Sean Taylor-A Little Perspective Please?

[usc35]

How many times each season or each game does a late hit or out of bounds hit occur on a QB or a defenseless ball carrier by a defender whose sole purpose on that hit is to injure said ball carrier? The simple fact is that it happens all the time, a 300 pound monster puts all his power into a shot on a player with the sole intention of knocking him out of the game or even end his season, and anyone who tries to deny this happens is fooling himself.

So when this occurs said offender gets a 15-yard penalty, and possible fine of what? $5,000. These incidents rarely garner little more than 1 sentence the next day in the game recap. However, sling a 1/10 gram of saliva at a player and guys like Michael Wilbon Want to end your season with suspensions and fines large enough to help solve the National Debt.

I don’t in any way condone what Sean Taylor did, it was vile and gross, and he needs to put a stop to that type of behavior in the future. But hardly worthy of more than a fine, and I just think a little perspective is required here. What the NFL is saying is, a 275 Lb. linebacker intentionally going helmet to helmet on a player with the intention hurting that player is not nearly as bad as slinging a little saliva.

Say what you want to say about Sean Taylor, but the simple fact is that there is not a coach in the NFL who wouldn’t love to have him on their team. He’s the kind of player that you hate when he’s on the other team but love when he’s on your team. I watched Mike Ditka yesterday talk about it, and he seemed to have a hard time with punishing words for Taylor. Why? Because deep down he loves him, because he’s the type of throwback, nasty player that reminds him of many of his old teammates and players he coached.

So let’s just dial back the condemnation of Sean Taylor a little bit and see him for what he is: The best safety, and one of the nastiest, most feared defenders in the league.

[Burgold]

Sean Taylor has made a lot of positive on field steps this season. I saw him pull off and avoid hitting a number of players on the sidelines or after a catch was dropped that he would have gotten a personal foul for last year. This was a regression. Hopefully, it will become another step in his maturation and he will learn from it. The social stigma of spitting makes it a more distasteful act then its results. I do agree that there are cheap shot artists in the NFL like "Horsecollar" Williams whose goal seems to be to end guys years or careers and they deserve much more scrutiny. Still, Sean messed up. He needs to correct himself in the future.

[usc35]

Sean Taylor has made a lot of positive on field steps this season. I saw him pull off and avoid hitting a number of players on the sidelines or after a catch was dropped that he would have gotten a personal foul for last year. This was a regression. Hopefully, it will become another step in his maturation and he will learn from it. The social stigma of spitting makes it a more distasteful act then its results. I do agree that there are cheap shot artists in the NFL like "Horsecollar" Williams whose goal seems to be to end guys years or careers and they deserve much more scrutiny. Still, Sean messed up. He needs to correct himself in the future.

If you read what I said, no doubt Taylor was wrong and he definitely needs to correct his future actions, as it only hurts the Team. And Thanks, Williams is a perfect example, a guy who intentionally tries to take player out with every tackle, where is the discipline for his actions?

[redskinsfan85]

hehe I liked the national debt part! classic.

yeah you're 100% right and you hit everything on the spot. I'm pretty sure the NFL doesn't care that much either as he only got fined $17,000 when Portis got fined $20,000 for wearing striped socks. Seems like the NFL also thinks everyones overreacting and they themselves have no idea if this actually happened. I'm pretty surprised Wilbon was overreacting like that. I just laugh at that and thank god that he's not our coach.

[DCMONEY]

Sean Taylor has to be smart also. Everyone knows how petty a ref can be at just players talkings smack to each other. It was 4th down man. Just get the hell off the field. You've done your job. No need to keep talking after you've accomplished making a team punt. I never understand the jaw jacking when you've won the small battle for the moment.

[timitim]

Ronnie Lott, Steve A****er, David Fultcher, John Lynch, Charles Woodson, Roy Williams ............the fact of the matter is when these guys played they were not nice guys either all of whom have had complaints and aligations against them. Teams hated to play against these guys and sean taylor is by far no exception.

Another fact is some DB's in football are smart enough to realize that getting inside the mind of an opponent is just enough to take them out of the game if they spend time worrying about getting spit on.

The league is frustrated about this ruling i can assure you and i am almost certain that you are going to see a ruling change after this season. If it was up to the NFL i am almost certain that Taylor would not only be giving up his Playoff salary but he would be sitting at home this Saturday to. IMO i think you can thank the players Union for the punishment that was delt in regards to Taylor. This incident has happened before and it has happend with the most minor of consiquences.

USC35.....i understand your post. But a helmet to helmet his and spiting in another players face are two completely different things. Although spitting is vile and one of the lowest forms of disrespect, a helmet to helmet hit or action like it are intended to injure and with players like Steve Young and countless others have had their carreers cut short because of those injuries. None of the players that i have mentioned above have been accussed of being mindfull of this. Even though some of them played and were feared even before it became illegal for helmet to helmet hits.

[IrepDC]

Did anyone see Michael Irvin talking about the incident. He was being way to dramatic about it. I see that he still has a grudge against the Skins.

[JGRFan]

Wilbon went a bit overboard in his article today. I love how Wilbon tries to take this moral high ground but only from a one sided position. No where in his article did he mention that Pittman aledgedly beat his wife and kid and tried to run him over with a car. Nor did the article mention that Pittman hit Taylor but did not get ejected. Isn't there a rule that says anyone throwing a punch for any reason will be ejected?

