Apathy
All-American
I'm glad to see that this was done because it was CLEARLY a fumble that should've been reviewed.
Link
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Here is another good article from Shatle about both the Martin/Osborne hits and why other hits around the league are not looked at.Head coach Bo Pelini played down the incident. Pelini submitted in the same play to the Big 12, in fact, because a fumble clearly occurred. Officials ruled at the time that Gabbert's forward progress had been stopped in the split-second it took for Osborne to hit Gabbert and dislodge the ball.
Nebraska linebacker Eric Martin was suspended for one game for what was deemed a targeted hit to the helmet of an Oklahoma State player. There was no penalty on the play.
That same day, an Oklahoma player was flagged for a helmet-to-helmet hit against a Missouri player. There was no suspension.
Last Saturday, Nebraska safety Courtney Osborne blitzed untouched and nailed Missouri quarterback Blaine Gabbert. Osborne went in high, which pass rushers are taught to do. His helmet hit Gabbert’s helmet. It looked clean on replays, because Gabbert appeared to duck his head into the hit.
Does that matter? There was no penalty. But Martin didn’t get one, either. Will Osborne be suspended now?
What about Oklahoma State’s Brodrick Brown, who was penalized for a hit that targeted above the shoulders against Kansas State? Does he get suspended, too?
What is the standard here? Do you rule that Martin had intent to injure? The others didn’t? If you suspend only Nebraska players, it looks like a grudge. Or do you suspend players only when ABC analyst Ed Cunningham steps on his soap box?
The Big 12 is on an extremely slippery slope here. No matter what it does, there will be questions and a potential public relations mess. You hope that there is a plan in place. You hope that it didn’t suspend Martin just as a reaction to what the NFL is doing.
This is not an NFL issue or a college issue. It’s a football issue, and you see the violence at all levels now. Kids watch ESPN and try to emulate their heroes. But that’s where we have a gray area. Some observers say the kids should be protected. Others say it’s part of the game. Everyone has an opinion.
The Big 12 appeared to play judge and jury last week in this hot-button issue, but court is still in session. These hits happen every week. If others aren’t suspended like Martin, they’d better have a good explanation. Who is defenseless and who isn’t? If you lead with the shoulder but it slides up to the face mask, is that an accident? Is it case by case? Can the Big 12 honchos tell who has intent and who doesn’t?
Here’s a better question: Should a league whose officials can’t even get a call right on a fumble (on that Gabbert sack) be trying to legislate morality by watching a video in Dallas? The Big 12 started something here. It will be interesting to see if it can finish it.
» Nebraska has brought some of this on itself. Bo Pelini wants his players to attack and hit aggressively. Send the ball-carrier or blocker into the third row, if necessary. Don’t hold back. They certainly don’t discourage Martin from his wrecking-ball role. That’s not dirty. But sometimes hard hits can be construed as borderline. Don’t look for Pelini to change the way he coaches. But the political correctness going on now in football means that Nebraska may be viewed differently from other teams.
» Missouri writers after the game noted that Gabbert was giddy, almost giggling, after some of his answers in the press conference. He was clearly “out of it.’’
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