Video: The obligatory “skull-rattling hit that almost broke Willis McGahee’s neck” clip
posted at 11:55 am on January 19, 2009 by Allahpundit
One of the most vicious collisions you’ll ever see, posted here because I know most of you watched the game and are wondering how he’s doing. Miraculously, despite “significant” neck pain, he’s “neurogically intact” with movement in all his limbs. No diagnosis yet but presumably it’s whiplash and/or a concussion.
So brutal was this that, after watching the replay, I was hoping he was “merely” paralyzed and not actually dead on the field. Click the image to watch.
Blowback
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Dirty hit. Leading with the head like a missile. No effort whatsoever to wrap up with the arms. Who teaches these kids to tackle?
tommylotto on January 19, 2009 at 11:59 AM
Man, that hit freaked me out. I hope McGahee gets well soon.
El_Terrible on January 19, 2009 at 11:59 AM
I’m so glad he’s not paralyzed. I was very happy to see movement as he was lying there.
jgapinoy on January 19, 2009 at 12:00 PM
Wasn’t dirty, Clark used his shoulder; he wasn’t lined up like a missile, head first.
Still, I thought the hit Sweed delivered earlier in the game was more brutal than this one.
Bishop on January 19, 2009 at 12:01 PM
I thought for sure they both broke their necks. One thing they didn’t mention…that fumble cost Baltimore the game.
stonemeister on January 19, 2009 at 12:01 PM
helmet to helmet is ‘legal’ down the field. Not a dirty hit.
Chubbs65 on January 19, 2009 at 12:01 PM
Actually, he tried to lead with his shoulder, but McGahee approached him at an unexpected angle, IMHO.
jgapinoy on January 19, 2009 at 12:01 PM
Dude.
Dr.Cwac.Cwac on January 19, 2009 at 12:03 PM
Not dirty, but not recommended by the league, so Clark’s getting fined for it anyway, based on previous actions handed down this season and in the past by the commissioner’s office.
jon1979 on January 19, 2009 at 12:04 PM
Pffft, legal or not, it’s what the Steelers do. They do their damned best to knock the hell out of anyone they can.
SouthernDem on January 19, 2009 at 12:04 PM
I have no use for football any longer because this sort of thing is glorified. If the outcome of a football game actually meant something in the greater scheme of things, it might be different.
TedInATL on January 19, 2009 at 12:06 PM
It wasn’t dirty. Both tried to put their heads down and met anyway. It wasn’t even that bad a hit, just exactly the right angle and spot.
Rocks on January 19, 2009 at 12:07 PM
I didn’t see it as dirty. It looked like he lowered his head and turned to his left in order to lead with his shoulder. Unfortunately, McGahee did the same and they ended up hitting helmet to helmet.
JeffC_95 on January 19, 2009 at 12:07 PM
Helmet to helmet, body slamming, blindsiding or any intentional effort to inflict injury should be outlawed. Nothing wrong with hard hits, but that guy was brutally blindsided.
That being said, the Arizona Eagles game was MUCH better.
Arizona by 7 over the Steelers.
Charles Martel on January 19, 2009 at 12:07 PM
Clean hit. Clark is a hard hitter. Wish the Giants kept him. Having said that, by the initial reaction of players on both teams I feared for his life. A guy like McGahee, who’s overcome a lot just to play in the league, might want to consider his well being and call it a career. I’d be very skittish getting back out there after a hit like that.
I bet Clark can’t count to five today either. He was also out cold for a few seconds.
JammieWearingFool on January 19, 2009 at 12:08 PM
Dude.
My neck hurts after watching that.
MadisonConservative on January 19, 2009 at 12:09 PM
Im glad to hear that the injury isnt as serious as it couldve been. That was such a downright vicious hit!
Anyone else ever have luck sending in tips? Ive sent several before and they are never posted.
