SB Nation Boston - Brandon Meriweather's Hit Earns Fine, But No Suspensionhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48863/boston-fave.png2010-10-20T20:00:10-04:00http://boston.sbnation.com/rss/stream/15252162010-10-20T20:00:10-04:002010-10-20T20:00:10-04:00Rodney Harrison: "Meriweather Is Not A Dirty Player"
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<p>One day after Patriots safety Brandon Meriweather was handed a $50,000 fine from the NFL, NBC football analyst and former Patriot Rodney Harrison came to Meriweather's defense and said there was nothing wrong with his helmet-to-helmet hit on the Ravens Todd Heap.</p>
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<p><em>"I asked Brandon, ‘If the NFL fines you a great deal of money or they suspend you, will this change the way you play?' He told me absolutely," said Harrison. "That’s the message the NFL is sending and I think a lot of players will echo that same sentiment."</em></p>
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<p>Harrison, a former safety himself is no stranger to making big hits from his position as he has earned a few fines himself. Harrison is among many NFL personalities to come out and say they have an issue with players being fined and possibly suspended for hits on the football field.</p>
https://boston.sbnation.com/new-england-patriots/2010/10/20/1764580/rodney-harrison-meriweather-is-not-a-dirty-playerbostonsportsguy172010-10-20T12:31:34-04:002010-10-20T12:31:34-04:00Brandon Meriweather: 'I'm Sorry For The Hit'
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<p>A day after receiving a $50,000 fine from the NFL (but no suspension) for his hit on Todd heap, the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.patspulpit.com/">Patriots</a>' <span>Brandon Meriweather</span> <a href="http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/extra_points/2010/10/meriweather.html">issued a statement in the team's locker room</a>, saying, in part, that he is sorry for the hit. </p>
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<p>"To start off I want to say once again I'm going to say I'm sorry for the hit, I understand the league is trying to protect the health of all our players but...I don't even know how to put it but to be honest I just want all of this to go away," Meriweather said.</p>
<p>"I want to focus, with the rest of my team, on the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/san-diego-chargers">Chargers</a>, really not let this come up again. I'm going to try my best to play within the rules, like my coach had always taught us, I'm going to hit and play the game like my coaches have always taught us, even in training camp, we have always been taught the proper way to hit and I'm just going to focus on that and put it in my game in some way, shape, form or fashion. And from here on, I'm focusing on the Chargers and anything else spoken on this, I will not comment on."</p>
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<p>During the statement, Meriweather was described as "<a href="http://twitter.com/#!/MikeGiardi/statuses/27944226349">emotional</a>" by <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/MikeReiss/statuses/27944019867">three</a> <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/shalisemyoung/statuses/27944165787">separate</a> Patriots beat reporters. Meriweather did not answer any questions. </p>
https://boston.sbnation.com/new-england-patriots/2010/10/20/1763561/brandon-meriweather-todd-heap-hit-nfl-fine-statement-apologyRyan Hudson2010-10-19T16:27:16-04:002010-10-19T16:27:16-04:00Brandon Meriweather Fined, Not Suspended For Hit On Heap
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<p><span>Brandon Meriweather</span> has been fined $50,000 but not suspended after a helmet-to-helmet hit in Sunday’s game against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.baltimorebeatdown.com/">Ravens</a> <a href="http://twitter.com/JasonLaCanfora/status/27864834147">according to a Jason La Canfora tweet</a>.</p>
<p>The number of big hits last weekend seems to have acted as something of a catalyst for the <span class="caps">NFL</span> with regards to helmet-to-helmet collisions. Ever concussion-conscious, the league is expected to announce that players will be suspended for hits like the one Meriweather laid on Baltimore Tight End <span>Todd Heap</span> in the future.</p>
<p>For now, though, Meriweather seems to have dodged that particular bullet. Whether or not he can keep playing as aggressively in the future without missing time remains to be seen.</p>
