Big 12 suspends Eric Martin for one game

[HuskerfaninOkieland]

I don't want that trophy. I want the championship, but not the trophy. Just send it straight to Beebe's office.

This. They can keep their POS trophy....we'll take the Title

[HeyBurke]

I would like to keep that trophy and display it prominently until doomsday.

 

Right next to last year's trophy that the Big XII has seem to have forgotten to send us.

[Nebula]

Very good find, Drumline. As has been mentioned several times in this thread, there are a multitude of helmet-to-helmet hits in every game.

 

The reason that Oklahoma State player wasn't suspended is very simple - next year his team will still be playing in the Big XII.

 

Can we just move onto the Big 10 now?

Not until we have their championship trophy.

 

I've seen where "impartial" observers have stated that the Martin play was clearly an egregious foul and worse, a malicious hit with intent to injure. I'm not sure how capable I am of being objective, but I strongly disagree with the assertion that this play was exceptionally violent in contrast to what is deemed acceptable play elsewhere. Anybody seen a kickoff during an SEC game recently? (I really do try to be objective btw, but the game of football seems to bring out the subjective/emotional perspective in almost all of us at times.) So I wish to ask with apologies if this has been addressed and I simply missed it: How many Big 12 players outside of Martin have been suspended for supposed on-field violations this year? This is a real question, I'm not asking facetiously.

 

If Martin is the only one I'm sure there is a great reason for it. :Sardonic Grimace

 

The flip side to this is that it presents an almost picture perfect opportunity to rally the warriors. If there was ever a more complete scenario of "us against the world" in college football, I'm not recalling it effortlessly. Much ado has been made recently about our ability to wade into hostile territory with blood lust, and our (supposed) inability to win within the friendly confines of Memorial Stadium. Well, this action seems to declare without any dispute that we ARE in hostile territory, even in Lincoln. While we're playing in the Big 12 -2 conference that is. Mr. Beebe may have just out thought himself. I can't say I blame him. He has to be preoccupied with concerns about what island to dig on for the pirate treasure chest that will fulfill his asinine economic pledges to his remaining, shivering wards north of Norman.

 

 

+1 for taking their trophy on our way out the door.

[sd'sker]

i just think it is unwarranted because it is an unfair standard. i have never heard of any other player get suspended for such a hit. at worse beebe should have made a statement that suspensions would be handed out for such hits and give nebraska, as well as the conference, a first warning before suspending any players. you can not just decide to arbitrarily suspend random players for a very common hit.

[knapplc]

For the people calling for the OSU player to be suspended for the hit on Martinez, please understand this stupid rule by the NCAA:

 

 

No penalty was assessed on the play, but Big 12 officials reviewed the game tape and issued a suspension in accordance with NCAA Football Rule 9-6-3, which states, "if subsequent review of a game by a conference reveals plays involving flagrant personal fouls that game officials did not call, the conference may impose sanctions prior to the next scheduled game."

 

What about that rule means the OSU player should not be suspended? Was he flagged for helmet-to-helmet? I don't recall that he was....?

[Overland Park Husker]

For the people calling for the OSU player to be suspended for the hit on Martinez, please understand this stupid rule by the NCAA:

No penalty was assessed on the play, but Big 12 officials reviewed the game tape and issued a suspension in accordance with NCAA Football Rule 9-6-3, which states, "if subsequent review of a game by a conference reveals plays involving flagrant personal fouls that game officials did not call, the conference may impose sanctions prior to the next scheduled game."

What about that rule means the OSU player should not be suspended?  Was he flagged for helmet-to-helmet?  I don't recall that he was....?

Flagged for un-necessary roughness

[HuskerJosh]

For the people calling for the OSU player to be suspended for the hit on Martinez, please understand this stupid rule by the NCAA:

 

 

No penalty was assessed on the play, but Big 12 officials reviewed the game tape and issued a suspension in accordance with NCAA Football Rule 9-6-3, which states, "if subsequent review of a game by a conference reveals plays involving flagrant personal fouls that game officials did not call, the conference may impose sanctions prior to the next scheduled game."

That rule is so idiotic it's mind-blowing. Making someone sit out an entire game is a helluva lot worse than a 15 yard penalty. Why the hell do you punish someone for your officials' incompetence if it was actually a penalty? The official should be the one suspended, not the player.

[It'sNotAFakeID]

You know what's great about this suspension too? For the rest of the year we will not see another suspension handed down for hits like Martin's. There will be plenty more hits just like Martin's, if not worse than Martin's

[Glendower]

The Big XII should have had to recuse itself from this decision for obvious reasons. They should have found a fairly disinterested conference to review and make a judgment. I've seen far worse collisions than this, this stinks of potential bias.

 

Edit: I went and watched the hit again on youtube, Martin doesn't even make an attempt to wrap up, he puts his head down and angles it so that he can lead the collision with his head. It wasn't good.

 

I STILL think that the Big XII could easily be biased in its ruling against a member of a team that is leaving the conference.

 

ReEdit: Doh! I forgot that this was on the return. It still looks like he was trying to get his head in position, but he could have been easily trying to roll it to protect himself. This shouldn't have been up to the big XII.

[sd'sker]

i think epocson needs to be suspended. his avatar is of a pretty brutal and illegal hit. he seems to be promoting such senseless violence.

[Tiger of the Corn]

Why is it that the only people that think this is a legal hit are Husker fans?

There are few impartial observers in this thread that think it was illegal, but for the most part 99% of you are wearing Husker goggles and can't look at this play logically.

 

The announcers said he led with his helmet.

The Big XII said he led with his helmet.

Print media said he led with his helmet.

 

Open your eyes people.

[Nebula]

Why is it that the only people that think this is a legal hit are Husker fans?

There are few impartial observers in this thread that think it was illegal, but for the most part 99% of you are wearing Husker goggles and can't look at this play logically.

 

The announcers said he led with his helmet.

The Big XII said he led with his helmet.

Print media said he led with his helmet.

 

Open your eyes people.

 

Nice sig, Tim. Thanks for beating out a path to the door for us. Sorry you didn't get a key.

[holvy83]

Why is it that the only people that think this is a legal hit are Husker fans?

There are few impartial observers in this thread that think it was illegal, but for the most part 99% of you are wearing Husker goggles and can't look at this play logically.

 

The announcers said he led with his helmet.

The Big XII said he led with his helmet.

Print media said he led with his helmet.

 

Open your eyes people.

 

well that is what fans do, I guess being a fan of NU does not live up to the high moral standards of being an MU Tiger fan. Reverse the color of the jersey and you would be saying the same thing. Illegal or legal, i think most are upset over the suspension b/c it was not flagged during the play, if the Big 12 wants to hand out suspensions fine, but maybe should be poking the officials to make those calls during the game. I've seen the replay, there was an official in the line of sight of the hit. If this was an illegal hit it should have been flagged. this is already a

[krill]

Why is it that the only people that think this is a legal hit are Husker fans?...

Open your eyes people.

 

I know this image is terrible quality and maybe it's already been posted, but it's good enough to illustrate the point.

 

 

Every time I watch the video from that camera angle it looks like Martin is trying to put a shoulder into him.

 

Then from this angle it does kinda look like he's leading with the helmet.

 

 

What I find funny here is that Blatchford is breaking down to make practically the same hit. I've never really examined return blocking so closely.

 

Who knows, maybe Martin did put too much into it. Maybe it was wrong for him to flex and be laughing on the sideline after he injured someone. The only thing I know for sure is that he was clearly pumped up to be on that special team and outside Alex Henrey our special teams have been lackluster. So now, for what is most likely political reasons we are down an enthusiastic special teams player and backup in a big game that could decide the division.

[knapplc]

Why is it that the only people that think this is a legal hit are Husker fans?

There are few impartial observers in this thread that think it was illegal, but for the most part 99% of you are wearing Husker goggles and can't look at this play logically.

 

The announcers said he led with his helmet.

The Big XII said he led with his helmet.

Print media said he led with his helmet.

 

Open your eyes people.

 

This isn't the only board on which I talk football. There are many non-Husker fans who see it the way I do, and many who see it the way you do. It's not a clear-cut case of a player intentionally spearing another player.

 

Nobody here is saying it was a totally clean hit. Nobody is saying it was a totally dirty hit, near as I can tell. Most everyone says there is gray area. Guess which side of that gray area Husker fans are going to land on?

 

Further, your attitude towards clearly illegal hits seems to have been in absentia last year when your boy Weatherspoon punched our TE as he lay on the ground. I seem to recall a deafening silence from you and the rest of the Tiger fans about that play - for which Spoon was not suspended.

 

You, sir, have zero room to talk to anyone about opening eyes.