Garrett is a good kid but he is also a dumb kid.
Now he is probably out for the year.
You want to fight with your fists and feet then go MMA.
I know there are defenders of Garrett stating it was in the heat of the moment and I understand that. But if this is just waved off due to "heat of the moment" then you are going to have players' specific job to take the helmet off of a team's star player and wrack his head with it eliminating him.
For the generous amount of money they are paid these players shouldn't be that stupid.
Look, these dudes are not known for their smarts. They are known for their physical strength and athletic ability, which doesn't necessarily come together with intelligence. There is a reason why many college football kids are given some easier classes to maintain eligibility. They aren't the smartest people around. Periodically you see incredibly boneheaded decisions, plays, or acts, from these kids. Yep, many of them are quite dumb.
Remember the guy who ran to the end zone and let go of the ball to dive in for more dramatic effect, but did so BEFORE crossing the freaking line? Subsequently his team was unable to score from the 1 yard line. The dumb celebration cost his team 7 points. I don't remember who did it. It was a college kid. The video clip went viral. Everybody was laughing out loud at the dumb kid.
Much simpler than that is the face mask penalty. How stupid one needs to be to grab the opponent's mask and pull on it? First of all, it's dangerous, you might break someone's neck. Second, almost invariably it is seen by one of the multiple refs and multiple cameras and you get a penalty that hurts your team. Sure, there are some accidental face masks, you throw your hands around and you're trying to grab anything to stop your opponent, and you accidentally grab the face mask, that's fine, but sometimes it seems like it's done quite intentionally. So, when it's intentional, it's extremely dumb. You do it, it invariably backfires due to the stiff penalty, so, why in the hell do these dumb players keep doing it???
This said, the head coach has the responsibility of curbing these behaviors (unsportsmanlike conduct), and the league has the responsibility of issuing penalties, fines, and suspensions.
So, I'm not saying that being dumb is exculpatory. I'm for several games of suspension for Garrett. But yes, many football players are quite dumb. Not all, of course. But many are.
opcorn2:
