Interesting take on the Simms injury... (1 Viewer)

[BassNBrew]

September 29, 2006Wallace shouldn't be scapegoat for Simms' injuryAl Wallace took a hit Friday.The Panthers defensive end was fined $7,500 for his hit on Tampa Bay quarterback Chris Simms on Sunday. The league found that Wallace roughed the passer.Maybe he did and maybe he didn’t. The officiating crew working the game didn’t call a penalty on the play. But you pretty much knew Wallace was going to be the scapegoat the instant Tampa Bay coach Jon Gruden came out and pointed at that play as the one that caused a serious injury to Simms and suggested strongly there should have been a penalty.It’s interesting that Gruden was so aggressive in talking about an injury. Members of the Tampa Bay media frequently joke about Gruden’s handling of injury information. He’s been known to get the injured body part wrong and members of the Tampa Bay media say that once a player is injured, he’s totally off Gruden’s radar.That wasn’t the case with Simms. Why? There’s a theory out there (and we emphasize it’s just a theory making the rounds) that Gruden is protecting his own butt and that of the Bucs’ medical staff. It’s kind of interesting that Gruden is singling out the Wallace hit, which took place in the fourth quarter.There were several other big hits on Simms. Defensive tackle Kris Jenkins hit Simms in the first quarter and said he noticed the quarterback holding his ribs afterward. Several Panthers shared that opinion. And several Bucs said it was shortly after that play that they noticed Simms having trouble breathing and getting his words out in the huddle.We’ll never know for sure which hit caused Simms’ spleen to rupture. Maybe it was Wallace’s and maybe the fine is deserved.What’s not deserved is this: When people around the country pick up their sports sections Saturday, they’re going to see the story and the automatic assumption will be that Wallace caused the injury and his conduct was out of line. Wallace even runs the risk of forever having his career remembered for that play, and some people are bound to judge him a bad guy.Anyone that knows Wallace knows he’s one of the best human beings in the Carolina locker room. He expressed genuine concern for Simms on Wednesday. He’ll pay the fine quietly.If you’re looking for the victim here, it’s Simms. If you’re looking for a scapegoat, don’t look at Wallace. Go back and look at the film of the entire game and, only after you’ve seen that, decide who is to blame.

 

[trader jake]

It's interesting that there is even a "blame game" going on. It's football and people get hurt, seriously hurt at times. To blame Wallace or any other player seems foolish (unless it's a Charles Martin or Albert Haynesworth type play).

Of course team doctors need to be scrutinized and should be whenever a player continues to play under unusual circumstances, but unless the doctors are found to have used poor judgement in letting Simms play this whole issue should be put to rest.

 

[Da Guru]

When you "choose" to play in the NFL..you have to take on the personal responsiblity that you could..and probably will be injured.

 

[Joe Bryant]

I dont think there's any scapegoat at all. It wasn't a terrible hit. Finable though and 7,500 was about right. Not a big deal.

I think anyone watching thinks it was a progressive thing and that he was hurt early in the game. He was definitely hurting early.

No scapegoat that I can see. It's football.

J