James Harrison

It's pretty hard to hit a QB square w/out putting your helmet on the guy. His facemask went into his chest where the QB already has protection. Totally ridiculous. RB's lower their heads to finish off runs and they don't flagged.

Actually it's not that hard at all, it's called tackling 101. Lead with the shoulder and keep your head out if the way. Incidental contact is going to happen from time to time, but Harrison clearly has poor technique.

Johnson was physically instigated by Finnegan. Finnegan kept jamming Johnson in the facemask. Hands to the face is illegal and did not get called on Finnegan the entire game. There was not and should not have been a suspension on Johnson.

NFL Videos: Sound FX: In Andre Johnson's corner (http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-films-sound-efx/09000d5d81c908d5/Sound-FX-The-fight-before-the-fight?module=HP_cp2)


Seymore on the other hand just staight bitch slapped Rothlisberger without physical instigation, a suspension was warranted. My point being that if someone gets physical with you then you have a right to get physical back.

Actually it's not that hard at all, it's called tackling 101. Lead with the shoulder and keep your head out if the way. Incidental contact is going to happen from time to time, but Harrison clearly has poor technique.I feel bad for any player who gets flagged for a perfectly legal, textbook hit, but in the case of Harrison, most of his hits are dirty anyway and he doesn't always get called for them.

The game would be safer without James Harrison. Great defensive player. Seems like a good guy. But he's a dirty player and Steelers fans who think he's getting fined for the equivalent of shutting his car door too hard are mindless homers.

All the evidence suggests that the NFL can improve head safety over something like a five year period doing exactly what they are. I mean, how often do you see a personal foul -- late hit called compared to just five years ago? They don't need to over-enforce it anymore because defensive players understand what a late hit is, even if it's not very well defined by the NFL rulebook. They know it's a 15 yard flag, so they don't do it.

Other guys have changed up their technique, for whatever reason Harrison refuses to, so the fines will continue and he's eventually going to get suspended.

Gtripp you dont think Finnegan(sp) or Seymour deserved more than a slap on the wrist? Everything is relative, and Harrison's just doesn't compare for me.

Sure his technique could not be the best, but he is trying to play the game. All the others are extracurricular and are not part of the game. What this does is basically equate open fighting and attacking to playing NFL football.

Gtripp you dont think Finnegan(sp) or Seymour deserved more than a slap on the wrist? Everything is relative, and Harrison's just doesn't compare for me.

Sure his technique could not be the best, but he is trying to play the game. All the others are extracurricular and are not part of the game. What this does is basically equate open fighting and attacking to playing NFL football.Well, an ejection is not something I consider to be a slap on the wrist. I thought both Finnegan and Johnson deserved a game in addition to their ejections because it was a fourth quarter brawl in a game that was likely already decided.

Seymour was ejected for hitting Roethlisberger in the face after a play as well he should have been. Didn't believe a suspension was necessary, but could have been justified given the circumstances.

I don't think fighting is being equated to hitting because comparing just the punishments in a vacuum is drawing a link where one may not exist. A $25,000 fine with no suspension for a hit that the NFL actually determined to be illegal AND a point of emphasis would qualify as a slap on the wrist. It's different if the argument is that the hit on Fitzpatrick was perfectly legal and should not have been flagged or fined. Then I would side with Harrison. I do think it broke a point of emphasis, and should have been flagged and fined.

If Harrison hasn't yet been suspended, bound, and gagged, I'm not sure how serious the league is about suspending players for dirty hits. It seems like they are trying to uphold the status quo of fines, fines, and more fines until they can get to the offseason and work something more concrete into the CBA. Which I think is exactly the case.

If Harrison tackles by the shoulder then he drives the QB in the ground which would be a 15 yarder. IMO the refs and the FO have it out for the guy and they're clearly making an example out of him. I've heard former players comment on Harrison and they think it's a joke as well.

Anyone remember the Philly/Indy game? The refs pretty much didn't want Philly to win the game, for what ever reason. One of the Philly defenders got a 15 yarder for accidently LIGHTLY slapping his hand on Manning's helmet. Not sure if there was a fine there but when are the refs going to be held accountable for awful calls? Or that hit on Austin Collie? Two of the worst calls I've ever seen.

Fighting and illegal hits are seperate issues and should be treated as such.

Anyone remember the Philly/Indy game? The refs pretty much didn't want Philly to win the game, for what ever reason. One of the Philly defenders got a 15 yarder for accidently LIGHTLY slapping his hand on Manning's helmet. Not sure if there was a fine there but when are the refs going to be held accountable for awful calls? Or that hit on Austin Collie? Two of the worst calls I've ever seen.

Anytime you even touch a QB's head it's going to draw a flag, simple as that.

The call on Collie's hit was just an example of the refs being instructed to throw the flag on anything questionable and sort it out after. It definitely wasn't an illegal hit and they admitted it after, but they are going to err on the side of caution every time.