Goodell is supposedly trying to protect players more, he suspends people for an entire season and fines them for a bounty program, and yet this d-bag continues to be a cheap shot coward time and time again and gets nothing but a couple flags thrown. We all know that he deliberately does out to hurt and injure players. He should have been suspended 4 years ago. But Brady gets fined for putting his leg up while sliding. FU Goodell.

 While I agree Pollard is as dirty as they come, the Brady slide should have been fined. Not sure if it was intentional or just a quick reaction but he could have cleated an opposing player. Pollard, hopefully, will be on the other end of a dirty play at some point in his career.

Pollard’s hit is interesting.  After reviewing, I noticed that his arms seem to be at his side.  He is essentially a human missile that strikes head first.  If Ridley wasn’t going down, Pollard might have shattered Ridley’s knee or snapped his leg with his head.    Wasn’t this once ruled “spearing”?  Why is it legal now?  And regardless of the legality, why do so many members of the press call this a “great hit”?  With so many players adjusting their games to strike first with their shoulders or arms, I think this hit was at best legal, but also careless, thoughtless, and reckless.  Certainly not a great hit.

 It use to be called/regarded as a great hit before all the rule changes to protect players because of head injuries. A lot of defensive backs lead with their heads/shoulders and don’t wrap up the player. You use to see Rodney Harrison and Lawyer Milloy do it all the time. the reason they don’t need to wrap up is because they are going for the legs or are close to the line or scrimmage where they will get help in case the tackle is not made.

As long as the defensive player does not leave their feet there isn’t a penalty against a running back. Now if that were done to a receiver catching the ball it would have been flagged. A running back is considered fair game for a helmet to helmet. Which eventually might change with all the head injuries.

Just another Ravens Criminal…
There’s rules for Ravens, and rules for the rest of the league

that was clearly a helmet to helmet hit he should of been flagged n fined that turned the game around to me. not to mention hes a dirty player anyways..

Is he a free agent, if so, Pats should sign him.

Pollard is a punk and the commish knows it and does nothing.

Pollard is a dirty complainer, everyone needs to be fined & disciplined except when it comes to him then its just “part of the game”. Hopefully he gets his soon enough.

Listen, I don’t like the guy either, but I don’t see where any of his hits were dirty in that game.  His hit on Ridley was more Ridley lowering his head as all Nfl running backs do.  When Ridley lowered his head, Pollard got the better of that collision, unfortuately for Ridley and us Pats fans.  I also think the Welker it was a hit that any safety would make in a big game like that.  I fail to see you’re logic…When Pollard tackled Gronk and Welker, he did nothing wrong, and at the time, the Brady hit was within the rules, so where is the intent to injure as you state??  I’m sorry, but I’m already getting tired of seeing flags for hits on receivers!!!  Roger Goodell is turning the game into a pansy sport!!  I understand the rules regarding hit on Quarterbacks, as those guys are a lot less physical players, and they are also the face of the game in several instances.   Whats next Roger??  Are you gonna ban a running back from lowering his head??  It’s really getting ridiculous!!  I mean seriously, in some instances, the outcome of games have been decided by flags for hits on a “defensless receiver”!!! Football is a contact sport, and unfortunately concussions are part of the game!!  These palyers get paid a ton of money to play a game that they love, and they know, and accept the injury risks, so let them play the damn game!

Friggin ridiculous comments sir!!!  RIDICULOUS!!

I hope he breaks both his f’n legs next weekend.  What a piece of crap.
 

this guy is the biggest piece of crap, in the world!

Interesting….didn’t he just say a little while ago that the NFL didn’t fine him at all (Chris Price’s IT IS WHAT IT IS. Should have kept his mouth shout.

While Pollard does tend to play on the edge, I will have to agree with the Ridley hit. That was two football players making a play and too bad that Ridley got the worst of it. The rule for head hits doesn’t typically apply during running plays and Ridley is not considered defenseless (though it was a tough hit and one that many players don’t do, it was technically legal). However, many of his hits have been borderline and he has taken liberty on players. The Brady hit – contrary to some opinions – was totally illegal. In the past, the leg launch tackle was legal, but by 2008, that rule had been changed. He should have known better about that one.

