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View Full Version : Dr. Z calls for Fujita suspension

Bob Dole
10-04-2006, 11:47 AM
Well, sort of.

Will linebacker Scott Fujita be suspended for five games? Yeah, right. I thought that what he did to Panthers star Steve Smith was worse than the Albert Haynesworth stomping thing. What did he do? Took a run at Smith and then took a full running dive at both of his knees, with the ball already gone elsewhere. So why no severe penalty, at least not at this point? Because the NFL, as you know, is into image, and while the image of the Haynesworth incident was an "Oh, my God, how horrible," Fujita's foul, while potentially more dangerous than what Haynesworth did, was on the other side of the field, away from the play, and not noticed by many.

Bob Dole hasn't seen the play.

Source (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/writers/dr_z/10/04/ranks.week4.part2/index.html)
JBucc
10-04-2006, 11:48 AM
I saw it. He basically dived at Smith's knees for no reason and injured him.
JBucc
10-04-2006, 11:49 AM
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Hammock Parties
10-04-2006, 11:53 AM
So that's why Taco John liked him so much...
NaptownChief
10-04-2006, 11:54 AM
I saw it. He basically dived at Smith's knees for no reason and injured him.


I'm not sure I'm ready to convict him...If you watch that film his head is down when making that tackle and people tend to forget when you go to tackle someone you often times don't have a clue if they caught the ball or not...but you still have to do your job and assume they did. If you stood around waiting to see if they actually caught the ball before you commit to a tackle you will be getting a midseason out right realease like Ahmad Carroll just got.

To call this as bad or worse than what Haynesworth did is silly...Haynesworth was without questing intentional and malicious. This could have been but it very likely wasn't...I will give Fujita the benefit of the doubt until he proves he isn't worthy of it.
Pitt Gorilla
10-04-2006, 11:55 AM
That was terrible. Dr. Z is right. This guy, and the entire Broncos offensive line, should be suspended.
Pitt Gorilla
10-04-2006, 11:56 AM
I'm not sure I'm ready to convict him...If you watch that film his head is down when making that tackle and people tend to forget when you go to tackle someone you often times don't have a clue if they caught the ball or not...but you still have to do your job and assume they did. If you stood around waiting to see if they actually caught the ball before you commit to a tackle you will be getting a midseason out right realease like Ahmad Carroll just got.

To call this as bad or worse than what Haynesworth did is silly...Haynesworth was without questing intentional and malicious. This could have been but it very likely wasn't...I will give Fujita the benefit of the doubt until he proves he isn't worthy of it.Um, the ball wasn't thrown to him.
jspchief
10-04-2006, 11:56 AM
Fujita claimed he tripped on the turf.

After watching it several times, I'm convinced that it wasn't dirty.
TrickyNicky
10-04-2006, 11:57 AM
Best case scenario: What it looks like is he's going for a huge hit, but once the ball goes the other way hes slowing his momentum which drops him to knee level.

Worst case: Obvious cheap shot.
JBucc
10-04-2006, 11:58 AM
There's another crappy video on youtube that shows basically that Delhomme looked at Smith, barely even pump faked, so Fujita just dived at him.
NaptownChief
10-04-2006, 11:58 AM
Um, the ball wasn't thrown to him.


Very good point....But if you look at it again Delhomme stares him down like it is going his way....It is definitly a mistake on Fujita's part no doubt about that but I think it is certainly possible that it was an honest mistake thinking Smith was getting ready to grab a quick hitter...especially if he had seen that on tape a bunch prior and just had it in his head it was coming his way....
JBucc
10-04-2006, 11:58 AM
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buddha
10-04-2006, 11:59 AM
I'm convinced it was dirty, and it is crap for Fujita to claim he tripped. I've never seen anybody "trip" into a chop block like that. Scott isn't known as being a dirty player, but THAT was a dirty play.
InChiefsHeaven
10-04-2006, 12:02 PM
I'm not sure I'm ready to convict him...If you watch that film his head is down when making that tackle and people tend to forget when you go to tackle someone you often times don't have a clue if they caught the ball or not...but you still have to do your job and assume they did. If you stood around waiting to see if they actually caught the ball before you commit to a tackle you will be getting a midseason out right realease like Ahmad Carroll just got.

To call this as bad or worse than what Haynesworth did is silly...Haynesworth was without questing intentional and malicious. This could have been but it very likely wasn't...I will give Fujita the benefit of the doubt until he proves he isn't worthy of it.

Yup, looks like he bit on the pump fake and went in head down.
Spicy McHaggis
10-04-2006, 12:16 PM
At least when Fujita dove at Smith he didn't get up and take another lunge at him.

