UFR: Punt coverage by PSU was NOT dirty
During the initial review of the Penn State game Brian opined, "The play on which Donovan Warren was shoved into Junior Hemingway needs to be a penalty. As we saw, it's dangerous as hell. Kick catch interference should extend to people you're blocking into the returner."
Upon further review it was an unfortunate play, but neither inherently dangerous nor dirty, as some commented.
The FannMan said, "From where I was sitting (I only saw it live) it looked like a shove in the back that could only result in Hemmingway being hit in the knees."
However, the replay shows that Warren and Hemingway were at least TEN YARDS APART when our gunner (#1 A.J. Wallace) put his hands on Warren. It was neither inevitable nor likely that Warren would hit Hemingway and it strains credulity to believe that was Wallace's intent.
This was simply a gunner trying to get someone out of his way. Again, an unfortunate result, but hard to label it penalty-worthy.
October 29th, 2009 at 11:37 AM ^
You are complaining and being rather obtuse. Welcome to Mgoblog.com where its all Michigan all the time. So, please accept this door prize as a token of our appreciation for this lovely topic and be on your merry way. Thank you.
October 29th, 2009 at 1:40 PM ^
I hope the door prize is the door hitting him in the ass on the way out!
October 29th, 2009 at 4:41 PM ^
EDIT: This is a response to PSU boy - not sure why it got chucked at the bottom of this
"You can't look at where they hit, because Hemingway was moving forward to close the gap. Look where they are when Wallace shoved Warren--it was ten yards."
So, wait, you're saying that your guy didn't see Hemingway moving up to field the ball? Wow, that's impressive that 1) you'd have a nearly blind man playing as a gunner and 2) said blind man would have such amazing awareness to know where Warren was and where to push him - brilliant.
"Zero chance. The current rulebook will also be used in 2010. The earliest a change can be made is after next season, for the 2011-12 rulebook. How do you propose the rule should read?"
I'm not doubting that but how in the world do they manage to screw around with time rules in a matter of just 1 season? As for the verbiage "During either a kick off or a punt (while the ball is in flight) a block in the back by either the kicking or receiving team shall be a penalty of 10 yards from either the end of the return or the spot of the foul, whichever is greater. Once the returning team gains possession of the ball the standard rules for a block in the back shall apply." I'm sure the wording isn't exactly official but is it really that hard to imagine?
Wait, so a coach who's team got shafted by a BS call isn't allowed to say anything? Again, I'm shocked since that's coming from a PSU fan - you do know who your coach is right? Complaining about a legitimate call (front-butt) is totally different than complaining about a total BS call - I'd expect you to not only know but understand the difference given your football allegiance.
Let me remind you "...jogging off the field with his players and coaches, saw head referee Dick Honig out of the corner of his glasses, went sprinting after him, grabbed the back of Honig's shirt to get his attention and told him in one choice sentence what he thought of the officiating crew's work." (and that was in 2002! He's been calling out the officials in press conferences for, obviously, at least 7 years) yeah, that's WAY classier than RR reviewing the tape and being flabbergasted at some of the calls.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1027142/inde…
October 29th, 2009 at 9:33 AM ^
Intent unknown, it's still a dangerous play. Brian said it should be a penalty and I concur. Blocking a player in the back when he is going full speed should perhaps be a "block in the back"/ clipping.
I have no idea why PSU fan would even want to post this here. If it happened to his players, he'd be pissed off.
October 29th, 2009 at 10:19 AM ^
PSU Dude, this has been done to death. But, I want to respond so you know where I am coming from. (I missed your post - watching baseball and all that.)
10 yards at full speed is a matter of seconds. Hemmingway couldn't move because he is waiting for a punt and is looking up at the ball. Wallace has played enough football to know that if he shoved Warren he would fall and collide with Hemmingway, who was defenseless. Wallace intentionally extended his arms and shoved Warren. This play is virtually certain to end in a collision with a defenseless player, and did in this case. Thus, I called it dirty. I would feel differently about it if the contact between Warren and Wallace was accidental, or within the normal scope of guys running down the field.
I am not saying that Wallace is a dirty player, he made one play I still feel is dirty. Also, I am certianly not saying that PSU is a dirty program. I bet Wallace faced some consequence from the coaches, or was at least talked to about this.
FWIW - I didn't (and wont) neg you. I disagree with you and you disagree with me over one play.
October 29th, 2009 at 10:52 AM ^
Wallace has played enough football to know that if he shoved Warren he would fall and collide with Hemmingway, who was defenseless. Wallace intentionally extended his arms and shoved Warren. This play is virtually certain to end in a collision with a defenseless player.
Please stop, you're embarrassing yourself. It was "virtually certain to end in a collision"??? They were ten freaking yards apart! You'd have a case if Warren was ten feet from Hemingway, but ten yards? Absurd.
October 29th, 2009 at 11:18 AM ^
10 yards is literally maybe 1.5 seconds. Thats having perfect control over your body. If you're stumbling take maybe 3 steps and fall forward that is ten yards, you have no control over your body and where you land. The fact is that until the ball is touched or hits the ground you should still be on offense, which would make that a block in the back. ten yards is not far, like, uhhh, at all.
It doesn't really matter but it is dangerous and in the future should be a penalty.
October 29th, 2009 at 1:54 PM ^
It is less than that even. The ten yards was being closed from both directions by the two players. 1 second maybe.
October 29th, 2009 at 11:22 AM ^
Have you ever played football?
October 29th, 2009 at 12:36 PM ^
I earned two letters as a member of my college football team. (Division III school.)
October 29th, 2009 at 4:43 PM ^
Did they happen to be "FU"?
October 29th, 2009 at 1:52 PM ^
Do you know anything about physics or football. The two players you are talking about were travelling in opposite directions on a path toward eachother. Your stupidity honestly amazes me. You think for a second that anyone couldn't take an object the size of DW and guide it with accuracy into another object (the size of Hemingway) travelling toward it from 10 yards? It would be harder to miss from that distance than to hit it you moran. Think before you speak for fuck sake.
I guess no one from PSU would be good bowlers if you think it impossible to throw two above average size men into each other from ten yards. Let's revisit who is absurd here.
October 29th, 2009 at 10:55 AM ^
I bet Wallace faced some consequence from the coaches, or was at least talked to about this.
"A.J., please don't shove our opponents into their teammates from ten full yards away." LOL!
October 29th, 2009 at 11:42 AM ^
Guys can someone break out the troll ban hammer at this point? His football intelligence is obviously far too superior to everyone elses on this board. We are all just "embarrassing ourselves" even trying reason with this apparent football savant. I see no other course to take except BAN HAMMER TIME!
October 29th, 2009 at 12:03 PM ^
There is just no talking with this guy.
October 29th, 2009 at 10:25 AM ^
Probably should be a similar rule in football.
If this is in the rule book,
"the kicking team cannot use their hands to push a potential blocker in the back after the line of scrimmage until the ball has been touched or hit the ground," it seems like the issue has been addressed and a penalty should have been called.
October 29th, 2009 at 11:25 AM ^
is a shove in the back. Plain and simple! Even though its legal it shouldn't be!! I felt like throwing my remote through my TV when I seen that play!
October 29th, 2009 at 11:33 AM ^
Just a quick memo to our players for next year at Penn State: picking up wide receivers and physically throwing them at the PSU quarterback is acceptable as long as you were trying to get contain on the play. Also acceptable: cracking an o-linemen's knee with a club because he happened to be in the way of your man coverage, kneeing a running back in the balls because he was in the way of getting a picture with those totally hilarious guys who wear the masks in the crowd, and giving the strong safety an enema, since it was intended for joepa.