01-06-2023, 07:32 PM
(01-06-2023, 06:48 PM)samhain Wrote: Jovan Belcher, a Chiefs linebacker suffering from neuropathic encephalitis, killed his girlfriend. He then drove to the team facility and shot himself in front of Romeo Crennel and Scott Pioli. This was on a Saturday before they were scheduled to play the Panthers. The league made them play and they did.
The issue here isn't that we are dealing with a kinder, gentler NFL. It's situational. Taylor and McDermott called the game. The league did not. The teams walked out, more or less, and the league couldn't do a thing about it on Monday. Buffalo left town. Taylor doubled down in support. The league backed off due to PR concerns.
Then we get to today. The Bengals run a small but very real risk of losing home playoff games. They lose the chance to control their own destiny. Out of all teams affected, the Bengals got the most impactful disadvantages as a result of the changes.
I believe this was a subtle way of letting Zac and other coaches know that insubordination will not be tolerated in the future. You can act on instinct and try to do the right thing, but it will have consequences to the team that you lead. When they say play, you play or you pay a price.
Zac Taylor got a lot of good publicity this week, but he also got his hand slapped by the competition committee.
I feel like what happened here was the league finding a way to strongly discourage coaches from going against orders in the future. The got their message across without being too harsh to the Bills, which would have caught a lot of flack. They picked the easiest target that was close to the situation and made a decision.
I remember that morning for the Chiefs. I was actually at that game. Brady Quinn started the next day at QB. Belcher asked Clark Hunt to please take care of his daughter before he did it.
I think you're onto something here. If you don't listen to the Shield and end up putting them in a place they don't want to be, you'll be punished harshly. And being harsh on the Bills would've been a PR nightmare.