Could someone send this tip in for a story?
http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/MoneyTrail/story?id=6680531&page=1
Ill send it but perhaps the more the better. This is just something that, as usual, most people will not hear about.
bucsox79 on January 19, 2009 at 12:10 PM
That was like a Romanowski hit. Glad he’ll recover. Ouch.
scalleywag on January 19, 2009 at 12:10 PM
Hit looks clean, led with his shoulder, though helmets inevitably collided b/c of momentum.
The Eagles hit Warner dirty yesterday though. No class.
Spirit of 1776 on January 19, 2009 at 12:11 PM
mcgahee always gets hurt in big games.
lorien1973 on January 19, 2009 at 12:11 PM
Did you watch the clip?
If you want blindsided cheapshots, what about what Quinton Demps did to Kurt Warner? He should have been ejected.
JammieWearingFool on January 19, 2009 at 12:11 PM
I like watching football. However, FOX Sports is making it all most unwatchable with all the commercials. I was impressed with CBS Sports because they stayed with this story and didn’t cut immediately to 10 idiotic commercials!
sabbott on January 19, 2009 at 12:11 PM
Have any of you actually played the game past Pee-wee league? It wasn’t a “dirty” hit and if you don’t think that those guys aren’t trying to knock each other out of their shoes, you’re delusional. This is called “smash-mouth” football.
Wyznowski on January 19, 2009 at 12:12 PM
Ouch. Reminds me of Darryl Stingley.
Carl in Jerusalem on January 19, 2009 at 12:12 PM
Looked like a clean hit, just one of those things that can happen on the field. I found it ironic an atheist would use the term “miraculously”. Very supernatural of you AP.
Centurion68 on January 19, 2009 at 12:13 PM
No lie there.
BallisticBob on January 19, 2009 at 12:13 PM
Man I felt that sitting in my chair. I don’t think it was a dirty hit, he led with his shoulder. I will say players seem to be much more aggressive with the tackling techniques these day. Why wrap em up when you can lay em out? That seems to be typical Pittsburgh D and as long as they have defenders willing to sacrifice themselves like that they will have a defense that makes you think twice about coming over the middle.
Hammerhead on January 19, 2009 at 12:16 PM
It looks like you are in the minority here – I didn’t see it as a dirty hit either, Clark led with his shoulder and McGahee turned his head just a tad to the right. It was imperfect timing.
No effort to wrap up with the arms? Clark wanted to dislodge the ball. And if he couldn’t dislodge it he would give McGahee something to think about when he was going for the next one.
I have to say, I have little sympathy to what happens to the Ravens on or off the field. Karma can bite you.
JeffinOrlando on January 19, 2009 at 12:16 PM
I believe the appropriate Maddenism would be “Boom! He’s on his back!”
Blacklake on January 19, 2009 at 12:16 PM
THIS.
Expecting it not to happen from time to time with the type of game this is, with 300+ linemen is foolish. Fortunately the trainers are now trained for this eventuality and unless the guy is instantly dead (like poor Utley of the Lions) they can do a lot to keep people from getting paralyzed or dying.
Even though the guy was moving and conscious the thing that told me this was a really really bad thing was the length of time they took in moving him (had to get him completely immobilized) and the fact that his teammates (equally hulking grown men) were all in tears or praying.
MargaretMN on January 19, 2009 at 12:19 PM
I saw Danny Peebles. who played for the Browns, have his career ended by a similar hit at the Astrodome back in ’92 or’93. His spinal cord was bruised, but he recovered.
Both incidents were clean hits.
oddball on January 19, 2009 at 12:20 PM
After watching this clip, I agree with Jeff—–too little time, while both players attempted to protect themselves.
With all due respect Allah, you didn’t watch much Jack Tatum football.
Rovin on January 19, 2009 at 12:21 PM
Dennis Byrd, Mike Utley, Kevin Everitt: NFL players all paralyzed either permanently or severly handicapped. It’s a violent game, folks, and those three were all injured on innocuous plays, not vicious collisions like this one.
The notion, as someone mentioned above, that blindsided hits be outlawed is idiocy. Why not just make it flag football?
I haven’t played organized ball since college in the mid 80s and still feel pain. It never goes away. I first had a neck injury in 1984 and still have problems.
