I have mostly like what our new commish has done for our game .... but he needs to change  how we protect players:

In the NHL you still pay for head shots even if it gets by the zebras in the heat of the moment .... I don't think we have equivalency to that in the CFL (correct me if I am wrong)

Muamba on Streveler is a perfect example ... should be heavy fine first offense, game suspension 2nd and multiple games after that ... I don't mean accidental contact but who can define that - - -no one is being paid to be a psychiatrist - - actions have to define intent: slipping off your tackle is different than lining some one up

I also am aware of the age old rule against one player hitting him and another hitting him low at the same time .... but that is exactly what happened to Ricky Ray last night ... the league has to police the players too and I mean the league - - not the reffs

The hit on Ray was awkward.  I didn’t see anything wrong with it.  The two Stamps collided with the most force really.

They want to avoid judging intent but that’s BS.  Anyone who watches that Muamba hit knows what he’s doing,  Plus as you say by the letter of the law they can have a repeat offender scale for headshots.  Maybe first infraction is max fine, second and third is 1 game suspension, fourth is 3 games, fifth is 9 games and sixth is banishment from the league.

But for the love of god protect the QBs and skill players at the very least.  You have a guy like Streveler starring in his second start who could be a flash or he could be a star for the next 15 years and some loser like Muamba can attempt to take his head off, threatening his career and only get 15 yards.

IMO Muamba's hit to Streveler was intended to send a message and was by definition a cheap shot, but the hit on Ray wasn't. Refs gave Muamba a penalty, which is all they can do. I hope the league also fines him. All that being said, I don't want the refs to given the responsibility of trying to figure out intent in real time. They aren't good enough at their jobs to be given that kind of responsibility. Even with several angles, after the fact, it's hard to impossible to prove intent.

I believe the CFL is punishing these hits even if the refs. miss them on field and has been for at least the last couple of years, wait until the "fines of the week" are announced to see if Muamba doesn't receive extra notice for that violation.  That being said hopefully Ambrosie puts more teeth into the penalties and increases them from a few thousand $$ to actual game suspensions for serious violations.

1 hour ago, TBURGESS said:

IMO Muamba's hit to Streveler was intended to send a message and was by definition a cheap shot, but the hit on Ray wasn't. Refs gave Muamba a penalty, which is all they can do. I hope the league also fines him. All that being said, I don't want the refs to given the responsibility of trying to figure out intent in real time. They aren't good enough at their jobs to be given that kind of responsibility. Even with several angles, after the fact, it's hard to impossible to prove intent.

NCAA does it and it’s backed by replay.  Has worked fine.  

Streveller is a guy who can get fans to pay attention to the team, and to the league.

 A very exciting player to watch, A player who gets angry after a dirty hit, and responds not by complaining to the ref,  but by throwing  a touchdown pass.

The very last thing the league needs is to have a fast rising star's career shortened, or worse, finished after two games, by a player "sending a message" 

The league should send its own message  :  Suspend Muamba.

 

Edited June 24, 20187 yr by Mark F

Totally agree with a big fine ( how about a week's pay ) or a suspension of at least one game. Those kind of hits have to be removed from the game. Muamba is a veteran player who totally knows better. 

Worth mentioning is that the CFL has maximum penalties stipulated in it's CBA, so at most, I think the penalties can be a fine or a one-game suspension currently but this is definitely something that needs to be addressed this offseason with the new CBA.

 

Also - Muamba is an absolute bum.

They need to come down hard on muamba. If it was just one play a fine would be ok. But the pre season hit and talk after on johnny football is a bad precedent. 

4 hours ago, Mike said:

Worth mentioning is that the CFL has maximum penalties stipulated in it's CBA, so at most, I think the penalties can be a fine or a one-game suspension currently but this is definitely something that needs to be addressed this offseason with the new CBA.

 

Also - Muamba is an absolute bum.

He's not a bum...c'mon man...he's a piece of **** and his carry over attitude and theatrics after a play from being on the riders and their me first mentality had no place here  anyway.

Wonder if him and Jamal sit there and muse to each other how much they effed up their decisions this winter

Edited June 24, 20187 yr by Booch

I watched Ray's injury a couple of times ... the D can play hard with respect or they can be out there to hurt you, you know "kill the QB" .... and I think that's what happened here ... Ray was on the way down: the Calgary player could have pulled up/slowed down but instead put the full power of his shoulder into Ricky Ray's head: "see ya old man!"

IMHO, Ray was in vulnerable position and clearly on his way to the ground when Law stepped in there. Its a dirty shot as far as I am concerned

17 minutes ago, Ripper said:

IMHO, Ray was in vulnerable position and clearly on his way to the ground when Law stepped in there. Its a dirty shot as far as I am concerned

Yeah.. So dirty that Ray fell in to his ass. There was nothing dirty about it. Rays neck hit off the Stamps ass. 

1 minute ago, Goalie said:

Yeah.. So dirty that Ray fell in to his ass. There was nothing dirty about it. Rays neck hit off the Stamps ass. 

Watch the replay. Ray was wrapped up before Law decided to hit him, plain and simple

I don't think it was a dirty play, Ray got caught in a bad situation of a guy chasing him down from behind and a guy coming in to get him from the front. Unlucky and unfortunate but not dirty. 

16 hours ago, BigBlue said:

I watched Ray's injury a couple of times ... the D can play hard with respect or they can be out there to hurt you, you know "kill the QB" .... and I think that's what happened here ... Ray was on the way down: the Calgary player could have pulled up/slowed down but instead put the full power of his shoulder into Ricky Ray's head: "see ya old man!"

