Pollard's taunting penalty explained.

[KSweeley]

Apparently Bernard Pollard's taunting penalty was a result from one of the Colts coaches calling him "a vulgar name".

Link: http://www.baltimoreravens.com/news/...f-94df41b3c1be

Pollard was noticeably upset about the penalties, and after the game he said that the taunting call came after one of the Colts’ assistant coaches called him a vulgar name.

“When a coach says something to me, I got to walk away, and if a player pushed me I got to walk away,” Pollard said. “But that’s hard for us as men, when someone pushes you, when someone challenges you, when you’re in the moment already, your first thing to do is respond. I got to be smart. I can’t hurt our team to give their offense 15 yards.”

“You gotta watch what you say,” Pollard said. “You don’t talk to players like that. I don’t care. You gotta respect everybody around the league. You respect them as a man. You don’t sit there and curse and demean somebody just because you got a big hit.

“I just think to see his eyes buck wide open when I walked up to him, that was just enough for me. You gotta watch what you say. You gotta respect people. You gotta understand that you’re dealing with me, you’re not dealing with no little boys, you got to respect everybody out there.”

Pollard also had this to say about the unnecessary roughness penalty called against him:

“I’m not malicious,” Pollard said. “I don’t go out there and hurt anybody. I just go out there and play football. Last time I checked, this is a rough, tough game and it’s for men. It’s not powder puff, it’s not flag football. This is not the Lingerie League. This is football. This is the National Football League.”

[cprenegade]

Pollard's penalty's were stupid. It's well known that he is a hot-head who can let it get to him. He's a great hitter and an asset to the team, but he's had a number of emotional penaltys that have hurt the team in situations. As for his hit on a defenseless receiver, he will be hearing from the commissioners office since it was helmet to helmet. I tend to agree with him about the game being played by men, but the rules are the rules and you need to recognize that.

[LarryN]

Yes, it was helmet to helmet, but he was clearly leading with his shoulder to the chest. The fact that the receiver also lowered his head should be taken in to consideration. I've seen way too many calls against defenders making clean plays get called when it's actually the offensive player doing the helmet hitting.

[Steveg85321]

You like to think these are mature men who can control themselves, yet they are out there playing a hard hitting game where emotions of aggressive men are high. It's regrettable but it happens, and it is part of what makes Pollard the great player he is.

As for the "helmet to helmet," it looks to me like receivers are hip to just ducking their heads when they see a hit coming. Pollard was definitely aiming for the chest. I suppose it is the correct call by the ref given the rule, but unless there is some way to judge intent it is a bad rule, and to me it is hurting the game.

[cprenegade]

Yes, it was helmet to helmet, but he was clearly leading with his shoulder to the chest. The fact that the receiver also lowered his head should be taken in to consideration. I've seen way too many calls against defenders making clean plays get called when it's actually the offensive player doing the helmet hitting.

You like to think these are mature men who can control themselves, yet they are out there playing a hard hitting game where emotions of aggressive men are high. It's regrettable but it happens, and it is part of what makes Pollard the great player he is.

As for the "helmet to helmet," it looks to me like receivers are hip to just ducking their heads when they see a hit coming. Pollard was definitely aiming for the chest. I suppose it is the correct call by the ref given the rule, but unless there is some way to judge intent it is a bad rule, and to me it is hurting the game.

I agree with both of you, and have since they instituted the rule. One of the first helmet to helmet fines was on Pittsburgh's Harrison when the running back ducked his head down into the tackle. I think the rule is BS. It's a football game. If the NFL was really into player protection, they would look at some of the helmet designs that prevent concussions on helmet to helmet contact. But that would mean redesigned helmets at about three to four times the cost per helmet. When money is involved, the NFL suddenly drags their feet. They would rather fine the player. In any event, whether the receiver ducked into the tackle or not, under the current NFL rules it is a hit on a defenseless receiver.

[Passarino]

It was BS as we chanted at the stadium after the call. Shoulder pads hit first then helmets hit.

