Raheem Brock says he was fined

[fordfixer]

Raheem Brock says he was fined for hit on Ben Roethlisberger

http://blog.seattlepi.com/football/2011 ... lisberger/ (http://blog.seattlepi.com/football/2011/09/21/raheem-brock-says-he-was-fined-for-hit-on-ben-roethlisberger/)


Seattle Seahawks defensive end Raheem Brock used his Twitter account to do two things on Wednesday:

1. Announce that he’s being fined by the NFL for his late hit on Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger during Sunday’s game.

2. Dispute that he should be fined by the NFL for his late hit on Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger during Sunday’s game.

Here’s what Brock tweeted about the fine:
“Fined by the NFL today for being “TRIPPED” by an o’lineman and fallin into the QB’s legs! Smh if I only had super powers to stop mid air”

For those not in the know, “smh” is shorthand for “shaking my head.”

And I think Brock has a point here. The hit in question came in the second quarter, when Brock appeared to dive late into Roethlisberger’s legs. Brock was flagged for roughing the passer, and Roethlisberger was shaken up and had to leave the game for a short time. He returned later and finished the game.

Upon replay inspection, though, it appeared as if Brock was tripped — as he claimed on Twitter — by Steelers right tackle Marcus Gilbert, which caused Brock to fall forward into Roethlisberger’s legs. So actually, a case could be made that Gilbert should have been flagged for tripping.

But that’s not the way the league office saw it, apparently. We’ve included a video of the play below (fast forward to about the 1:14 mark), but it’s difficult to see Gilbert’s role based on that angle. SB Nation has a pretty nice screen shot of the play, though, which shows with some clarity that Gilbert leg-whipped Brock on his way to the backfield.

[StarSpangledSteeler]

Here's my take...

Was he tripped? Probably yes. Could he have avoided the hit? Probably yes.

That is why he got fined. He was not blocked or shoved low. He was forced into losing his balance but made no effort to "bail" or "deviate" from his dangerous course. No effort to hit the brakes. No effort to twist. But most of all, after he made contact, he grabs Ben around the shins and forces his weight over his ankles. You can't do that. If you are out of control, spread your arms out or up. Don't vice grip on the shins.

[TD386Steel]

i think he's full of you know what. :nono

[steelblood]

I think it is crap. After the trip, there was little time for redirection before he hit Ben. I don't like how the NFL expects defenders to be responsible for what is done to them and what happens around them.

[StarSpangledSteeler]

I think it is crap. After the trip, there was little time for redirection before he hit Ben. I don't like how the NFL expects defenders to be responsible for what is done to them and what happens around them.

I respect your opinion but in this instance I disagree. There are many times when you are exactly right. A defender gets "pushed" or "rolled" into the QB low and there is nothing he can do. That is not what happened here. He did get tripped. But once he realized he was falling he should've let off. Or at least showed some attempt to let off. I think that's what the league office was looking at.

[BradshawsHairdresser]

I think it is crap. After the trip, there was little time for redirection before he hit Ben. I don't like how the NFL expects defenders to be responsible for what is done to them and what happens around them.
I agree with steelblood. I'm sorry it was Ben that got hit, but if the situation was reversed, and it was James Harrison or Lawrence Timmons getting the fine, there would be an uproar on this board, and deservedly so.

[NorCal-Steeler]

i believe the goal is to get to the QB , sucks for Ben but i wouldnt say there was any intent to injure. I do however feel that on one of the plays after he was injured that they went low on him with intent to re-injure him.

[proudpittsburgher]

Freakin Bill Leavy. He cost the Seahawks the Game!!!!!!! :stirpot

[steelblood]

I think it is crap. After the trip, there was little time for redirection before he hit Ben. I don't like how the NFL expects defenders to be responsible for what is done to them and what happens around them.

I respect your opinion but in this instance I disagree. There are many times when you are exactly right. A defender gets "pushed" or "rolled" into the QB low and there is nothing he can do. That is not what happened here. He did get tripped. But once he realized he was falling he should've let off. Or at least showed some attempt to let off. I think that's what the league office was looking at.

Maybe he could have refrained from reaching his arms out. But, he is falling and reaching your arms out is a natural reaction. To say that he could have somehow redirected himself is a tough sell for me. I say no fine. But, I get your point. Still, I disagree with the application of the rule under these circumstances.

[dsmith]

I think it is crap. After the trip, there was little time for redirection before he hit Ben. I don't like how the NFL expects defenders to be responsible for what is done to them and what happens around them.
I agree with steelblood. I'm sorry it was Ben that got hit, but if the situation was reversed, and it was James Harrison or Lawrence Timmons getting the fine, there would be an uproar on this board, and deservedly so.

I also agree with steelblood and BHD - you can't have it both ways, a BS fine/penalty is a BS fine/penalty whether it benefits your team or not. I think slow motion clouds fans perception of how fast things actually occur.

There was a later hit on Ben that I thought was more deserving of a penalty at least, but there was nothing called on it, because Ben didn't leave the field on it.

[Slapstick]

I don't recall Harrison ever going for a QB's knees...

Slam him on his head? Sure...

But, go after his ACL? No...don't think so...

[NWNewell]

I think it is crap. After the trip, there was little time for redirection before he hit Ben. I don't like how the NFL expects defenders to be responsible for what is done to them and what happens around them.

I respect your opinion but in this instance I disagree. There are many times when you are exactly right. A defender gets "pushed" or "rolled" into the QB low and there is nothing he can do. That is not what happened here. He did get tripped. But once he realized he was falling he should've let off. Or at least showed some attempt to let off. I think that's what the league office was looking at.

