Asante Samuel Hit: Not a Fine Now, but Maybe Future

[mav1234]

So, that's Asante Samuel's hit on Sydney Rice. It looks to me a bit like past hits that were fined, yet apparently, it is not:

“Because the receiver had completed the catch with two feet down and possession of the ball, he had protection from a hit to the head only from a defender who launches,” Liu said. “Samuel did not ‘launch’ as defined by our current rules because the ball of his right foot was on the ground when contact with the receiver was made. Rule 12, Section 2, Article 8(h) Note states: ‘Launching is defined as springing forward and upward by a player who leaves his feet to make contact on the receiver.’ [NFL executive V.P. of football operations] Ray Anderson confirmed that the NFL Competition Committee will review the rule and the definition of ‘launch’ in the off-season with the anticipation that this type of action will be a foul in future seasons.”

from http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/01/01/league-hopes-to-change-rules-to-make-samuels-hit-on-rice-illegal/

It looked to me like previous hits that had been fined, because it sure looked like Rice was defenseless to me but I see how he had a couple feet down. This whole "defenseless" stuff seems kinda strange to me... I feel like players have been fined for less, way less, relating to these new rules.

However now the league wants to make such hits illegal according to the above link...

Just thought I'd add fuel to the "No Fun League" stuff people around here like to post about.