Pollard was going for the head spear not a tackle  – the fine should have been more than this by several digits I am rather sick of watch this dirty player go mostly unchecked - 

Could have but didn’t. I don’t remember anyone being fined for what he “could have” done.

That’s the text book definition of spearing, especially when leading with the helmet. Is the NFL waiting for another Darryl Stingley (a Patriot receiver who was permanently paralyzed by a dirty hit by Jack “hit man” Tatum)incident in 1978 incident before they act on this criminal Pollard? Is the NFL waiting for another permanent paralysis?

“A running back is considered fair game for a helmet to helmet”? Where did you ever get that idea?

So, when  an offensive player is about to be tackled, he should always raise his head up straight before he’s impacted? And you think this is NFL policy? Where did ever get this odd idea? The fact is that Spearing has always been illegal in football, in the 1960s high school arena or the 2012 NFL.

Again, where are you people getting these odd notions that “The rule for head hits doesn’t typically apply during running plays”? or “A running back is considered fair game for a helmet to helmet”
This is right from the NFL rule book; “Use of Helmet and Facemask. An opponent must not use his facemask or other part of his helmet against a player who is in a virtually defenseless posture-for example, (a) by forcibly hitting the defenseless player’s head, neck, or face with the helmet or facemask, regardless of whether the defensive player also uses his arms to tackle the defenseless player by encircling or grasping him, or (b) by lowering the head and violently or unnecessarily making forcible contact with the “hairline” or forehead part of the helmet against any part of the defenseless player’s body.
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d81c8823a/printable/leagues-official-player-safety-rules

You should be fined 10000X for being an idiot.

Are you delusional???  Do you actually watch Running backs when contact is initiated??  They all do the same thing, the put their head down!!!  Listen, I dislike Pollard, but I see no fault on the Ridley play!!  Pollard was coming full speed, and Ridley lowered his head, as did Pollard.  Did I say Ridley should raise his head??  Do you read well??  Apparently not, beacuse I never said such a thing!!  Do me a favor and get over yourself!!  Did I also say that I feel that the Nfl has a policy against a Rb lowering his head??  No, I said what’s next, a rule that Rb’s can’t lower their head now either??  You sir are the one with odd idea’s!!  Let’s try this—in the future, before you make a comment, try reading the statement you’re replying too…

Sir, you are missing the point…  Almost all running backs lower their heads just before contact is initiated.  Go back and watch the Ridley hit.  Ridley actually lowered his head into Pollards helmet.  Listen, I can’t stand the guy, but I see no fault, nor did the Nfl..

 Guy the key word is “defenseless” the NFL DOES NOT consider a running back running down field defenseless. A receiver catching the ball yes a running back running no. Just like a straight arm is not considered illegal use of the hands or a facemask penalty when a running back does it.

If you are going to call other posters out at least get your “facts” right. It was not a penalty and the league said as much by not fining him.

 The guy’s a douch e let’s leave it at that. Still can’t get over no penalty and no fine = legal play.

 Hey moron, so you’re saying if Brady tried to punch Pollard but missed he wouldn’t get fined? He missed so it would not have happened, correct? People get penalized and fined all the time for intent not necessarily the outcome. Ask Suh about spiking and trying to kick people.

Wow, that really hurts man. Or, at least it would if I was in still third grade as you apparently are. Your reading comprehension seems to be about at that level, since I never said “a person with the ball and running downfield (is) a defenseless player”, Plato.

Hey alf…..good thoughts and I would agree that the rule should be interpreted to protect everyone but it is not. The NFL has a general rule of thumb that helmet-to-helmet that protects 8 categories of defenseless players and they typically do not include running backs. But there are stats and stories to back up this opinion. (http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/sports/steelers/nfl-notebook-helmet-to-helmet-hit-was-legal-217754/)

There is a lot of room for ambiguity when it applies to running backs who sometimes initiate the contact, ala Ridley’s play  (see recently story about if offensive players could and should be flagged for helmet to helmet as well – which includes Aiello’s interpretation of the rule (http://onmilwaukee.com/sports/articles/packershelmetohelmet.html?32090).

In fact, helmet to helmet hits on running backs are often not called or penalized, even though they should be (http://www.lasentinel.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3475:over-reaction-to-helmet-to-helmet-hits&catid=106&Itemid=196).

On the previous page, I research and quoted the NFL rule regarding helmet to helmet hits. There was no exception for a running back lowering his head before contact. So, unlike you, I looked at the facts before shooting my mouth off.

Watch the play again. Welker was already in the grasp of a defender. If that’s not defenseless, then I don’t know what is.

Don’t put words in my mouth.
Brady was on the ground and defenseless, He raised his leg to keep from getting hammered by a defender, since the ravens love to lay into a guy when he’s already on the ground.
I know there’s a three syllable word in there, so, sorry if that’s beyond your comprehension.

 Welker?!? He was fined for the hit on Welker which was illegal and dirty. The one on Ridley was legal. Believe me I hate Pollard just as much as the next person but the NFL does not ever consider that hit illegal on a RB unless he is being used to catch the ball and hasn’t started to run down field. Receivers and QBs are the ones that rule was put in place for. The problem is it is hard to make a rule to protect running backs because they initiate a lot of the head to head contact.

Would you be this adamant if Pollard was the one hurt and not Ridley? Would you want Ridley flagged or fined every time he lowers his head and makes contact with another player’s helmet?

obviously you have not followed his carrer in New england for long ! Otherwise you would realize that he is probably the most prolific receiver in Pats history! Please stop making yourself sound like you dont have a clue,I dont have the time nor the desire to respond to such idiocracy!

$15,250????????  First of all, this is like fining one of us about $15.  What is the $250 part……..why not $15,275 or $15,225????  I would like to know how they arrive at such a ridiculous amount.  Minimum should be $25,000 and increase in $25,000 increments, a fine of this amount doesn’t even amount to a slap on the wrist, even the $10,000 to Brady…….really…….That amounts to about .10 cents to any of us.  BTW, Pollard really is a P.O.S.

I’d like the chance to hit you w/out pads & a bunch of muderous thugs backing you up. Your’e a punk that does not belong in this league.

Its football….stop crying over hits… You guys kill me, all of a sudden we r playing flag football? Please, tuck your skirts in, and become cheerleaders!

i hate the ravens. and ray lewis suxs and so does pollard patriots for life

Knock his block off…football is getting to soft.. I was just watching the ravens last run to a ring, most of the tackles back then would be bogus penalties now… It’s getting to out of hand… If the runner lowers his head it’s the tacklers job to take him down… Like the old saying if u can’t take the gay get your a## out the kitchen…

It is part of the game. All the ones complaining about this hit and the welker hit and the LEGAL(at the time)Brady hit are the exact same ones that complain that football’s gone soft. Can’t have it both ways. He got fined. Be happy with that.

 The league needs to step in and put further bans on certain hits.

Sure,it’s okay for you to play dirty and any other players but if it is a New England Patriot then it is considered cheating or unsportsman like….And the hit on Ridley surely should result in a fine…But as usual the odds/penalties/ are stacked against the Patriots-go figure

 ”cleated an opposing player”, are you efin kidding me?  Pollard tries to knock heads off.

Leading with your head is a penalty!?!  Seams like that’s what  he did to Ridley.

So Bowery…can we expect you to play next season?  Or are you just a tough guy behind a keyboard?

First off…this article is about a fine on Pollard for a hit on Welker..which is fitting and well deserved…Pollard is a punk and what goes around comes around, not for the Ridley hit.  Secondly…I’m a Patriots Fan through thick and thn and I have to admit…Ridley brought his hit on himself…if you actually watch the play you can see him lower his head into Pollard.  And to the moron who said he didn’t see Pollard hurting Brady or Gronk….watch the plays again..the hit to Brady is obvious..no need for explanation there  and you can see him twisting Gronks legs as they fall to the ground…he does this to everyone he tackles….he IS a dirty player.

