Bender's "Apology" - Ault thinks it was illegal

http://www.rgj.com/article/20100928/SPORTS06/9280335/1018/SPORTS" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;



Intersting statements from bronco, bender, and bender's coach.

Bender said: I thought I got across his face, I thought he knew I was there. I threw the block and could see the side of his eyes and I got on the front part of his knee. I was always told that if you hit on the front part, you'll be fine. It was a questionable call, obviously. Everybody had an opinion on what they thought.

"Across his face" and "side of his eyes" don't jibe, brother.

Maybe he feels bad about the play now, maybe he doesn't... doesn't change the fact that he knew damn well at the time that it was dirty and could easily result in injury. Don't tell me that these players - who are fired up and in the heat of the moment - don't want to hurt their opponent - but when that comes through an illegal play, action needs to be taken.

Call me cynical but I think this is coming out now because UNR hears that the WAC is reviewing and this is a lame attempt at preempting the WAC from doing something...More true to the dirty player's frame of mind is his prior "no harm no foul" tweat

And hitting "the front part of his knee" is always a good idea. Since that goes in the same direction as the knee bends. Or maybe it bends in the complete opposite direction. One of the two.

ProV1 wrote:

Bender said: I thought I got across his face, I thought he knew I was there. I threw the block and could see the side of his eyes and I got on the front part of his knee. I was always told that if you hit on the front part, you'll be fine. It was a questionable call, obviously. Everybody had an opinion on what they thought.

"Across his face" and "side of his eyes" don't jibe, brother.

Going at the knee is fine as long as it's the "front part"? :bug: :roll: :~(

kitic77 wrote:
And hitting "the front part of his knee" is always a good idea. Since that goes in the same direction as the knee bends. Or maybe it bends in the complete opposite direction. One of the two.

You just beat me to it!

Nevada and Boise State are all the WAC has this year... and next year all they''ll have is Nevada. There's not a chance in hades that the WAC will do anything that would hurt Nevada. Bender will get off scot-free.

Italics wrote:
Maybe he feels bad about the play now, maybe he doesn't... doesn't change the fact that he knew damn well at the time that it was dirty and could easily result in injury. Don't tell me that these players - who are fired up and in the heat of the moment - don't want to hurt their opponent - but when that comes through an illegal play, action needs to be taken.

He maintains that it was a clean play. he is only saying sorry because he is taking heat for it. the wac is currently reviewing it and his coach said it was cheap.

I am still just mad the refs blew the call. The kid tried to make a block, used poor judgment. I do not think he was intentionally trying to hurt Fuga. I think it was just a bad football decision. But the fact that the whole official crew missed it when it happened right in front of the player with the ball--in the open field--is inexcusable. A 15 yard penalty would have seriously hurt hat drive--one that went for a score. It was a momentum call that did not happen. The officials deserve the sanctions here as much, if not more than, the player. It was their job to police this and they blew it 100%.

Lawboy wrote:
I am still just mad the refs blew the call. The kid tried to make a block, used poor judgment. I do not think he was intentionally trying to hurt Fuga. I think it was just a bad football decision. But the fact that the whole official crew missed it when it happened right in front of the player with the ball--in the open field--is inexcusable. A 15 yard penalty would have seriously hurt hat drive--one that went for a score. It was a momentum call that did not happen. The officials deserve the sanctions here as much, if not more than, the player. It was their job to police this and they blew it 100%.

Agreed 100%

I'm sorry, but if you are diving at the back of someone's knees and rolling through it, you are trying to injure.



There is a difference between trying to hurt, and trying to injure. You are always trying to hurt someone, get them off the field. That is your job, but you want to see them back so you can try and hurt them again. Injuring is a different story. When you want to injure someone, it is akin to a rape or a murder. It is a "crime" of passion on the football field. I played defensive end, and anyone that played in the trenches knows the difference. You always want to hurt the quarterback - as in - get him off the field. Anyone that blocks below the knees from behind and rolls through it, is just looking to injure. Add to the fact that this "kid" ripped somebodies helmet off later, and then later got a personal foul for tripping (not common for lineman to get, usually means you are kicking someone) and this player is CLEARLY out of control.