Ankle pain, knee pain, shoulder pain, back pain, you name it. It sucks. But if I could suit up today and still smash someone I’d do it.
JammieWearingFool on January 19, 2009 at 12:21 PM
And it’s a word that’s used way too often. In this case, McGahee not being paralyzed can certainly be naturally explained, so it’s not a miracle.
jgapinoy on January 19, 2009 at 12:22 PM
Pffft, legal or not, it’s what the Steelers do. They do their damned best to knock the hell out of anyone they can.
Wait, what? In pro football? Come on now, I thought they were supposed to grab the flag off the other guy’s belt?
Bishop on January 19, 2009 at 12:22 PM
Thank God he’s not paralyzed. I was hopeful when I saw him move his arms. Thanks for the follow-up.
Texas Gal on January 19, 2009 at 12:24 PM
JammieWearingFool on January 19, 2009 at 12:21 PM
What are you, the Last Boyscout?
Bishop on January 19, 2009 at 12:24 PM
All of the testosterone on this board makes a girl…well..umm..giddy.
Prrrr.
smartsy on January 19, 2009 at 12:24 PM
With the decades of constant pain, you’d play again? I can understand why the multimillionaire NFL players do it, but why would you? Just curious.
jgapinoy on January 19, 2009 at 12:25 PM
He now has a totally spotless timepeice. ‘Cause he definitely got his clock cleaned.
Mazztek on January 19, 2009 at 12:25 PM
The perfect hits result is imperfect…
right2bright on January 19, 2009 at 12:26 PM
WWF is on now, isn’t it?
jgapinoy on January 19, 2009 at 12:29 PM
Why wasn’t the frigid weather ever mentioned? Not once during the broadcast was the temp or windchill mentioned. Isn’t that ALWAYS brought up to “set the stage” and bring in another element of interest? ALWAYS. I’ve noticed this trend on other News shows and GMA, and Today. They almost cringe when they have to say it’s cold. Global warming freaks.
marklmail on January 19, 2009 at 12:31 PM
I guess I should qualify that: If I were relatively pain-free I’d love to do it. I’m still active and play some other sports, but recovery time is a lot longer. I have a very good sports therapist and am still in good shape. I’m by no means totally debilitated.
I’ve met a lot of former NFL guys who are in really rough shape physically.
JammieWearingFool on January 19, 2009 at 12:31 PM
Joe Theisman is the hit to end all hits in football. This is just a normal hit, with bad results.
lorien1973 on January 19, 2009 at 12:31 PM
You must be a Ravens or old-time Raiders fan. The Steelers play tough defense, but not dirty. Okay, Ward may be the exception. He comes the closest to “dirty” for the Steelers.
conservative pilgrim on January 19, 2009 at 12:32 PM
Oh and speaking of dirty hits, the one that Drayton Florence took at Matt Schaub last season was intentional and he only got a $15K fine for it. He should have been suspended.
Just sayin’
Texas Gal on January 19, 2009 at 12:32 PM
A testament to the durability of well-trained, well-equipped athletes; nearly any of the rest of us would be in the coffin. It also gave a moment to reflect past the minor competition on the field; minor in relation to our concern for each others as human beings.
Hopefully, Willis will recover quickly.
michaelo on January 19, 2009 at 12:33 PM
Geez. What do you expect when you get a bunch of 300+ pound lugs of testosterone who get paid millions of dollars to throw their bodies in front and on top of each other? There was nothing dirty about it. It’s part of the game.
Glad McGahee will be ok — It definitely sucked the good vibe out of the air where I was watching the game. And I was in Pittsburgh.
patriette on January 19, 2009 at 12:34 PM
I wish we had comparative data on the number of permanent neurological injuries which occured before hard shell helments replaced the old leather type. I’ve felt for some time that present safety features touted in present headgear actually are conducive to more injuries because of the “weaponizing” effect and the sense of total protection which creates the kind of no holds barred hit demonstrated in the video. I wonder if rugby has the same level of head and spinal injuries, although I have some vague sense that rugby tackling is more restricted by rules.
a capella on January 19, 2009 at 12:36 PM
This hit is indicative of the intensity of this rivalry. I think the Steelers amp it up when they play the Ravens. But the Ravens are the new Raiders–they play dirty. It’s all they have anyway since their offense is nothing.