Where in the Rulebooks did it ever say it was perfectly fine to launch with your helmet into the knees of an opposing player?

Please someone, preferably a pats player, do a take down leg twisting wrestling move on this c##k s#k#r and put him out of commission!

Why font you get a life head shots are as dirty as it gets

Funny how all you Pats fans squealed like 4 year olds when Jerod Mayo blew up Dennis Pitta with a shot to his head but whine like babies when Bernard Pollard did the same thing. You only wish the Pats had a guy as physical as Pollard. Like Rodney Harrison.

Good, the hit on Ridley was clean.  The hit on on Welker, not so much. 

You guys have convinced me. I’m buying his super bowl jersey.

Ed Reed and the ravens are known for hitting hard and I know the pats fans are used to seeing games against the jets and dolphins so I can see why you guys think the ravens are dirty. However, I have watched the ravens for years and rarely seen them do anything dirty after the play or drill a sliding quarterback.

Minus rg3 but ngata kind of fell on him and his leg was way up in the air, looked completely accidental to me. Plus, it was Ed Reed. That guy is a very respected player and Tom called him to apologize, stating that it was a heat of the moment thing.

No fine for the Ridley hit too? This guy, along with that woman beater, Suggs, and acquitted murderer turned reverend Ray “look at me” Lewis, are the exact type of thugs I thought Goodell was trying to eliminate. I have no problem with the brady fine, although I thik it was only issued as a response to the Ravens. Brady hurt noone but I can see the play as one that could be viewed as a potentially dangeous one. But no fine for a clear hit to the head which led to a concussed Ridley puzzles me.The Pats could use a few guys who intimidate receivers more, tho.

Its called wrapping up the legs. You do that when the hit fails to knock them down. Its called finishing the tackle. It is also called football, not two hand touch.

I watched the play to see what you pats fans were whining about. Gronk trucked through him and he wrapped up the legs. As he did so, his body fell on Gronks ankle in a nasty way. And when they hit the ground that thing you call dirty is a bounce. It’s called physics, bro. There wasn’t a second shooter on the grassy knoll in this play. Get over it.

 So, it’s okay for the Pats to have “thugs” on their roster but not other teams?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aqib_Talib

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/2013/01/18/nebraska-trial-scheduled-for-patriots-dennard/NSHc9PAQtHtGPUdA0817ZN/story.html

No team has a monopoly on good or bad behavior off the field.  Pollard is model citizen off the field, on the field he’s the type of player the Patriots used to celebrate.

The heir to Jack the (Assassin) Tatum.  He doesn’t just try to tackle, he hit Reggie Wayne helmet to helmet when they played the Colts in the Wild Card game.

You make it sound like Pollard “just fell on Gronk’s Legs” when that is not so….try watching it again….this time take your blinders off…and then watch the video of him hitting Brady’s knee….then watch the play on Welker…He is a punk head hunter…no way you can deny it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Lewis
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonio_Cromartie

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terrell_Suggs

There are either Thugs or guys who can’t keep it in their pants all over the league Hal..so what’s your point?

My point is that judging by the comments here, one would think the Patriots only sign choir boys.  Talib has a rap sheet a mile long.  Kraft & Belichik knew that before they brought him to Foxborough.  Is that “The Patriot Way”? 

Dennard is in the middle of an assault trial where he’s accused of assaulting a cop. 

And Pats fan is okay with them. 

But every other team is made up of “thugs”?  Spare me your hypocrisy. 

And I also said that Pollard (unlike Talib & Dennard) is a model citizen off the field.  Do you have evidence to the contrary? 

Pollar is a punk head hunter. He intentionally tries to hurt players and everyone, including the commish, knows it. It’s one thing to play hard and hit hard. It’s another to try to end careers of players. He’s nother more than a bounty player.

