The JuJu Smith-Schuster suspension highlights the NFL and Roger Goodell’s inconsistency, hypocrisy and blatant double standards.
For his illegal block on linebacker Vontaze Burfict, along with his subsequent taunting penalty in the Steelers 23-20 victory over the Bengals Monday night, rookie receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster has been suspended for the upcoming game against the Ravens.
Other notable suspensions this week have also been of the one-game variety, and they’ve been handed down to Bengals safety George Iloka for his helmet-to-helmet hit on Steelers receiver Antonio Brown during the game-tying touchdown late in the fourth quarter; and to Patriots superstar tight end Rob Gronkowski for his flagrant elbow to the back of the head of Bills defenseless defensive back Tre’Davious White on Sunday.
But hold the presses!
- It was reported on Wednesday that, upon appeal, Iloka’s suspension has been reduced to a mere $36,000 fine, and he won’t miss any time for his hit on Brown.
Obviously, Smith-Schuster’s appeal on Tuesday was heard, but the suspension was quickly upheld, which begs the question: Does the NFL think an act as blatant as Gronkowski’s–one that could be seen as downright criminal–is the same as Smith-Schuster’s super-aggressive block, which has been considered by many people to be just a tough football play?
Yes, as you can see there was contact to Burfict’s head, which may have actually been what drew the initial penalty:
But you can also see there was even more contact to Brown’s head, and, as I just stated, Iloka’s suspension has been reduced to a fine:
https://twitter.com/RNBWCV/status/937994057489534976
(Momentary aside: Notice that the JuJu’s hit on Burfict is embedable but we had to find go to someone’s Twitter feed from outside the US to get an embedable video of the hit on Brown. Kinda sorta like you videos of the helmet-to-helmet hit that James Harrison took in 2011, the one that broke his orbital bone got taken down from YouTube fast, while the NFL YouTube police let his hit on Colt McCoy stay up for a long time.)
- You might say, “But Smith-Schuster also stood over Burfict and taunted him after the hit.”
OK, fine, but is that as bad as intentionally elbowing a totally prone and defenseless player in the back of the head, simply because you were angry that he held you right before intercepting a pass from Tom Brady?
- Immediately after the hit, White was put in concussion protocol.
Smith-Schuster’s and Iloka’s fouls were football plays; Gronkowski’s was akin to a heel wrestler hitting someone in the back of the head with a folding chair.
- And this is why so many people think the NFL front-office is a joke.
If you want to suspend Smith-Schuster for what he did, fine (although, for a rookie receiver to draw a one-game suspension for that is like putting a kid in jail for six months for underage drinking), but then you should have also upheld Iloka’s suspension.
- And if you want to suspend both of those players for a game, shouldn’t the superstar tight end get at least two (if not more)?
What message are you sending, when you claim to be a league that cares about head injuries, but you’re going to treat a football act the same as, again, a criminal act?
- It makes no sense, but, then again, it is the NFL, and not much the league does these days makes any sense.
The 10-2 Steelers head into a potential division-clinching match-up Sunday night without one of their best young players, while the 5-7 Bengals will head into their Week 14 match-up with their starting safety.
Seems about right.