Football needs to adjust it's culture before society adjusts it for them.  The toll of the game is enormous for the participants and the concept of destroying an opponent by using max. force and intimidaton is outdated and is no longer tolerated in any other team sport. 

The object of tackling is primarily to stop an opponent from advancing the ball, not to try to kill or maim them. Football is  a strategic game it needs to emphasis the movement of the ball, the speed and skills of the game more and the big hits less. It can survive if they acknowledge, accept and adjust the rules of the game that need to be made and do not fight against them.

If every check thrown in hockey was done to create max. damage to the opponent it would destroy the flow of the game and the skilled players that advance the sport would have very short careers.

9 hours ago, Ripper said:

Watch the replay. Ray was wrapped up before Law decided to hit him, plain and simple

So you're saying that gang tackling should be banned?  You don't think guys should be taught to play to the whistle?  What if he stops and then the QB squirms away?  There was nothing dirty about that hit at all.  If you think that the hit on Ray was dirty, I'd suggest that maybe football is to rough a sport for you to watch and you should start cheering for Regina's professional baseball team.  Oh wait, they don't have one of those either...

Edited June 26, 20187 yr by WBBFanWest

1 hour ago, WBBFanWest said:

So you're saying that gang tackling should be banned?  You don't think guys should be taught to play to the whistle?  What if he stops and then the QB squirms away?  There was nothing dirty about that hit at all.  If you think that the hit on Ray was dirty, I'd suggest that maybe football is to rough a sport for you to watch and you should start cheering for Regina's professional baseball team.  Oh wait, they don't have one of those either...

I guess the definition of dirty varies when its your qb that got hit, doesn't it?

Just now, Ripper said:

I guess the definition of dirty varies when its your qb that got hit, doesn't it?

Actually Ripper it doesn't.  I understand that sometimes, players get tackled.  And sadly, sometimes they get hurt.  I hope for the best for Ricky, but that was not a dirty hit.  Can't understand how a thinking fan could come to that conclusion.

38 minutes ago, WBBFanWest said:

Actually Ripper it doesn't.  I understand that sometimes, players get tackled.  And sadly, sometimes they get hurt.  I hope for the best for Ricky, but that was not a dirty hit.  Can't understand how a thinking fan could come to that conclusion.

Don't pull out the thinking fan card, to imply that disagreeing with you equates a lack of knowledge of the game. The NFL brought in rules to specifically protect players in situations like this. You cannot hit a player when he is in a vulnerable position and unable to defend himself.  He was wrapped up before Law hit him.  The intention may not have been to hurt him, but he was clearly in a vulnerable position, and Law seized the chance to hit him.  These are the hits that need to be minimized in the game.  I have no dog in this fight. I hate to see qb's taking these hits. I guarantee you would feel a hell of a lot different if Nichols took that hit. If MItchell took that hit the friggin league would shut down to investigate

Edited June 26, 20187 yr by Ripper

Law did not hit him Rays head fell into his hip. It’s just one of those freek things.

13 minutes ago, Ripper said:

Don't pull out the thinking fan card, to imply that disagreeing with you equates a lack of knowledge of the game. The NFL brought in rules to specifically protect players in situations like this. You cannot hit a player when he is in a vulnerable position and unable to defend himself.  He was wrapped up before Law hit him.  The intention may not have been to hurt him, but he was clearly in a vulnerable position, and Law seized the chance to hit him.  These are the hits that need to be minimized in the game.  I have no dog in this fight. I hate to see qb's taking these hits. I guarantee you would feel a hell of a lot different if Nichols took that hit. If MItchell took that hit the friggin league would shut down to investigate

I think the term your looking for is flag football.  This ain't that.

51 minutes ago, WBBFanWest said:

Actually Ripper it doesn't.  I understand that sometimes, players get tackled.  And sadly, sometimes they get hurt.  I hope for the best for Ricky, but that was not a dirty hit.  Can't understand how a thinking fan could come to that conclusion.

Yea cant pull the "if its your qb.." bs here.  we've spent 10 years watching our  QBs getting annihilated over and over again and if you'd have been here, you'd have seen many of us assigning blame to oline or the qb more often the  crying foul.

1 minute ago, SPuDS said:

Yea cant pull the "if its your qb.." bs here.  we've spent 10 years watching our  QBs getting annihilated over and over again and if you'd have been here, you'd have seen many of us assigning blame to oline or the qb more often the  crying foul.

I promise that I will never, ever again pull the "if its your qb".  I've been told.

Don’t want to blame the victim but the only one of the 3 involved in the hit who changes trajectory is Ray.  Appears to me he’s trying hard to get to the turf once he knows he’s done for the play as he often does and ends up in an awkward position.  Would have taken a big hit without putting himself on the turf but probably would have taken most of the impact in his torso rather than the top of his head if he took the tackle.

15 hours ago, Throw Long Bannatyne said:

Football needs to adjust it's culture before society adjusts it for them.  The toll of the game is enormous for the participants and the concept of destroying an opponent by using max. force and intimidaton is outdated and is no longer tolerated in any other team sport. 

The object of tackling is primarily to stop an opponent from advancing the ball, not to try to kill or maim them. Football is  a strategic game it needs to emphasis the movement of the ball, the speed and skills of the game more and the big hits less. It can survive if they acknowledge, accept and adjust the rules of the game that need to be made and do not fight against them.

If every check thrown in hockey was done to create max. damage to the opponent it would destroy the flow of the game and the skilled players that advance the sport would have very short careers.

Concussions also happen to the aggressor because he leads with his head. At the grassroots level we are trying to rectify that but sometimes the pro level can do a huge in-service to us as our players watch these pro defenders lead with their head to get the kill shot where all they needed to do was rip, wrap and roll.