The longer MacGahee laid there with his hands straight up, I thought for sure he was paralyzed. “Neurologically intact” is good news. That was an intense hit. It looked to me that Clark went helmet to helmet, but that was in real time. I hate watching the re-plays on those things.
I told my husband (yes I am a she and I love football and sports in general) that it looked like a Gladiator fight. Each team was trying to take out, i.e., eliminate, as many players as they could. They tried repeatedly on Ben but, thankfully, to no avail.
conservative pilgrim on January 19, 2009 at 12:38 PM
That’s the very same hit he put on Wes Welker up in New England earlier this year. It’s dirty, and cheap, and pretty typical of the Squealers. They are in for a very rude awakening after the Superbowl. Apparently their former Team Doctor left in a hurry after it was discovered he was purchasing large quantities of HGH. The Doctor won’t talk about it, and has lawyered up.
Apparently those Superbowl rings they have are tainted too…. what goes around comes around, and couldn’t happen to a better team.
Payback is a beyatch.
AW1 Tim on January 19, 2009 at 12:40 PM
While Theisman’s leg-snap was indeed ugly lorien, Dick Butkus broke more bones, (that weren’t his), than any player in football.
Rovin on January 19, 2009 at 12:41 PM
What more can be done with sports equipment to protect the players? It seems like someone gets carried off the field in every game. Players are bigger and faster than ever – to the point that even the clean hits are dangerous.
RightOFLeft on January 19, 2009 at 12:44 PM
happens 20 times a night in the NHL
wildweasel on January 19, 2009 at 12:47 PM
That hit was total legitimate. It was just brutal. When you have two guys going at one antother full speed, that is what you get.
Mr. Joe on January 19, 2009 at 12:47 PM
What really annoyed me about that game is the Giants let Jay Schroeder come in and beat them.
They got payback for that in the championship game the next season.
JammieWearingFool on January 19, 2009 at 12:48 PM
The nation can’t afford these distractions.
Spirit of 1776 on January 19, 2009 at 12:49 PM
Sometimes vicious hits do cause serious injury and I’m glad that in this case they’ll both recover, but what you said about innocuous plays is definitely true. A few years ago a kid in my town was paralyzed from the chest down on an innocuous play in a high school football game. He went out to block, fell while he was making the block, the other player’s knee went into his helmet and it twisted the helmet just enough to cause catastrophic injury. He has just enough use of his hands to operate his motorized wheelchair, and that’s it.
meltenn on January 19, 2009 at 12:49 PM
It didn’t look like a dirty hit to me when I saw it happen. It looked like he lead with him shoulder. It’s just an example of what can happen. But I do think that there needs to be more penalty for those who do take dirty hits and its clearly what they are. Like the one on Schaub by Florence. He puts out our 1st string QB for the rest of the season with a concussion and could have taken his career away .. and Florence gets a $15K fine? That’s not right.
Texas Gal on January 19, 2009 at 12:49 PM
That is the argument Rugby makes for no equipment (other than tape and cleats). While Rugby has some pretty tough hits and violence too, the injuries tend to be less severe. The reason being helmets and shoulder pads encourage bone crushing hits on areas that cannot be protected, like necks and especially knees.
