NFL fines Martin 5 G's for hit on Boss

[Wither]

I think the one time most of us sided against a Panther hit was Dante Wesley's. And even then some guys here thought it was clean haha.

I didn't really think it was a clean hit but I liked it.

[Urrymonster]

Does anyone have a clip of it? I really wanted to see it but cant find anything anywhere...

[R0CKnR0LLA]

I've never got this whole "defenseless" player crap. Does a guy have to have his bodyguard out there before you're allowed to tackle him? Let's just tell our RBs to run with their hands behind their backs. OMGz he's defenseless!! Can't tackle him or else it's a 15 yard penalty!!

[DaCityKats]

nfl= national *** league.

[The Don]

I think the NFL deemed the "supposed" penalty as the wrong kind of penalty so now it's got everyone all pissed off. It's not really an illegal hit... but by definition it is. It's really a late hit, or at least that's how I saw it. But Martin didn't know Boss didn't have the ball by the time their pads met. The refs were right not to call it because receivers get hit quite often just after the ball has passed through their hands and the whistle hadn't been blown by the point either... however, what happened after the fact is that someone from the Giants staff sent the play in for review and thus the reason for the fine.

[ed bell]

I think the NFL deemed the "supposed" penalty as the wrong kind of penalty so now it's got everyone all pissed off. It's not really an illegal hit... but by definition it is. It's really a late hit, or at least that's how I saw it. But Martin didn't know Boss didn't have the ball by the time their pads met. The refs were right not to call it because receivers get hit quite often just after the ball has passed through their hands and the whistle hadn't been blown by the point either... however, what happened after the fact is that someone from the Giants staff sent the play in for review and thus the reason for the fine.

You bring up a good point...late hits are flagged when players are hit after already being called down, or when the QB is hit after the pass is released. With receivers, its different because of the possibility of an incomplete pass. If a ball skips out of a receivers hands, he is still a legal target until the play is whistled dead. In other words, a guy comes across the middle (like Boss did) and has the pass come to him, but fails to secure it, he is vulnerable to get hit as soon as he has touched the ball until the play has concluded by whistle. It can't be as clear cut as the QB releasing the ball on a pass. I remember the announcers going out of their way to say the hit on Boss was clean and legal. This seems to boil down to the concussion. If Boss walks away, no fine or even a second look. Boss suffers a concussion, well, then the league seems to be compelled to make a call....it's B.S.......clean hit, unfortunate result for Boss, and the price of doing business in the middle of the field.

[Darth Biscuit]

So if <insert Giants player here> had done the same to Barnidge or Rosario, and the league fined the guy, would you all say it was BS? I love how people side with their own team in almost every situation. I think the one time most of us sided against a Panther hit was Dante Wesley's. And even then some guys here thought it was clean haha.

My problem with this is not necessarily the fine, but the language of the fine. Either Martin hit him in the head or not. That "head area" BS is crap... so what's the "head area"? The neck, the shoulders, where does that end?

[CatMan72]

Wow, I guess the moral of the story is if you think you're coming in late you should get your 5k worth...

[Miaoww]

What's going to happen is next time Martin will let up (because he literally can't afford to hit the guy) and the receiver will catch the ball. poo fine.

[MHS831]

Taking the Sherrod Martin hit a step further:

1. Should the fine not be a percentage of salary instead of an amount? Peppers also got fined $5000. He is amused by that amount of money. Martin is giving a tremendously larger share of his salary to play the game at a high level. Peppers will not worry about pulling back next time, but Martin might very well pull back and miss a play.

2. If your friggin referees didn't call a penalty and it was at the ball, then why the hell aren't they fined? The answer? This would not have been an issue until the GIants got loud about it and complained. Goodell kisses the larger markets ass, even gives cold weather, outdoor teams Super Bowls.

3. Instead of it being a judgement call, why not refer these infractions to a committee and decide the way the instant replay officials do--if there was no call by the guy paid to see it, and he was right beside the play, staring at it, then should there not be "indisputable evidence?" The Martin call is disputable.

4. Fines should be levied for intentional behavior that is detrimental to the individual, team, and league. Not for performance issues that show no clear intent to harm or break rules. If Boss had not been injured and the Giants not been vocal in the media, the fine never happens. It becomes propoganda and circumstance. Martin was doing his job and the hit was high--so was the ball, the object Martin wanted.