What Haynesworth did was worse.
KCFalcon59
10-04-2006, 12:16 PM
Doesn't look dirty to me. Looks like he tried to stop himself but momentum took him into smith
Eleazar
10-04-2006, 12:19 PM
Did George Foster get suspended?
JBucc
10-04-2006, 12:20 PM
I'd say it was dirty. Even if he bit on the pump fake you don't immediately dive at a guy's knees before the ball even comes out.
dirk digler
10-04-2006, 12:26 PM
What the hell was Fujita thinking?
Rain Man
10-04-2006, 12:38 PM
Fujita claimed he tripped on the turf.

After watching it several times, I'm convinced that it wasn't dirty.

Before I even read this post, I watched the film a few times and came to the conclusion that Fujita tripped. If he was diving, his knees would've straightened out during the hit. However, if you watch him, his knees buckle and almost hit the ground as he's diving forward.

I've never seen anything from Fujita that indicates dirty play, even if he's not a Chief any more.
JBucc
10-04-2006, 12:42 PM
Before I even read this post, I watched the film a few times and came to the conclusion that Fujita tripped. If he was diving, his knees would've straightened out during the hit. However, if you watch him, his knees buckle and almost hit the ground as he's diving forward.

I've never seen anything from Fujita that indicates dirty play, even if he's not a Chief any more.Not really. It wasn't a dive like he was diving for distance, he was just diving towards the ground, basically a fancy drop. And Geathers never did anything dirty either that I know of before he started headhunting helpless sliding QB's.
Rain Man
10-04-2006, 12:45 PM
Not really. It wasn't a dive like he was diving for distance, he was just diving towards the ground, basically a fancy drop. And Geathers never did anything dirty either that I know of before he started headhunting helpless sliding QB's.

Yeah, but if you aren't straightening out your knees, you aren't getting any power. That's the kind of hit where the defender would usually get it worse than the runner, because the defender is really more absorbing a hit than dishing it out.

I will go to my grave believing that it was a trip. I shall defend Fujita tirelessly and relentlessly, and will travel to the far ends of the world to argue my case against the naysayers. Either that, or I'll forget about it in the next ten minutes.
Ecto-I
10-04-2006, 12:51 PM
At first look, I thought it was a cheap shot, but upon further review, it looks like Fuj slips and his knees go down to the truf before he hits Smith.
Hog's Gone Fishin
10-04-2006, 12:53 PM
Fujita is like the Royals. The only way to make sportscenter is to ****up!
Simplex3
10-04-2006, 12:57 PM
I'd say that Dr. Z has a man-crush on Haynesworth and is looking for someone else to poo-poo on.
Adept Havelock
10-04-2006, 12:59 PM
Fujita simply confused the Wide Receiver's knees with a Destroyer Escort.
Iowanian
10-04-2006, 01:09 PM
It wasn't dirty because Eddie Kennison grazed his back, and blew him into the knees of smith with all his might.
CrazyPhuD
10-04-2006, 02:04 PM
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This one really is zero doubt as to what happened. Don't watch the play just watch his feet. Look at how the come out as he's running towards smith. Zero doubt that he slipped, and consider where he is on the turf when he slips? He's on the painted section of the field. These parts of the field have had issues with traction before. It's clear he fell and there will be no fine, no suspension. Unfortunate for steve smith but it is a contact sport.

Edit: and if you want further proof, when you dive at someone what do you do? You plant your feet and push off. Watch the feet and tell me exactly where Fujita pushed off. He lost footing and had zero power, that's not a dirty hit. Like always Dr. Z is an idiot, just look at his power ratings this week.
DJJasonp
10-04-2006, 02:08 PM
So let's clarify (i've been too busy to check)...is Steve Smith injured (and might miss games)???

This has serious fantasy implications....
Basileus777
10-04-2006, 02:10 PM
So let's clarify (i've been too busy to check)...is Steve Smith injured (and might miss games)???

This has serious fantasy implications....

Smith wasn't seriously hurt. IIRC he actually returned in that game.
DJJasonp
10-04-2006, 02:13 PM
Smith wasn't seriously hurt. IIRC he actually returned in that game.

