Dante Wesley hit, good hit or cheap shot?

[Brooklyn Bully]

I can't believe this is still up for debate!!!! Every single TV personality and radio personality has either called it dirty, or down right stupid. Why are any of you still defending it? If he hadn't left his feet, he wouldn't have been ejected, but still wou'd've been flagged. It doesn't matter if you think it was a cheap shot or not, he screwed up in every way possible and knows it. Can we lock this thread?

OH, and some are asking for Talib to be EJECTED as well? Good gracious we have some homers on this board.

It was a bonehead move. Let's move on to talking about the Bills please.

[Ironworker808]

This is great a bunch of TV watchers and their rules books. Obviously none of you guys EVER played football! Why is there even an argument about clean hit or not. Has anyone ever been a headhunter on a punt team? The reason why the punt returner calls fair catch is because he is the only one looking at the ball! You can't see the ball running down the field on a punt as a headhunter because you are too busy protecting your own tail from being blocked. Dante blew passed his defender and laid out the punt returner and you guys are crying? For what? The goal of the punt team is to HIT the punt returner. Not to think about hitting him but to nail him. THE RETURNER NEVER CALLED FAIR CATCH which equals in football (for all of you who never played) HE CAN BE HIT. Dante misjudged his timing OF COURSE but whether or not it was clean or intentional shouldn't be a question...He didn't spear him or cause helmet to helmet contact...so how is a solid lick not clean. He pretty much did a tackle that everyone loves to watch on replays but because someone did a nice performance on the ground people are in an uproar and are calling it unclean. FOOTBALL ISN'T FAIR TV WATCHERS. The punt returner made a rookie mistake and he learned his lesson. btw READ

The member of the receiving team must raise one arm a full length above his head and wave it from side to side while kick is in flight. (Failure to give proper sign: receivers’ ball five yards behind spot of signal.) Note: It is legal for the receiver to shield his eyes from the sun by raising one hand no higher than the helmet.

No opponent may interfere with the fair catcher, the ball, or his path to the ball. Penalty: 15 yards from spot of foul and fair catch is awarded.

A player who signals for a fair catch is not required to catch the ball. However, if a player signals for a fair catch, he may not block or initiate contact with any player on the kicking team until the ball touches a player. Penalty: snap 15 yards.

and there was no faircatch. Sooooo.

Soooooo, You're an idiot.

In a letter to Wesley, NFL executive vice president of football operations Ray Anderson wrote: “The playing rules (Rule 10, Section 1, Article 1) specifically provide that a member of the kicking team is prohibited from interfering with a receiver attempting to catch an airborne kick. The prohibited contact in this case went well beyond simply interfering with the receiver. Instead, by striking your defenseless opponent in the head and neck area, you committed an unnecessary and unnecessarily dangerous act that is specifically prohibited by the rules.”

[Firefox]

This is great a bunch of TV watchers and their rules books. Obviously none of you guys EVER played football! Why is there even an argument about clean hit or not. Has anyone ever been a headhunter on a punt team? The reason why the punt returner calls fair catch is because he is the only one looking at the ball! You can't see the ball running down the field on a punt as a headhunter because you are too busy protecting your own tail from being blocked. Dante blew passed his defender and laid out the punt returner and you guys are crying? For what? The goal of the punt team is to HIT the punt returner. Not to think about hitting him but to nail him. THE RETURNER NEVER CALLED FAIR CATCH which equals in football (for all of you who never played) HE CAN BE HIT. Dante misjudged his timing OF COURSE but whether or not it was clean or intentional shouldn't be a question...He didn't spear him or cause helmet to helmet contact...so how is a solid lick not clean. He pretty much did a tackle that everyone loves to watch on replays but because someone did a nice performance on the ground people are in an uproar and are calling it unclean. FOOTBALL ISN'T FAIR TV WATCHERS. The punt returner made a rookie mistake and he learned his lesson. btw READ

The member of the receiving team must raise one arm a full length above his head and wave it from side to side while kick is in flight. (Failure to give proper sign: receivers’ ball five yards behind spot of signal.) Note: It is legal for the receiver to shield his eyes from the sun by raising one hand no higher than the helmet.

No opponent may interfere with the fair catcher, the ball, or his path to the ball. Penalty: 15 yards from spot of foul and fair catch is awarded.

A player who signals for a fair catch is not required to catch the ball. However, if a player signals for a fair catch, he may not block or initiate contact with any player on the kicking team until the ball touches a player. Penalty: snap 15 yards.

and there was no faircatch. Sooooo.

Boy, after all of that you were WAY off!

Not only does a returner have the right to catch the ball, the rules read:

Rule 10, Section 1, Article 4

Receivers Right to Ball

(1) A receiver running toward a kick in flight has the right of way and opponents must get out of his path to the ball. Otherwise it is interference irrespective of any contact or catch or whether any signal (valid or invalid) is given or not.