The NFL, and Garrett were both quick to respond. A statement from Myles Garrett stated "I lost my cool and what I did was selfish and unacceptable. I know that we are all responsible for our actions and I can only prove my true character through my actions moving forward. I want to apologize to Mason Rudolph, my teammates, our entire organization, our fans and to the NFL." While Garrett appears to show remorse, it's no justification his actions, that could easily be classified as assault. As punishments, the NFL issued multiple suspension and fines. Each team was fined $250,000, Garrett will be suspended indefinitely, Pouncey will be suspended for three games and Ogunjobi will be suspended for 1 game. Additionally, the three players must pay a fine. While the public was happy to see that Garrett faces pretty serious ramifications for his actions, it brings the question: What's going to happen to Rudolph? Rudolph wasn't entirely innocent in all this, it could even be argued he started it, with the initial tussle on the ground and the kick to Garrett's groin.
Had this fight happened off the field, it's highly likely Garrett would be facing felony aggravated assault, a charge punishable of up to 20 years in prison. Does the lack of criminal charges demonstrate the NFL's normalization of violence, or did they take the right action?
https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/steelers-browns-fight-mason-rudolph-will-not-pursue-legal-action-against-myles-garrett-per-report/
https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/browns/2019/11/15/myles-garrett-incident-among-worst-nfl-brawls-all-time/4200167002/
https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/15/us/nfl-browns-steelers-helmet-brawl-myles-garrett-suspended/index.html
https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nfl/news/mason-rudolph-suspension-myles-garrett/1e9p6e3p28vd31bqe2bgpmst3y
https://www.clevelandbrowns.com/news/official-statements-from-dee-and-jimmy-haslam-myles-garrett
This is a very interesting case because of severity of the case and because the helmet was used as a weapon. Rudolph could have been seriously injured if he was hit in the right spot. Myles Garret used Rudolph's helmet to hit Rudolph in the head. In any other circumstances he would be face charges. Now the question is whether players are protected from criminal charges due to the rough and dangerous nature of the sport. I think that the NFL should ban him from playing every again.
ReplyDeleteI think that the NFL has normalized violence as an aspect of competition between teams. If this were to happen between two normal people on the street, there would be serious consequences. I think that the NFL is lenient towards people who play on NFL teams because without the good players, the team would bring in less revenue. All of those involved should face consequences as serious injuries could've resulted from their fight.
ReplyDeleteI saw a clip of this and i thought it was one of the worst moments in sports I have ever seen. There was a potential that Rudolph could have been seriously injured. I didn't really think about the implications of this on and off court, but now that you bring it to attention, it makes me question why this situation was not taken further. I agree, is Garrett protected because of the intensity of football? However, this fight went too far.
ReplyDeleteI agree that if this wasn't during an NFL game, he certainly would have had much more serious consequences. I feel like the NFL is covering up for him to keep its revenue and bad spot light away. I wonder if his consequences would have changed if Rudolph was actually injured from the helmet. I've watched the NFL for years and I've never seen something like that. I get it that it's a sport, but that doesn't escape you from a literal crime committed. That's no different than attempting to hurt someone on the street. I often wonder why NFL players who work so hard to get to the point they get, do stupid things like this to ruin their career....
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