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| Antonio Brown dazed after receiving an illegal hit by Vontaze Burfict at the end of the play. |
Professional
football gives the fans a game full of strategy and superb athletic skill. The men devote much of their adult lives to
being the best football players they can be even though so many retire from the
game with chronic injuries that will seriously affect their quality of life for
the rest of their days, causing even premature death later. Ben Roethlisberger, for example, has had many
injuries…….knee, ankle, foot, shoulder, multiple concussions, etc. This season four injuries knocked him out of
games. These players are beat up for life. Jerome Bettis, the Steelers Hall of Fame
running back, could hardly make it up and down the steps of his home the day
after a game. This weekly battering over
5, 10, even 15 years takes a toll on the body.
Too often fans look
upon these football players as gladiators rather than skilled
athletes. They love to see a good hit
even if it takes a player out of the game.
In the Steelers – Bengals Wild Card Playoff game of January 9 it was a war
of attrition. Entering the game, the
Bengals played without their starting quarterback, Tight End, and Defensive
Tackle. During the game Cincinnati’s
stellar safety Reggie Nelson was the first Bengal injured. Cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick followed him to
the sideline; then defensive tackle Domata Peko; later running back Giovanni Bernard suffered a concussion on
a very questionable high hit by Ohio State alum Ryan Shazier of the Steelers; and
finally Jeremy Hill was injured, who had previously put Cincinnati on the scoreboard a
minute into the fourth quarter.
The Steelers entered the game without their two top running backs, their All-Pro Center, and a starting offensive lineman among others.
Towards
the end of the 3rd Quarter, the Steelers were ahead 15 – 0. The Defensive Back, Vontaze Burfict sacked Roethlisberger, apparently driving his knee into his shoulder while already down to put Big Ben out of the game with a severe shoulder injury. Numerous bloodthirsty
Bengal fans cheered and jeered at the Steeler quarterback being knocked out of
the game and taken to the dressing room, even throwing debris……very reminiscent
of the gladiators and their fans in the Colosseum of ancient Rome.
The Steelers entered the game without their two top running backs, their All-Pro Center, and a starting offensive lineman among others.
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| Ben Roethlisberger being carted off the field. |
Previously, after a couple of good blocks by Steeler Offensive Guard David De Castro ended up in a wrestling match, Burfict threatened in gangster style: “Watch your knees” and spit in his face. Then came the Steeler meltdown as Cincinnati rallied to go ahead 16–15. With less than two minutes left in the game Burfict intercepted a pass from Landry Jones, the backup quarterback, that apparently put the game away. All the Bengals had to do was hold onto the ball.
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| Bengal linebacker Voltaze Burfit (55) closing in on the head of Antonio Brown (84) after the play was over (an incomplete pass) to knock him out of the game and the next playoff game with Denver for a severe concussion (see http://sports.yahoo.com/news/steelers-bengals-clash-results-83-665-fines-221946169--nfl.html). |
Steeler linebacker Ryan Shazier forced a fumble by Jeremy Hill and Pittsburgh had some
life. The injured Roethlisberger, only
able to throw short passes with his injured and very painful shoulder, completed
5 of 7 short passes. With 18 seconds
left, he threw a longer pass that was incomplete. With the play practically over and already
defensed by a teammate, Burfict (55) made a gratuitous late hit with his helmet and shoulder for no logical reason to the head of Antonio Brown, the Steeler star
receiver. That left Brown on the ground with
a concussion for a 15 yard penalty.
While the trainers were helping Brown off the field, there was some
trash talk as Adam "Pacman" Jones slugged or pushed Steeler Coach Joey Porter and
made contact with a referee for another 15 yard penalty, putting the Steelers
within easy field goal range to win the game 18 – 16 with only seconds
remaining.
Although
the Steelers advanced to the next round on the road to the Super Bowl, no
matter who had won the game, either team depleted by injuries, not to mention all of the bumps and bruises, would be at a
big disadvantage against the next round opponent who has a bye, thus well
rested with home field advantage. With a forced fumble, a sack, and a key
interception, Burfict quickly went from hero to goat, having initiated the
Cincinnati meltdown that will be remembered by both Steeler and Bengal fans for
as long as football is played.
Hopefully, some good will come out of this debacle.
Discipline on the Field.
Vontaze Burfict has a history of dirty play since he played for Arizona
State (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vontaze_Burfict).......sad because he has the potential to be a future Hall of Famer. Teams would not draft Burfict;
only the Cincinnati Bengals took a chance on him as they have done with other
problem players in the past. In
the November Steeler - Cincinnati game, Burfict knocked Steeler star running
back, Lavon Bell out of the game and the season. To add insult to injury he then celebrated. Thus in the three encounters he took out of games the three best
Steeler offensive players. In the December games Burfict was called for three unnecessary roughness penalties and severely
fined.
Clearly,
the Bengals self-destructed by their lack of discipline and loss of control in
violating the rules of fair play. In the
real game of life where eternity is at stake we so often self-destruct through
what is called sin in religious circles, i.e., serious violations of the rules of life, the 10
Commandments..….addictions to drugs, alcohol, tobacco, porn, gambling, sex outside of marriage, not to
mention out of control anger, selfishness, greed, abortion, etc. All
of this lead to worse problems as broken lives and families as well as failure
in life.
The
game of football should not be a battle of attrition between the Cincinnati
Convicts and the Pittsburgh Gladiators.
Football in some ways is reminiscent of a battle. Thus the military service academies have
football teams for the development of their cadets. However, even in war there are rules (the
Geneva Convention) although atrocities are sometimes committed. The knights of old fought with rules of
chivalry and decency.
Fans, coaches, and players must
realize that the objective is to win a game, not to harm the opponent physically
with
body counts of players knocked out of the game.
May coaches at all levels use this Steeler-Bengals playoff game as a
teaching tool and as an example of how undisciplined stupid play against the
rules and loss of control will hurt the team and cause it to lose. According to Matt Bokovitz, former head coach
of Gallia Academy and currently an assistant coach at Meigs High School, coaches must teach
and train the players of a very rough and physical sport to tackle and block in
the proper way without purposely hurting the opponent. There should be a zero tolerance on illegal
hits that can do bodily harm (eviction from the game as Joey Bosa of Ohio State in
the Notre Dame game) by both coaches and referees on targeting or dirty play
which destroys the basic justification for student athletics. That is to play hard, but also to play
fair. If not, there will be more career
ending injuries and kids brain damaged or confined to wheelchairs with spinal
injuries.
The objective of sports at the scholastic and
collegiate level is to build character; teach values; life lessons, and virtue;
develop leadership and team building skills; train the participants how to
compete under the ideals of good sportsmanship; sacrifice self for the common good of the team;
form the athletes with such virtues and traits necessary for success in life as
self-discipline, perseverance, reliability, spirit of hard work, etc. That is in other words the five pillars of
the NAIA Champions of Character program: responsibility, respect, servant
leadership, integrity, and sportsmanship.
It’s NOT to win no matter how, not to form hatchet men or hit men or
gladiators for the arena.
Let us remember the memorable quote of the great sportswriter, Grantland Rice: “For when the One Great Scorer comes to mark against your name, He writes - not that you won or lost - But how you played the game.”
After all, the Super Bowl trophy is
fleeting and will give only a day or two of euphoria that in
the years to come is remembered with
fondness on occasion. But the real Super
Bowl trophy that really matters is the prize of Heaven and that's forever. See my blog #151: "You're in the Super Bowl".
As St. Paul said: “Do you not know that the runners in the stadium all run in the race, but only one wins the prize? Run so as to win. Every athlete exercises discipline in every way. They do it to win a perishable crown, but we an imperishable one. Thus I do not run aimlessly; I do not fight as if I were shadowboxing. No, I drive my body and train it, for fear that, after having preached to others, I myself should be disqualified” (1 Cor 9:24-27).
After the game was over, the players came down to reality from their game as they gathered up their wounded. A group of Bengal and Steeler players got together for a moment of prayer. God bless them and the fans too. What transpired was just a game, but at stake was a lot of money, fame, and glory with great satisfaction for the fans who identify with the team. But I guess life too is a game in many ways, but deadly serious; the stakes are much, much higher……….eternal life and everlasting happiness and glory with God, His angels, and His saints. Our game plan is the Bible and Church teaching handed down from the apostles. The trophy is: “WELL DONE GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT.…….enter into the joy of thy Lord” (Matthew:25:21).
As St. Paul said: “Do you not know that the runners in the stadium all run in the race, but only one wins the prize? Run so as to win. Every athlete exercises discipline in every way. They do it to win a perishable crown, but we an imperishable one. Thus I do not run aimlessly; I do not fight as if I were shadowboxing. No, I drive my body and train it, for fear that, after having preached to others, I myself should be disqualified” (1 Cor 9:24-27).
After the game was over, the players came down to reality from their game as they gathered up their wounded. A group of Bengal and Steeler players got together for a moment of prayer. God bless them and the fans too. What transpired was just a game, but at stake was a lot of money, fame, and glory with great satisfaction for the fans who identify with the team. But I guess life too is a game in many ways, but deadly serious; the stakes are much, much higher……….eternal life and everlasting happiness and glory with God, His angels, and His saints. Our game plan is the Bible and Church teaching handed down from the apostles. The trophy is: “WELL DONE GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT.…….enter into the joy of thy Lord” (Matthew:25:21).