Mr. Joe on January 19, 2009 at 12:50 PM
Are you ready for some football?
juanito on January 19, 2009 at 12:50 PM
Forgive my non-football-watching ignorance here, boys, but isn’t this kinda the POINT of football? It’s our modern gladiator games, isn’t it? Brutal, violent, winner-take-all shows of strength and skill? Yes, we’re more civilized than the ancient Romans and don’t root for the deaths of our gladiators, but it’s essentially the same human instinct that draws us to such contests. We want to see armored fighters clash like battering rams. There seems to be a fine line between “legal” plays and “dirty” moves to me. Simply put, it’s dangerous to put on a helmet and charge around a field with a bunch of other 200-300 lb behemoths pumped up with testosterone and steroids, all out to get you. Duh.
aero on January 19, 2009 at 12:51 PM
Oh, and again from a non-football-watching observer’s point of view, that video was not nearly as hard to watch as the video of a few years ago of some guy’s leg snapping like a twig.
aero on January 19, 2009 at 12:54 PM
Game was more or less over when it happened. Frankly I don’t see the hit as dirty, just a nasty physics example. This was nowhere near as dirty as the Steelers purposely snapping Carson Palmer’s leg in the playoffs because they knew they couldn’t beat the Bengals that year.
LevStrauss on January 19, 2009 at 12:55 PM
I was really impressed with how supportive and kind the Pittsburgh fans and players were, but not surprised. All the commentators talk about rivalry, but Pittsburgh and Baltimore have more in common with each other than with these jabbering fools. It was a well deserved win, and I’ll be pulling for
youyous in the Superbowl;)Laura in Maryland on January 19, 2009 at 12:56 PM
Here’s the other shot that I thought was probably one of the most vicious hits of the game, let alone the entire year.
As some were saying though, the “winner”, is the one who hits the hardest. It was a perfectly clean hit. If you look at it again, realizing that McGahee lowered his head just before impact.
That’s football for you, pure Smash-Mouth football at its best. It’s hard to imagine the Cardinals beating Pittsburgh :-)
HarryStar on January 19, 2009 at 12:56 PM
The public pays to see hits like that. It’s a supply and demand thingy. Similar but not exactly like NASCAR fans claiming they just like to watch fast cars go round and round and turn their faces away when there is an accident. Hockey fans always boycott out of disgust when there is too much fighting and replay of a batter charging the mound after a brushback, with benches emptying, never makes the headlines. Dogfighting is still popular.
Our similarities to ancient Rome didn’t just start with Barney Frank and Chris Dodd.
a capella on January 19, 2009 at 12:58 PM
You beat me to it.
a capella on January 19, 2009 at 1:00 PM
Holy cow. It didn’t really look that bad until the last replay, where you can see how squarely their heads hit. I’m surprised he’s not paralyzed.
Tanya on January 19, 2009 at 1:01 PM
As a football lover (and a boxing fan as well) let me be the first to admit that you do have a point. As you said, it’s a basic human instinct. And while we tell ourselves we are above watching people kill each other for real (as with gladiatorial games), we get plenty of that through TV violence.
And lest anyone think I’m moralizing here, I’m not – just making an observation about basic human nature. We love to watch violence.
Tool has a great song about this very idea. Video here. Lyrics here.
thirteen28 on January 19, 2009 at 1:01 PM
that fumble cost Baltimore the game.
stonemeister on January 19, 2009 at 12:01 PM
The Ravens cost the Ravens the game. All the talk I heard about their rookie QB? I wasn’t impressed. He definately showed he was a rookie yesterday.
This game had a few momnets, but neither team seemed to want to win it. Maybe it was the cold? There were some good hits in this game though.
The Cards and Eagles game was much more fun to watch. That hit on Warner was a cheap shot. JWF is right – shoulda ejected that moron. The Eagles are that way though, they get frustrated, they get stupid.
catmman on January 19, 2009 at 1:10 PM
FIFY
IMHO I think Ronnie Lott was one of the most hard hitting and best Free Safety’s evah! I was at a 49er game when they were playing the then St. Louis Cardinals, one of their receivers (can’t remember the players name) caught a long pass down the sideline that looked like it was going to go all the way until Lott came all the way from across the field and teed-off on him going full speed! I was in the nose-bleed seats and could hear the “crack” of the hit as if I were at field level.
The Cardinal player laid motionless, they cut to commercial, he’s still out when thy come back and went to commerical again. The player wasn’t paralysed but had a hell of a concussioning and probably didn’t know what day it was or where he was as he was carted off.
