*** off when Sapp tried to shake his hand i'll give you this one even though it was all in response to Sherman's words to Sapp...he sholdn't have pushed such a small guy, even though its not like the guy got decked or anything he wasn't cursing out Sherman as much as he was defending himself to the reporters ridiculous question cmon T_J...its football man...those type of blocks are thrown week in and week out...and usually they are cheap shots unlike Sapp's
You assume because of his demeanor as a paid professional football player that he'd be on welfare if he wasn't playing football? Whew, so I guess if he was a quiet, placid, non-smoker who let people stand in his way... he'd be a millionaire. There's hope for Bill Bradley after all. (wait, he's already a millionaire...)
I can't believe that people are really defending Sapp on this. I can see defending the hit since it was a legal hit, but his actions after the hit were uncalled for. Yeah way to go Sapp, you just leveled a guy that wasn't involved in the play and wasn't expecting the hit. Hell forget the interception, you da man on that play.
I wish I had seen the hit and the ensuing altercations. I didn't so I have no ground to offer any insight in the particulars of the situation. I will say this. I have been involved in coaching football for a number of years, as well as having played at least up through high school. Something we were taught was that we were to hit until the whistle blew. If we were not hitting someone, we were to expect to be hit. As a coach, I taught the same thing...to continue engaging someone until the whistle blew the play dead because legally, no matter where you are on the field, you are a target. I am by no means advocating cheap shots, I have never taught that. Me and a fellow 2 tech felt horrible after breaking a guys ribs in HS in a sandwich tackle...clean tackle, he hit him first, and then I hit him almost immediately afterwards (the sound in my helmet was sickening). I can not imagine anybody consciously trying to injure someone for the sake of a game. All that being said, what I believe is this... 1. A blindside shot is not a cheap shot. From the snap to the whistle, a player should be prepared to be hit. 2. Football is a contact sport, and the players should be allowed to hit other players legally. 3. Any player that fears for his safety should take himself out of the sport. 4. A player that is intentionally trying to cause injury to someone else should be banned from the sport and be legally charged. Of course, like I said, I didn't see the incident, so this may be considered objective.
I can't believe that people are angered over this. Fact of the matter is that if Sherman shook his hand and didnt tell Sapp to go f*** himself , there would have never been an issue.
I just get tired over excessive celebrations on meaningless plays. Celebrate all you want after a big play, but c'mon to see a guy not celebrating the interception, rather his meaningless block 30 yards away from the play is just something I get tired of.
Boy, I'm sure some of you would recoil in horror if you saw some of the old NFL Films highlights shows where guys like Night Train Lane, Chuck Bednarik, Butkus, Jack Tatum, etc. were knocking people out of their jocks.
I was an offensive lineman in HS and man, there was nothing better than springing the running back for a long gain and then running downfield seeking out someone to unload on, whether they were close to the play or not. (Punt returns were also good for pounding someone away from the ball.) It was especially sweet to get some defensive back or other speedy little guy and introduce them to the lineman's world. We also got rewards for "knockdowns," where we put an opposing player on the ground. Consequently, we were always on the prowl after completing our initial assignments. Like it or not, it's taught to be part of the game... not to injure people, but to intimidate them and make them wary or not play as hard. Even though I intellectually recognize the barbarity and social implications of football, I must say it is a visceral, exhilarating feeling to just knock the crap out of somebody. On the other hand, the celebratory display (as are most non-controversial displays) is uncalled for, as is the aftergame confrontation emanating from the display. By the way Falcon, one of my football coaches used to go on a rant anytime he heard football referred to as a "contact" sport. Here's an approximation: "Football's not a contact sport... basketball's a contact sport... 'oh, don't touch me as I take a shot... that's contact.' Contact sports are for p*****s! Football's a COLLISION sport! Football is where men COLLIDE and the biggest, strongest, fastest MAN wins!"
I dont see what the big deal is it was a legal hit just like sapp said. Was it unneccasry probaly but this is football. Football is a rough game. you dont hold anything back when you got on the field. IF you hold back than your going to get hurt just like the green bay guy. as long as its legal there should be no issue and it was legal. Sherman is the guy that approched Sapp and dropped the F Bomb, Sapp has to much pride to just get cussed at live on national TV, he did what anyfootball player would do. Warren Sapp is a great football player and plays the game they way that it is suposed to play. 100% every play. geez this is football guess none of yall played it.
I can't believe Jon Gruden actually justified Sapp's actions and said Sherman should have stayed out of it. Warren Sapp is a very charasmatic, outspoken person, He often lets his rush get the better of him. If Sapp truly had the balls he claims to have, He would have apologized to Clifton after the game and not gloat and defend himself.
Who knows...maybe he would have if Sherman didn't tell him to f*** off. Why can't he defend himself? He didn't do anything wrong.
1. TJ: your welfare comment is borderline racist, IMO. And just because someone doesn't speak your 'white collar english' doesn't mean they are ignorant (unless you want to finally admit GW is stupid and would be on welfare absent his rich daddy). 2. Celebrating 'ringing someone's bell' happens all the time in football. It is PART of football. How many QB concussions have been celebrated by coaches and fans? How many LBs and Safety's have 'said hello' to WR's with hits across the middle (even on overthrown passes), that are celebrated. I'm sure Sapp didn't think the OL had lost any feeling in his limbs. 3. The point that the OL was apparently out of the play is ludicrous. (a) You never know when the play is coming back to your side of the field; (b) he was running TOWARDS the ball carrier; (c) no one expects players to make judgement calls on whether someone is 'out of the play' or not, which is why they have specific rules spelling out legal hits, and why they coach to hit until the whistle blows.
