I shuddered when I saw this hit by Seattle’s Golden Tate on Dallas’ Sean Lee happen live yesterday. And it damn near made me want to turn the TV off.
I realize a major part of football’s popularity is for the big hits and for guys getting “jacked up,” but frankly it’s my least favorite part of the game.
For at least this split-second moment, I have to think it was Sean Lee’s too.
Seattle’s Golden Tate cracks Dallas’ Sean Lee in Sunday’s game. (Image credit: Getty via Yahoo, hat tip @SportsSturm)
The more I watch football, the more I hate moments like these. I realize it’s “part of football” and all of that, but it’s my least favorite part of football.
Golden Tate is going to get fined. That goes without question. And he should. He led with his head and hit a defenseless player. It’s textbook.
But do you want to know the irony? A flag was thrown on the play…but not on Tate! And when you see what was flagged, you’ll probably just throw your hands up and say WTF?
Watch the play below. You’ll see the Tate hit on Lee in real time. Remember: no flag was thrown for it. The flag comes later, for a “late hit” on Seattle QB Russell Wilson, just for a gentle shove out of bounds from the Dallas defender. If they weren’t playing football, you might thing they were flirting. And that gets flagged.
This is easily the most ironic example of officiating I can remember.
The best news is that Lee is okay. He returned to the game and harbored no ill-will towards Tate after the game. It’s football. Lee understands that as well as anybody.
But count me among those who is all for whatever legislation is necessary to get hits like this out of the game and make an inherently dangerous game at least a little safer.
(Also, on a related note, I think it’s time to get the regular refs back…don’t you?)
About Jerod Morris
Crybaby. This was a legal hit, Tate led with his shoulder into Lee’s chest (see the after-game interview with Lee). Lee’s head came forward from the hit and his helmet ran into the top of Tates. This is why it looks so bad. Lee should have kept his eyes open, instead of getting tunnel-vision.
If Lee was a “defenseless player”, that’s his own fault for looking to his left instead of in the direction he was running. Tate squared up and hit him in the chest, it’s not his responsibility that Lee wasn’t looking. It was a hard hit, but a legal one.
What is Tate supposed to do? Not hit Lee and let Lee make a play on the ball and Wilson? Lee is directly pursuing the play its not Tate’s fault he isn’t paying attention. Lee is NOT a defenseless player.
This photo shows Tate was hitting him in the stomach region below his chest right before impact. The photo above is after Lee’s flopping body starts to fold in on Tate: http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y62/tstamper/tate.jpg
Let me guess….you’re not an UFC fan…right?
It’s part of the game, you don’t like it, don’t watch.
By the way, you’re an idiot, Tate said he led with his shoulder, Lee said he was hit in the chest, (look at the photo, Tate’s head is not that close to Lee’s chest, in fact, his shoulder is IN his chest
When is a linebacker “defenseless”? That statement is an oxymoron. He was on his feet, chasing the QB, trying to make a tackle. Tate circled around to hit him from in FRONT, the fact Lee was looking away isn’t Tate’s fault. Hitting someone in the chest is by definition not a blind side.
I may as well cover the other complaint I’ve heard, leaving your feet. Great photo, I really appreciate it, Tate didn’t leave his feet until contact was made, (after contact, he drove all the way through Lee).
It would be a total travesty for Tate to be fined, he did nothing illegal. Because you don’t like big hits doesn’t make them illegal, your arguments are erroneous.
How can you be a fan of football but cringe at a legal and vital block. This is a sport where men hit each other HARD. Quit yer honking Nancy