https://boston.sbnation.com/new-england-patriots/2010/10/19/1761938/brandon-meriweather-fined-todd-heap-helmet-hitBenjamin Buchanan2010-10-19T11:44:48-04:002010-10-19T11:44:48-04:00Brandon Meriweather Says Hit On Todd Heap Was 'Split-Second Decision'
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<p><span>Brandon Meriweather</span> didn't want to discuss it Sunday after the game, but on Monday, he addressed <a href="http://boston.sbnation.com/new-england-patriots/2010/10/19/1761175/brandon-meriweather-hit-helmet-concussion-nfl-suspension-patriots-todd-heap">his hit on the </a><a href="https://www.baltimorebeatdown.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Ravens</a>' Todd Heap, <a href="http://www.bostonherald.com/blogs/sports/rap_sheet/index.php/2010/10/18/patriots-s-brandon-meriweather-sorry-about-heap-head-hunting-hit-wont-change-his-play/">saying that he was "playing aggressive and something happened."</a> </p>
<p>Meriweather went on to say that he "won't change my game, period" but added "I'm sorry it happened."</p>
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<p>"I don't want to make a big deal out of it," he continued. "I was playing aggressive and something happened. I'm trying not to look at it and make it a big deal, like everybody else is doing. ... It's football. You've got a lot of good players, where you think one thing, and another thing can happen in a split-second. So, you've always got to make a split-second decision, and my split-second decision was to be aggressive and not wait for it."</p>
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<p>Ray Anderson, NFL's executive vice president of football operations, didn't see it the same way. On "Mike and Mike" Tuesday morning, Anderson <a href="http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/new-england-patriots/post/_/id/4685484/anderson-meriweathers-hit-flagrant">called Meriweather's hit</a> "flagrant" and "egregious."</p>
https://boston.sbnation.com/new-england-patriots/2010/10/19/1761235/brandon-meriweather-shit-todd-heap-nfl-helmet-concussionRyan Hudson2010-10-19T11:30:17-04:002010-10-19T11:30:17-04:00Brandon Meriweather, Weekend Of Jarring Hits And Concussions In NFL Could Lead To Suspensions
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<p>Following a Sunday that saw a particularly large number of sickening, concussion-inducing hits, the NFL is expected to announce on Wednesday that helmet-to-helmet collisions will result in a suspension, according to an <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2010/10/18/1760431/nfl-helmet-to-helmet-suspension">ESPN report</a>. This stricter penalty would apply to first-time offenders. </p>
<p>This is of concern to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.patspulpit.com/">Patriots</a> because on their roster is a safety named <span>Brandon Meriweather</span>, a fourth-year pro with a tendency of launching himself at receivers. Such was the case Sunday against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.baltimorebeatdown.com/">Ravens</a>, when he was flagged for a helmet-to-helmet on a defenseless <span>Todd Heap</span>. </p>
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<p>Ray Anderson, NFL's executive vice president of football operations, went on ESPN's "Mike and Mike" Tuesday morning, said that the NFL will not create new rules, <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2010/10/19/1761004/nfl-rules-safety-concussions-suspensions-ejections-ray-anderson">but rather enforce Rule 12, Section 2, Article 8 "to the letter of the law;"</a> it deals with hits to the head or neck. </p>
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<p>With regard to punishment, Anderson noted that the NFL would address and further clarify the level of authority granted to referees, and said that players could be ejected from a game for an illegal hit. Suspensions without pay, he said, will also be handed out as punishment.</p>
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<p>On NBC's "Sunday Night Football," former Patriot and infamous big-hitter <span>Rodney Harrison</span> -- he was fined over $200,000 during his career -- said that <a href="http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/articles/2010/10/19/meriweather_hit_gets_hard_look_from_nfl/">fines of $5,000 or $10,000 do not get the attention of NFL players</a>; suspensions, however, would get the point across. </p>
https://boston.sbnation.com/2010/10/19/2322835/brandon-meriweather-weekend-of-jarring-hits-and-concussions-in-nflRyan Hudson