[KSweeley]

It was BS as we chanted at the stadium after the call. Shoulder pads hit first then helmets hit.

I was sitting at home watching the Ravens game and heard clearly coming through through the CBS telecast the BS chant. Heard it twice, after the unnecessary roughness call and after the taunting call, surprised none of the CBS commentators mentioned it.

[Far from home]

That hit wasn't worth a penalty. I didn't see the other behavior, but it was what it was.

[BlandFood]

Id like to know what the Irsay coach said to him.

[Flu]

I've said for most of the season that the receivers are dropping their heads on purpose to try and get the helmet to helmet penalty. The penalty happens way too much for something fishy not to be in the works. The hit from Pollard was a legal hit but the force of the hit caused the receivers head to drop down and the helmets hit. How can they call that when it is natural for your head to drop down forward if you are suddenly knocked backwards?

[DkBlue]

I've said for most of the season that the receivers are dropping their heads on purpose to try and get the helmet to helmet penalty. The penalty happens way too much for something fishy not to be in the works. The hit from Pollard was a legal hit but the force of the hit caused the receivers head to drop down and the helmets hit. How can they call that when it is natural for your head to drop down forward if you are suddenly knocked backwards?

The original hit on Massaquoi by Harrison started all this but note in this slow motion video that Massaquoi lowered his head as is the case in most of these. It is very evident.
http://www.steelersdepot.com/2010/10...-motion-video/

[cprenegade]

The original hit on Massaquoi by Harrison started all this but note in this slow motion video that Massaquoi lowered his head as is the case in most of these. It is very evident.
http://www.steelersdepot.com/2010/10...-motion-video/

Agree. Receivers and running backs know it and are doing it intentionally to draw the foul. As long as the NFL keeps flagging it, they will keep doing it. At least it is being called consistently.

[jessup270]

Harbaugh was not happy with Pollard , he took him out of the game for awhile, after the taunting penalty. It looked like Pollard, made a great play and than follows it up with a taunting penalty, made no sense.

[Fang]

I'd like to know what that coach said. I can see players shouting things, but coaches? I'd like to see a fine on that coach.

[chrisbraven]

I agree that the coach should be fined. I saw that confrontation coming before the penalty, and pointed it out to my friends. We rewound and saw 31 double back, agitated, towards the Colt sideline. And then, back on live time, they called the penalty.

I think the coach called him a "p****." And then Pollard put the fear of God into that little man. How does the league expect him to respond? Tell the refs? That would be laughable. Shout back at the guy while heading towards the huddle? That makes his retort a shotgun blast and not a laser. Here's how I imagine it went:

[Pollard makes layout hit.]
Coach Milquetoast: Pollard, you're a p****!
[Pollard spins around and storms towards the sideline.]
Pollard: WHAT? WHO SAID THAT?!? WHO SAID THAT?!?!
Milque: That was a p**** move, man--
Pollard: Boy, if you're gon' talk like that, strap something on and come out here and I'll lay your a** out too!!
[Other players start running interference]
Pollard: NAH MAN!! Tell that p**** to come call me that to my face! Get off me man!! With his punk a**!
[Milquetoast retreats to locker room to renew his Depends[TM] undergarments.]

Pollard is a Christian, so the cursing was a minimum if anything at all from him, I believe. But he is a man, and won't take that kind of disrespect.

Perhaps he could have turned back to look at the sideline, said, with a menacing smile, "Who said that?" And when the guy continued, said, "Let's talk after the game. See me after the game and let's talk." And ran midfield.

If the guy was brave enough to see him, Pollard could probably discuss in a much less heightened way that the guy was wrong and that he was just playing the game. The guy would still be scared stiff, so there would be no altercation. Heck, they would probably shake hands after that.

Gotta love #31.

WIN FOR RAY
Braven

[CajunRaven]

Yes, it was helmet to helmet, but he was clearly leading with his shoulder to the chest. The fact that the receiver also lowered his head should be taken in to consideration. I've seen way too many calls against defenders making clean plays get called when it's actually the offensive player doing the helmet hitting.