I'm with steelblood on this one.

The guy was tripped. I don't see a guy that size redirecting his body or otherwise keeping himself from falling into Ben. I don't care if he IS suppose to be an "athlete".

He definitely should have been flagged. Weather you meant to or not is irrelevant. Accident or not, he broke the rules.

But I do not agree with the fine. To fine and/or suspend a player, I believe some level of intent and context of the play needs to be considered.

If he was not tripped and "stumbled" into Ben's leg on his own, even that would be a little different and a fine would be more plausible. But when the guy is blatantly tripped, directly resulting in him falling into Ben's leg, I don't see how you can fine him.

Flag, yes. Fine, no.

[Slapstick]

So, he was actually trying to help when he wrapped up Ben's legs?

[feltdizz]

Sh#t happens. Man up!

[RKSteel]

If it was Brady, it would have been a $50k fine. :D

[RuthlessBurgher]

If it was Brady, it would have been a $50k fine. :D

The guy who hit Brady low got a $15K fine as well:


Source: Antonio Garay fined $15K
ESPN.com news services
Updated: September 22, 2011, 12:09 PM ET

The NFL fined San Diego Chargers defensive tackle Antonio Garay $15,000 for hitting New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady below the knee last Sunday, a source told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.

The hit happened in the third quarter of the Patriots' 35-21 victory when Garay reached out his left arm into Brady's left knee. The Patriots quarterback ended up on the ground, his back arched and legs bent.

Brady, who escaped unscathed, on Monday credited the brace he was wearing on the knee for protecting him from a potentially devastating injury.

"I'm glad I had a knee brace on," Brady said in his weekly appearance on Boston sports radio station WEEI.

"Those are scary when you've been through those ones before. He got me in a good spot and I'm glad the knee brace took the brunt of the force. Why I never wore a knee brace before (his season-ending ACL injury in 2008) I have no idea and why every quarterback doesn't wear one on their left knee I have no idea. It's just so unprotected."

Information from ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter and ESPNBoston.com Patriots reporter Mike Reiss was used in this report.

http://a.espncdn.com/photo/2011/0920/bos_a_brady1x_300.jpg

[hawaiiansteel]

Raheem Brock tripped over Gilbert's legs and his momentum carried him into Ben's legs although I'm not sure Brock made a full effort to try and avoid contact with Ben.

here's what Brock had to say about it via twitter:

“Fined by the NFL today for being “TRIPPED” by an o’lineman and fallin into the QB’s legs! Smh if I only had super powers to stop mid air”

http://cdn2.sbnation.com/imported_assets/814047/RaheemBrockTripped_medium.png

[steeler_fan_in_t.o.]

Gilbert's leg made contact up high on Brock. Not the kind of "trip" that makes you lose complete control. Brock's allowed his "momentum" to follow through without making any effort to stop it - not unlike allowing your sled to continue at the bottom of the hill until you come to a complete stop while you could easily dismount ten feet earlier.

[ikestops85]

BS Fine
BS Penalty
BS Rule

Just my :2c

[hawaiiansteel]

Gilbert: Brock’s hit “was a cheap shot”

September 22nd, 2011
By Mark Kaboly

Seattle defensive lineman Raheem Brock was fined $15,000 for a hit to Ben Roethlisberger knee in the first half of Sunday’s 24-0 win over the Seahawks.

Brock revealed that he was fined on his Twitter page on Wednesday, and also made it known that he felt the fine from the league was unwarranted because he believed he was intentionally tripped by Steelers rookie tackle Marcus Gilbert that made the ensuing contact to Roethlisberger’s knee unavoidable.

“Fined by the NFL today for being “TRIPPED” by an o’lineman and fallin into the QB’s legs! Smh if I only had super powers to stop mid air,” Brock tweeted.

Gilbert didn’t see it the same way.

Gilbert said today that Brock’s hit to Roethlisberger’s knee “was a cheap shot.”
“I was (mad),” Gilbert said. “It wasn’t a good shot. I was (mad) because I take pride in keeping players off quarterbacks. It was something that happened and you can’t let it happen again.”

Brock was flagged for a personal four on the play for violating the league’s “Brady rule” which went into effect after New England quarterback Tom Brady suffered a torn ACL as the result of a low hit in the 2008 season opener.

However, the rule also states it is not a foul if the defender is blocked or fouled into the passer and has no opportunity to avoid him. The rule also goes to state that a defender cannot initiate a roll or lunge and forcibly hit the passer in the knee area or below, even if he is being contacted by another player.

The NFL ruled that Brock initiated a lunge at Roethlisberger’s knee.

“If anybody saw it, it was very intentional that he hit him down in the legs,” Gilbert said. “It was a dive (at the knee). That’s the way we saw it. That’s how we looked at it and that’s how the NFL looked at it.”

Under the NFL’s league discipline rules, players can be fined a minimum of $15,000 (first offense) for a leg whip, but not for tripping.
Gilbert said he wasn’t fined.

“I am all good in my end,” Gilbert said.

In other news, guard Doug Legursky was fined $10,000 for a third-quarter clip on Seattle’s Al Woods during last week’s game.

http://blog.triblive.com/steel-mill/201 ... Rg.twitter (http://blog.triblive.com/steel-mill/2011/09/22/gilbert-brocks-hit-was-a-cheap-shot/#.Tnuv7f_ogRg.twitter)