The one truth is that Taylor will be known as a spitter for a long time (see Robbie Alomar). The only way Taylor can win now is to keep his nose clean and continue to play like a badass and get a little smarter about the personal fouls. That is easier said than done for a 22 year old Millionaire.

I love the way Taylor plays and I hope he can keep it together to help the skins. We need him to play his best.

[tundey]

What does Pittman beating his wife have to do with Taylor spitting in his face? Let's not get carried away here. What ST did was wrong and he was rightfully taken out of the game.

[Vegas-Born]

In my humble and rarely correct opinion, S. Taylor has grown by leaps and bounds the two seasons he has been here in Washington. He is maturing. Though the maturation process may be painful, I believe that he has learned a lot about being a man and a football player.

My wife met him this summer (Late August I think) and thinks that he is a great person. She said that he was just fantastic to talk to.

With that said...he was in the heat of battle. We are talking about the playoffs. Don't we want our players to get mad...to get violent. I think that some incidents are simply products of the situation. Now don't get me wrong...spitting is never OK. Never! But we don't know what Pittman said, what happens in piles etc. I wouldn't crucify Taylor for this. I would just strongly suggest, as I believe that Cornelius Griffin already has, just control your emotions.

[docsandy]

I agree with a lot that has been said here.

The spitting was wrong. It was gross (and perhaps that is WIlbon's problem with it).

HOWEVER, in my mind, no matter who did it, when I step back and think about it.. it is no worse than the slap on the head in retaliation, or any number of late hits that are more deliberate (rather than those that are the cause of momentum which I also get frustrated with... ask anyone who watches the game with me.. I'm the first to say, when a player's momentum carries them into a ball carrier and they get called for a late hit, that the referees and umpires need to check the laws of physics -- regardless of what team, what player, etc.).

I wasn't as angry about Taylor's ejection as much as I was angry about the fact Pittman wasn't calleld for his retaliation. That's wasn't a slap. He outright punch him in the helmet.

Yes, Taylor has grown. Yes he has a lot to learn. He's a 22-year-old KID still.. there has to be a reason Gregg Williams loves this kid as much as he does. It all goes back to the coaches and the fact they get paid a whole heck of a lot more than we do to see in these players things that we don't see.

I don't condone what Taylor did. But I do think it needs to be put back into perspective a little. If Taylor learns from this that he can't let his temper rule him on the field, then I'll say fine. If he doesn't learn and he continues that type of behavior, I will have a problem.

[JGRFan]

It was wrong for Taylor to spit. I'm just saying, why wasn't Pittman taken out too? Its wrong to hit someone even if they spit on you, right? What if Pittman told Taylor he was going to run his mom over with a car? Would you put it beyond someone who beat their wife? It would be wrong for Taylor to hit or spit on Pittman in that case. It was wrong for Pittman to hit Taylor.

Why wasn't the fact that Pittman hit Taylor and not thrown out of the game addressed by the league? Wilbon could've added in the article that the league has implicitly said its ok to hit a guy next time you're spit on.

That's the last I'll say about it b/c I wish the whole incident never happened.

[Red Blood]

Sean Taylor is a great football player and that is what we all ask for first. I dont want to get back to the incident, as there are many factors that could have led to that incident. Both might have been jawing at each other and anything can happen when people are jawing at each other. As long as the broadcast doesnt show an intentional act of spitting (and yes, the spit) flying in the face of pittman, my opinion of Taylor is still as high as it is. Who in the world is perfect? by the way.

Now back to being a football player, there are certain positions in sports you just have to play by intimidating your opponents. there has to be that intimidation factor and the safety position in the NFL is just one of them. Check out all the great safeties that made it in this league and tell me if they dont posses that toughness and intimidation factor. They are great hitters, talk trash, and always around the ball and what defines Taylor from all those other safeties is that he is physically imposing and brings attitude and nastiness to that secondary. If Ohalete is a saint who would rather worry about his jersey number than a receiver, I still prefer Taylor with all his baggage to him because when Ohalete played here, our secondary was just so soft.... any frail reciever can sit in the middle, catch a pass and wag his finger at Ohalete for not even laying a hard hit on him. Not so with Taylor, he marks his territory with spit (pun intended) and you dare not venture into it. I like that toughness and here is a guy that will enfrcre it in that secondary. Did i mention he is a ballhawk.... the upsides to this guys are numerous... whoever recovers a loose ball in one effortless motion while maintaining his balance to run it the other way. People can say what they want but if this guy is on their team, none of them would dare open their mouth. Let us be thankful for the talent we have... with age comes maturity and it wont be an exception in Taylor's case.

[JGRFan]

You just articlulated very well all the reasons I like Taylor. Well said.

[RF4L]

What does Pittman beating his wife have to do with Taylor spitting in his face? Let's not get carried away here. What ST did was wrong and he was rightfully taken out of the game.

No one seems to want to contemplate what Pittman may have done to inspire such retaliation from Taylor.

Is it not possible that Pittman was a bad boy too?

[Sonny Joe Hog]

What does Pittman beating his wife have to do with Taylor spitting in his face? Let's not get carried away here. What ST did was wrong and he was rightfully taken out of the game.

The fact that Pittman is a wife-beating POS may have pre-disposed ST to spit in his face. I'm GLAD ST spit in Pittman's face; I wish ST would have kicked him in the nuts, too. The only thing ST did that was wrong was to do it in front of the referee and get caught. That hurt his team.

Illustration of proper behavior: :nutkick: