Whitner Hit on Thomas- Should It Be Outlawed?

Oh yeah, that one. I saw that live. That was just a bullshit call to keep the game close. I don't know that it can be used as a point-counterpoint here.

 

At some point the fundamental violence of the game can no longer be regulated. Beyond that point, if safety is the primary concern, the game can only be banned.

 

Agreed- Hit or be hit is the adage. If Whitner lays off he gets run over by Thomas and maybe he is the one that ends of with concussion from banging his head on the turf.

 

I agree that that the hit should be legal and also with Versatile's point about consistency. There've been many other situations where just such a hit would be penalized. Not that it should be, but it would.

 

There was an AP story about this earlier in the week, where it mentioned there are NINE different categories of helmet to helmet hits. Depending on which type, some are legal and some aren't. Add to what others have mentioned about not only stopping two freight trains on a dime, but also changing their direction, and it's easy to see the insanity.

And for the record, I thought the Whitner hit was clean. Primary contact was around the shoulders. The helmet-to-helmet hit was incidental.

 

Here's the thing, I think Whithner sort of slicks out of it because Thomas lowers his shoulder. But if he doesn't, Whithner probably catches him around the facemask with his helmet and definitely got a flag. I always thought the point of emphasis was to keep hits lower and away from the head and neck area and there was no way Whithner was going to hit anything but the head and neck area.

So I think Whithner got away with it because Thomas lowered his shoulder. If they had thrown the flag on the play, I don't think the 49ers would have much argument either, except that it's a crappy rule.

But having said that, I don't think it should be close to a penalty. It's football.

 

My only point is that I want consistency. Do what you will. Make it a penalty. Make it a fine. Make it a suspension. Make it the removal of one testicle. But do it consistently and fairly.