Whether or not he meant to end someone's season, he hit behind the knees and rolled through. Add to that the "No flag no foul" tweet, and allegedly high fiving his teammates on the sidelines as Fuga was laying there, and you can paint a clear picture of who this kid really is. Either he is a bastard cheap shot artist, and proud of it - OR he is clinically insane. Either way he shouldn't see the field the rest of the year, if ever again.

Sorry, but I am not going to infer intent upon the kid and say he intended to injure Fuga when I do not know him, nor his state of mind. Yeah, a stupid legal argument, but all the same, it works. I think it was bad judgment. he did try to get in fromt of Fuga with the block, which under rules makes it legal. But it was still a bad decision to go low. I hate chop blocks at the line, but even more in the open field. It was a 15 yard personal foul, but not a crime.



By the way, no one got a helmet ripped off later, and saying so is false. A helmet came off and the guy grabbed it once off and pitched. dumb again, but he did not rip it off. Watch the replay.

ah ok, no helmet ripping off. check. but he did get a personal foul for tripping. If you watch the ksl replay to the right (tweetbox by janandgunther) he hits and then clearly rolls through. As a lineman, you are taught never to roll through unless you want to injure someone. He clearly has the option to stop his body rolling (you can see it a lot better in slo motion) but actually rolls over. gun + shooting it at someone = intent to murder.



low chop block (it isn't a cut block, because a cut block by rule is low to low - a chop block is high to low, that is why it is called chop, like an axe) to the back of the knees + rolling after you make contact = intent to injure.

Keep in mind that Benders Tweet read "No flag, no foul". That is very different then "No harm, no foul."



His tweet showed an utter lack of remorse for what he did and I believe that the only reason UNR is doing something about it is because of all the publicity this play is receiving. They are just trying to lesson the blow before the WAC gets involved.

CannonCougar85 wrote:
Keep in mind that Benders Tweet read "No flag, no foul".



His tweet showed an utter lack of remorse for what he did

WOW!!! I did not know that. Well that seals the deal, this guy is a complete douche bag.

Lawboy wrote:
I am still just mad the refs blew the call. The kid tried to make a block, used poor judgment. I do not think he was intentionally trying to hurt Fuga. I think it was just a bad football decision. But the fact that the whole official crew missed it when it happened right in front of the player with the ball--in the open field--is inexcusable. A 15 yard penalty would have seriously hurt hat drive--one that went for a score. It was a momentum call that did not happen. The officials deserve the sanctions here as much, if not more than, the player. It was their job to police this and they blew it 100%.

I agree with everything you said. I was in the north end zone and watched the play, wondering when the ref was going to throw the flag. He was right there watching it and did nothing which was disgusting. I know he saw it because in the replay he was looking right at the play. To say he didn't see it was a flat out lie.



For me to have perspective on the hit, I put myself as a 20 something kid who screwed up and what would I do at that age. Being 42 I have a few years of perspective and I realized the other day that my first reaction after that hit would have been to do the same thing to him. And I think at that age I probably would have. I would have told someone in the huddle to hold him up and I was going helmet to knee. I would have stood over him with my face mask about two inches from his and said, "Romney says hi." Hopefully someone much more mature than I would have put me in my place before I did something so stupid. I know I would have regretted my actions later, but in the heat of the moment back then, I was known to do some really stupid things.



I don't know if Bender feels bad or not, but I wouldn't be surprised if he does.

Also, Bender should do more than just "send him message" which was probably nothing more than emailing someone at the BYU SID. He should be getting Fuga phone number and calling him until he actually speaks to him. He should apologize in person (or at least on the phone). Not in some text message.



I also maintain that any and all hits and blocks below the knees should be illegal in just about every instance. This would greatly reduce injuries. Of course, it would also relegate Air Force to winless seasons each year.

kitic77 wrote:
Also, Bender should do more than just "send him message" which was probably nothing more than emailing someone at the BYU SID. He should be getting Fuga phone number and calling him until he actually speaks to him. He should apologize in person (or at least on the phone). Not in some text message.



I also maintain that any and all hits and blocks below the knees should be illegal in just about every instance. This would greatly reduce injuries. Of course, it would also relegate Air Force to winless seasons each year.

It would also make it really hard for our backs to pick up blitzes as they often go low to make the block. Low is fine, as long as it is done properly in a way a player can try to defend himself. This one wasn't.