Also, the hit was perfectly legal and it looked as though both players were trying to avoid helmet to helmet but it didn’t work out that way, and hey, football is a full contact sport after all!
Liberty or Death on January 19, 2009 at 1:15 PM
Me too. Bread and Circuses indeed.
warbaby on January 19, 2009 at 1:15 PM
Must be lots of Steelers fans here. He was definitely head-hunting. Does it matter if he was leading with his head or his shoulder? LOL
reaganaut on January 19, 2009 at 1:19 PM
Kinda surprised you can stand the locker room smell, though…
philwynk on January 19, 2009 at 1:22 PM
First look to me was leading with the helmet. personally, I think it was dirty, but that’s just me. And I’ve absolutely NO love for the Ravens.
todler on January 19, 2009 at 1:22 PM
Those who are concerned about the viciousness of the hit need to hear from a few of us old-timers, who remember back when Al Davis backed George Atkinson of the Oakland Raiders in suing Chuck Noll of the Steelers for defamation of character.
It seems Atkinson decked Lynn Swann of the Steelers with cheap karate-like arm shots to the back of the neck, causing unconsciousness and concussions on two separate occasions. After the second incident, Noll noted in a press conference that the league needed to do something about the “criminal element” in the NFL.
Atkinson sued Noll, which led to a trial during which attorneys for the Raiders showed Noll, who was on the stand and under oath, film of his own players (notably Mel Blount) taking similar shots at other players, and Noll admitting that some of the Steelers probably fit the description of “criminal element” as well. Blount got so ticked off that he missed most of the next season’s training. It was a circus.
If you don’t recall, or you’re too young, you can read about it here.
The modern NFL is nowhere near as rough as it used to be. The rules prevent a lot of really cheap shots that used to be routine.
philwynk on January 19, 2009 at 1:34 PM
http://www.nfl.com/videos?videoId=09000d5d80e352f2
That one looks even worse tbh though I don’t consider either to be illegal or dirty.
bj1126 on January 19, 2009 at 1:34 PM
I think it’s about the same. You’re point on the cheap shots is valid, but the athletes playing the game today are much bigger, much stronger, and much faster.
thirteen28 on January 19, 2009 at 1:38 PM
Yes, dirty hit! The Steelers do a lot of helmut first strikes and get a pass. This did cost the Ravins the game as they had the momentum until this.
wepeople on January 19, 2009 at 1:39 PM
you know, when I saw it last night I thought he was dead too. heard he was discharged this afternoon, thank God.
Willie on January 19, 2009 at 1:39 PM
Ravens that is!
wepeople on January 19, 2009 at 1:39 PM
You guy who don’t think it was dirty are jaded. His head was down. He was not looking where he was going. He lowered his head and launched himself helmet first at the general vicinity of McGehee’s head.
If he was intending to impact with the shoulder, why lower the head? Wouldn’t it be better to keep your head up to see if McGehee makes a move? You guys are jaded because approximately 90% of tackles by defensive backs are made in this Tyrannosaurus Rex armless missile fashion. Did Dieon Sanders ever wrap anyone up?
tommylotto on January 19, 2009 at 1:48 PM
From the behind camera, it looks like he led with his shoulder; watching from the side view you can see Clark lowered his head just before he hit; he was bracing for it. It was a dirty hit. It should have been called as helmet to helmet last night. Love those hometown refs.
austinnelly on January 19, 2009 at 1:48 PM
Glad he’s okay.
Mojave Mark on January 19, 2009 at 1:52 PM
glad he’ll be ok. That was a car wreck. I was glad he wasn’t dead. The next play was like everyone was walking on eggshells but ittsburg didn’t let that go on too long. I knew those guys would be at war on that field.
johnnyU on January 19, 2009 at 1:55 PM
He was blindsided from the front? It was a nasty hit, but it wasn’t dirty.
Pablo on January 19, 2009 at 2:03 PM
Got it out of your system ladies? Now, go back and read my comment again in the context that I approve of how hard they hit. It’s what defensive players are supposed to do.
So I’ll clarify: Though I hate the Steelers, that was a clean hit.
SouthernDem on January 19, 2009 at 2:04 PM
Somebody who’s actually played the position can say better than I, but I suspect that if you’re a 210-lb. defensive back, when you’re charging across the field from another position and attempting to bring down a 250-lb. back running full speed, if you attempt to wrap him up with your arms you’re just asking for a separated shoulder. I suspect it cannot be done, and that the only way to bring a man down in those circumstances is to knock his pins out from under him. That, unless I’m mistaken, is why defensive backs don’t try to wrap up running backs, but rather launch themselves at their feet or attempt to shove them out of bounds.
In this particular case, it’s clear that Clark attempted to go in shoulder-first. What’s not clear is why he was still upright when he was so close to McGahee. I would have thought he’d have been near the ground and going for his feet. It’s almost as though Clark was surprised when the ball went to McGahee, and didn’t really have time to react to it.
Anybody have a wider view, or understand this better than I do?
philwynk on January 19, 2009 at 2:14 PM
I understand your thinking – I suspect you never played football past Pop-Warner – if you did – you would realize that this hit was 100% legitimate. It’s football – not footsey-ball.
Again – I understand your mind set.
jake-the-goose on January 19, 2009 at 2:20 PM
Worst. Commenters. Ever.
rhodeymark on January 19, 2009 at 2:24 PM
It was a clean hit. You can clearly see that Clark himself was pretty well shaken after that hit.
Be that as it may, McGahee took that hit like a man. I sincerely hope it doesn’t affect his career. Hopefully he will return next season, pain-free and ready to go. My prayers go out to this guy and his family.
leetpriest on January 19, 2009 at 2:27 PM
Man. . . I love football!
King of the Britons on January 19, 2009 at 2:29 PM
Up until that moment in the game, I was very angry at the level of play and play calling by the Ravens. After that hit, all things regained perspective. It’s just a game and that players health takes precedence over any Super Bowel appearance.
I am very grateful that he will recover. Hopefully, he will be able to continue to play the game he loves at the same level as before the injury.
Zaire67 on January 19, 2009 at 2:30 PM
Man, McGahee’s head popped up like a Rock ‘em, Sock ‘em Robot.
TinMan13 on January 19, 2009 at 2:36 PM
This is NOT a “hockey fight”, which is NOT a part of hockey, or charging of the mound. THIS is (and was) Football. Look at the hit Frank Gifford took years ago from Chuck Bednarik, THE HARDEST HIT EVER.
This is NOT what people pay to see. They want to see a great game played. Football is a game of will power, NOT of PC TV viewers.
The hit that you saw above was NOT the only hard hit throughout the game. That IS the game!!!!!!
The New York Giants did it last year against the Patriots and the Giants had them do it in 2000 when the Ravens beat the NY Giants.
The comment that it’s a “supply and demand thing” is totally ridiculous!!!! The game prior with the Cardinals and Eagles was just as entertaining and exciting as this game yet you probably couldn’t point out as many hard hits as these two teams put together.
HarryStar on January 19, 2009 at 2:42 PM
I agree with you. Football is a full contact sport. There is never a legal purpose in baseball or hockey to put a person’s body on the ground.
A capella, when I buy football tickets, I always purchase them to see a show of athleticism, speed, strength, agility, and raw power, this is the essence of football. Just because it’s a full contact sport doesn’t mean that I pay to see dudes beat the hell out of each other. If I wanted to watch that, I’d buy tickets to UFC.
leetpriest on January 19, 2009 at 2:51 PM
Well now we know allah’s never played a contact sport.
peacenprosperity on January 19, 2009 at 2:51 PM
Whatever. Find me one single NASCAR, NHRA, Indy or F1 fan that says they watch it for the crashes. Yeah, the crashes are exciting sometimes, boring mostly (they take forever to clean up), and occasionally terrifying, but: We watch it because we like racing.
SouthernDem on January 19, 2009 at 2:52 PM
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