I agree, he was leading with his shoulder. A play like that is incidental helmet to helmet with no intent. That should not be called.

[pmore108]

I agree with both of you, and have since they instituted the rule. One of the first helmet to helmet fines was on Pittsburgh's Harrison when the running back ducked his head down into the tackle. I think the rule is BS. It's a football game. If the NFL was really into player protection, they would look at some of the helmet designs that prevent concussions on helmet to helmet contact. But that would mean redesigned helmets at about three to four times the cost per helmet. When money is involved, the NFL suddenly drags their feet. They would rather fine the player. In any event, whether the receiver ducked into the tackle or not, under the current NFL rules it is a hit on a defenseless receiver.

The bold part of this is partially incorrect. The Va Tech study shows that while the most expensive helmet tested is one of the three best, the next two are not the most expensive helmets. The NFL needs to mandate that all players wear the best helmets, even give the players the best three options. Cost is not an excuse for the NFL, even if they want to go in the redesign direction, cost should be no object for the league. The effect of the NFL mandating that players wear the best equipment is the effect it will have on lower levels of football. Link to Va tech/wake forest study:

http://www.sbes.vt.edu/nid.php

[Jeebus]

I'd like to know what that coach said. I can see players shouting things, but coaches? I'd like to see a fine on that coach.

"One of their coaches called me a f'ing b," he said. "I don't know if he was a rookie coach or whatever, but you got to watch what you say. When a coach says things to me, I got to walk away. But that's hard for us as men when somebody pushes you and challenges you in the moment."

http://www.eveningsun.com/ci_2231844...ce=most_viewed

[Baltimore Ravens Lets Go!]

I agree that the coach should be fined. I saw that confrontation coming before the penalty, and pointed it out to my friends. We rewound and saw 31 double back, agitated, towards the Colt sideline. And then, back on live time, they called the penalty.

I think the coach called him a "p****." And then Pollard put the fear of God into that little man. How does the league expect him to respond? Tell the refs? That would be laughable. Shout back at the guy while heading towards the huddle? That makes his retort a shotgun blast and not a laser. Here's how I imagine it went:

[Pollard makes layout hit.]
Coach Milquetoast: Pollard, you're a p****!
[Pollard spins around and storms towards the sideline.]
Pollard: WHAT? WHO SAID THAT?!? WHO SAID THAT?!?!
Milque: That was a p**** move, man--
Pollard: Boy, if you're gon' talk like that, strap something on and come out here and I'll lay your a** out too!!
[Other players start running interference]
Pollard: NAH MAN!! Tell that p**** to come call me that to my face! Get off me man!! With his punk a**!
[Milquetoast retreats to locker room to renew his Depends[TM] undergarments.]

Pollard is a Christian, so the cursing was a minimum if anything at all from him, I believe. But he is a man, and won't take that kind of disrespect.

Perhaps he could have turned back to look at the sideline, said, with a menacing smile, "Who said that?" And when the guy continued, said, "Let's talk after the game. See me after the game and let's talk." And ran midfield.

If the guy was brave enough to see him, Pollard could probably discuss in a much less heightened way that the guy was wrong and that he was just playing the game. The guy would still be scared stiff, so there would be no altercation. Heck, they would probably shake hands after that.

Gotta love #31.

WIN FOR RAY
Braven

Even better was the way Boldin handled a player running his mouth taunting him. He never said a word, just turned and pointed at the scoreboard where the Ravens were winning. I forget which game this year it was but I recall watching it on tv and Dan Dierdorf commenting about it.

[TonyD79]

Even better was the way Boldin handled a player running his mouth taunting him. He never said a word, just turned and pointed at the scoreboard where the Ravens were winning. I forget which game this year it was but I recall watching it on tv and Dan Dierdorf commenting about it.

That was the Raiders game in the second half. The funniest part was the Q pointed at the video board, which does NOT show the score.