Thanks....my team with smith on it has already been in the crapper most of the season....if he goes out...things will just get worse.
JBucc
10-04-2006, 02:23 PM
Like always Dr. Z is an idiot, just look at his power ratings this week.He's not an idiot, and his power rankings have nothing to do with this. He was the only person in the national media defending Trent after Geathers hit him, if anything he's consistent.
jspchief
10-04-2006, 02:45 PM
He's not an idiot, and his power rankings have nothing to do with this. He was the only person in the national media defending Trent after Geathers hit him, if anything he's consistent.Didn't he also say Plummer was going to be league MVP a year or two ago?
DaFace
10-04-2006, 02:45 PM
Looks like he tripped to me. :shrug:
JBucc
10-04-2006, 02:51 PM
Didn't he also say Plummer was going to be league MVP a year or two ago?Beats the hell outta me. I don't ever read any of his stuff.
ChiefFan31
10-04-2006, 02:53 PM
Smith wasn't seriously hurt. IIRC he actually returned in that game.

Thank Goodness, that was my biggest worry as I read this thread. I have Jake Delhomme as my FF QB and he is crap without Steve Smith.

This is the first I am hearing about this.

I dont think it was dirty, It looked to me like he bit on a play fake and went in head down. I really dont think it was intentional.
InChiefsHeaven
10-04-2006, 02:57 PM
His knees are on the ground before he makes contact. He looks pretty stupid, but this was not a dirty hit.
tk13
10-04-2006, 02:59 PM
It looked like Fujita was just falling down to me. I don't think it was intentionally dirty.
kc rush
10-04-2006, 03:00 PM
Didn't he also say Plummer was going to be league MVP a year or two ago?

I thought that was Peter King.
jspchief
10-04-2006, 03:13 PM
I thought that was Peter King.It's possible. I get those two idiots confused.
dtebbe
10-04-2006, 03:19 PM
Dr. Z should be suspended for writing nothing of substance, ever.

DT
Psyko Tek
10-04-2006, 03:43 PM
Before I even read this post, I watched the film a few times and came to the conclusion that Fujita tripped. If he was diving, his knees would've straightened out during the hit. However, if you watch him, his knees buckle and almost hit the ground as he's diving forward.

I've never seen anything from Fujita that indicates dirty play, even if he's not a Chief any more.


he didn't launch himself at smith

not saying he was right , but he wasn't trying to cripple him
ChiefsFanatic
10-04-2006, 05:49 PM
I watched it, and it almost looked like he tried to stop, his feet got stuck in the turf, and he fell.
mdstu
10-04-2006, 07:57 PM
I cant' tell one way or the other whether he is going for the knees on purpose.

But, if I was an NFL star I would prefer to have my face maliciously cut with cleats, than to have my knee un-maliciously blown out on a play I wasn't even involved in.

JMO
Demonpenz
10-04-2006, 08:06 PM
he slipped on nacho cheese
Mecca
10-04-2006, 08:20 PM
I like how the former Chiefs player that alot of people here like will get defended for doing this.......if this happened to one of our players there'd be threads all over the front page about how he tried to take out the guys knees and how dirty it was.
stevieray
10-04-2006, 08:28 PM
I like how the former Chiefs player that alot of people here like will get defended for doing this.......if this happened to one of our players there'd be threads all over the front page about how he tried to take out the guys knees and how dirty it was.

I like how the former Mecca didn't play this BS game.
Imon Yourside
10-04-2006, 08:44 PM
I like how the former Chiefs player that alot of people here like will get defended for doing this.......if this happened to one of our players there'd be threads all over the front page about how he tried to take out the guys knees and how dirty it was.

Nope, not at all but thanks for sticking to your guns no matter what the facts may be.
Deberg_1990
10-04-2006, 08:59 PM
I like how the former Chiefs player that alot of people here like will get defended for doing this.......if this happened to one of our players there'd be threads all over the front page about how he tried to take out the guys knees and how dirty it was.


Agreed. Fujita isnt even worth defending. This is a guy who started on some of the worst defense's ive ever seen. I could care less....fry him.
Halfcan
10-04-2006, 09:01 PM
Fujita is not a dirty player-looked like a missed tackle-which would fit his profile a lot better.
DaFace
10-04-2006, 09:08 PM
I like how the former Chiefs player that alot of people here like will get defended for doing this.......if this happened to one of our players there'd be threads all over the front page about how he tried to take out the guys knees and how dirty it was.

I could care less whether he was a Chief. It didn't look dirty to me.

However, you're right about the second part. I went to a Panthers board and, sure enough, everyone's convinced it was a dirty hit. One of them even called for Fujita to be suspended for five games like Haynesworth. LMAO
JohnnyV13
10-05-2006, 02:04 AM
I think the earlier poster was right, Fujita's feet DO go out from under him. That's consistent with tripping on the turf. You don't make a cheap shot falling to your knees. That's also not a way to make a tackle.

At first glance it DOES look cheap. As was posted earlier, watch his feet. You'll see it very clearly.