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Pastimes : The new NFL -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Augustus Gloop who wrote (8456)	12/20/2004 4:55:57 PM
From: Augustus Gloop	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 89605

NEVER QUESTION ME AGAIN! I HAVE FORGOTTEN MORE ABOUT FOOTBALL THAN MOST PEOPLE KNOW....Bill & Oral are close <g> Week 15 Review: Darius' vicious hit overshadows great game Dec. 20, 2004 By Pete Prisco SportsLine.com Senior Writer Tell Pete your opinion! Week 15: Review \| Judgements The Jaguars-Packers game was one of those December games that makes us love the NFL. It had the weather element, a sub-zero wind-chill that was magnified by the fact the visitors were from Florida. It had two teams in the thick of the playoff race. Plus, we had Brett Favre playing in the frigid conditions, which has meant a Green Bay victory in all but one game. The Jaguars went into Lambeau Field and beat the Packers 28-25 in a hard-fought contest that was clearly the game of the day. But the game might be remembered far more for one nasty play than the final score, or even what it means in the playoff race. That's because the play was cheap and dangerous. They call Jaguars safety Donovin Darius "Double D". The D has to stand for dirty, doesn't it? The clothesline hit Darius put on Green Bay receiver Robert Ferguson in the fourth quarter was as filthy a play as I've seen in a long time. Darius is known for his physical play, and he can hit with the best of them. But his overzealous play has even infuriated his own teammates. It became common among Jaguars players to keep an eye out for Darius around piles, even though they were on the same team. Former defensive end Tony Brackens once pushed Darius to the ground after he dove onto his legs late on a play. On Sunday, Jaguars defensive tackle Marcus Stroud could be seen yelling at Darius after his wicked hit on Ferguson that sent the receiver's helmet flying and knocked him out of the game with a concussion. Ferguson's legs quivered at one point as he was on the ground, and he lost movement in them before finally regaining the feeling later in the hospital. Ferguson should be fine. It could have been a lot worse, like paralysis or even death. It was that ugly a play. The officials did the right thing to toss Darius from the game, and you can bet he will be facing a stiff fine and perhaps even a suspension from the league when the play is reviewed. If Darius had not been tossed, Green Bay players might have retaliated, leading to an ugly incident. Then again, they never retaliated against Warren Sapp for his dirty play on Chad Clifton a few years back. "It's part of the game," Darius said. "Brett threw the ball and Ferguson was wide open. I was just running over trying to make a play, trying to separate him from the ball. I never intentionally try to hurt someone. I love to play the game and I play it 100 mph. Unfortunately, he got hurt. I pray for him. Everybody that saw it from our standpoint said it looked clean." They lied to him if they said that, which is probably why Stroud was yelling at him. Darius has played better this year for the Jaguars, actually improving in coverage. Yet he remains a player known more for his ability to bring a big force as a tackler. When it's clean, it's fun to watch, a running back getting thumped to the ground with a big hit. When it's dirty, it crosses the line. Serious injury, life-altering injury, can come from those arm-whipping tackles like the one Darius put on Ferguson. Back in the day, that play was common in the NFL. But those players using it weren't as big or as fast, which is why it's worse now. Green Bay-Jacksonville was everything that is good about the NFL, with one exception. Sadly, what most people will be talking about is that clothesline tackle that could have ruined a career -- or a life. Recap: Jaguars 28, Packers 25