You guys play Cleveland twice a year and you’re insinuating that our schedule is soft? Don’t kid yourself, everyone in the NFL hits hard.
My opinion is derived from the fact that Ravens employ a criminal like Pollard and one or two others whose names I can’t remember, who always seem to be hitting late or guys like Thuggs who seem to enjoy really hammering a guy who’s already down, when a simple touching is all that’s required.

Read it again. What I said was in response to some knucklehead who said words to the effect that it was the offensive player’s responsibility if he took a hit to the head.
And, again, read the f in rule yourself. I included a link to the site that has them posted.
There is no exception to the helmet to helmet rule when a runner lowers his head. IT’S THE DEFENDERS RESPONSIBILITY TO NOT HIT HIM HELMET FIRST. PERIOD.
BTW, Your boy Pollard was fined $15,250 today, by the NFL for the very hit we’re discussing.

What was that again DBag? I guess you haven’t heard that the NFL fined your boy, pollard $15,250 today for that hit.
And don’t lecture me about “:getting my facts straight”. I never said anything about “a running back running down field defenseless”.
What I said was that once he’s in the grasp of defender(s) he is defenseless. That’s when your boy pollard likes to lay the wood.
So, it’s YOU who needs to get his facts straight, my friend.

I guess the NFL’s fine against pollard today establishes your credentials an ignorant POS, then, doesn’t it? Moron.

Welker is the hit I was talking about. I don’t even remember the hit on Ridley.

You’re absolutely right $10,000 even $20,000 is pocket change to these guys. I’m sure they spend that much in one night in a “club”

Brady’s slide WAS fined….

Neither does Ridley

I think you are totally wrong to judge people’s comments they way you have.  People are not discussing the personal lives of the playes…they are discussing what is happening on the field.  When you talk about what is happening on the field you are talking about the person as a player…no need to bring their personal lives into this…what they do in their personal lives shouldn’t matter to you or anyone else…as long as they play the game.  In this case….Pollard is a cheap shot artist…plain and simple as that.

Actually unclealfie..he was fined for the hit on Welker.

Says the guy who posted a link about Cromartie’s personal life. Thanks for making my point.

Pollard is a goon plain and simple…in the despicable tradition of Jack Tatum…he plays the game to inflict career-ending injuries on his opponents.  Surprised after all the cheap shot hits he’s delivered that an offensive lineman or tight end hasn’t put a “personal foul” (assault) late hit on him while he was defenseless.  Being a Pats fan, I realize Rodney Harrison did the same, as does Polamalu now…it’s all bad, assault…not football.

Pats offseason Predictions 2.0 Sign Free Agents Wes Welker,Michael Bennett DE Tampa Bay, Chris Houston
CB Lions, Gosder Cherilus OT Lions and Brian Harline WR Miami.
Draft 1 Trade for 2-4, 2 Trade for 3-5, 2nd round pick Eric Reid A LSU,3 Robert Woods WR USC,3 Alvin Bailey
G Arkansas,4 Chase Thomas LB/DE Stanford 5 Jordan Hill DT Penn State 7 BW Webb CB William&Mary
7 Conner Vernon WR Duke.

Says the guy who said that Patriots players are punks…when my point is leave your trash talk about the play on the field….I posted about Cromartie to show your comment was arrogant to say that Pats players are the only ones who have troubled lives.  Bottom line…leave ALL of the players personal lives out of this…it’s Football..not Days of Our Lives

This is a joke right? How many patriot injuries have been a result of Pollard “despicable actions”?

It’s not pollard fault or the ravens for that matter that you play soft in a soft divison. Pollard hit Welker hard and he immediately dropped a pass meanwhile Pitta got walloped by Mayo and preceded to catch a touchdown on the next play.

Pats fans need to stop whining and get tougher players.  

Oh btw, I always get a kick when I hear the thug/goon label given to black players who play close to the edge. While white players like Lynch are called “dirty” instead.

Could you guys be anymore overtly racist?

Agree on Ridley and Brady, there was an added twist on Gronk that was marginal, and the helmet to helmet on Welker is currently against the rules.