Official Game Day Thread - Toronto at Winnipeg October 11, 2024

[TecnoGenius]

Found this on Riderfans.  They seem to think it helps their case (that refs/command rig it for WPG?).  I think we may have a different interpretation.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

There are a couple of teams that play to hurt.  It seems to follow C.Jones around, and it lingers in a city even after he leaves.  He (and others) clearly coach to get in every little extra hit they can on every tackle in hopes of injuring or just wearing down the other team.  When you start watching for this, it becomes obvious who the offending teams/coaches are.

I'm not sure if it works, though.  The problem is, if you're focusing on getting in those extra hits and trying to injure, you may not be focusing on your actual job.  And if they waste time coaching this stuff, that's time they are not coaching their real job.

I guess it all depends whether you can knock opponent players out of the game without taking any/many penalties.  And if you can still perform your job -- not having busts in coverage, etc.

It does diminish the game, though, when top players are "taken out" due to cheap shots.

It's not all Jones fault!  It's the remnant of hard hitting football from the past, when the goal was to hit the ball carrier as hard as possible.  Every D coach encourages it, but it's questionable whether it fits in with the new era of player safety and concussion awareness.  It also detracts from the entertainment value and the economics of the league when so many star receivers get taken out by no-name DB's who nobody pays to see play.

[theaardvark]

There is no problem with clean, hard hits.

Many FS's are lauded for hitting a ton.  Even SAM's like Kramdi. 

Its when the hits happen late, low, high or out of bounds that it becomes an issue.  Facemasks and horsecollars.  Ripping, twisting limbs in piles.

The dirty crap, and it seems certain coaches players do more of that crap than others. 

Is it because they actually encourage those actions?  Or is it because they don't punish those actions?  We know that in the O'Shea school, players are not coached to do this, and are immediately punished and shamed for doing it.  You can't eliminate them 100% from the game, but they can be discouraged.