they do not need to be on the football field. Had Tommie not missed essentially the entire game anyhow, I would hope that the league or the team would have suspended him for a game.

This is a professional sport, played by the most gifted and talented players in the world. If one of those players does not have the self-control to keep from punching someone on the friggin field, they have no business playing.

He might not make any tackles, but at least he is stronger than a lot of OLinemen. He ain’t easy to push around, so at least he’ll fill a gap.

I’ve played quite a few “downs of football” before, and if I would have done what Tommie did in Pop Warner or in High School, the coaches would’ve kicked me off the team. You don’t sucker punch a player like that in football, at any level, regardless of provocation.

I’m not calling for his head. I’m simply stating that I will support whatever punishment is handed to Harris, either from the league or from the team. If Lovie sits Tommie and we lose because of it (which is a stupid opinion some have) then I will still stand behind our Coach’s decision. If he plays him, fine, whatever.

And if Tommie gets cut next year and goes on to prosper for another NFL team, good for him. I don’t fault the Bears for cutting ties with Benson, which I’m assuming is your reference point, it was the right decision at the time. And if the Bears decide to do the same with Harris, I will again stick by their decision. Because I am positive they know more about Tommie’s situation than the average back seat driver.

Heres the problem, our fan base does not think for themselves, they allow the media to tell them how to think.

A wise person will always seek to educate themselves, and not allow their own opinions to be derived from hollow sources.

The premise of your statement, I reckon, could potentially have merit, but when you choose to lump an entire group of people into a category, albeit, a group of people that you have never met in your life… any credibility that you may have attempted to have is gone out the window.

And since this comment was to smudgers, I’ll let him try and figure out exactly what your point is for the rest of your comment.

Also, please use the reply button. I see you are brand new to the blog, so you likely didn’t notice it. When you use it, your comment will shift below the comment you are replying to. Thanks.

Anytime some one calls me mister I still look around for my father. I figure they can’t be talking to me.

the fan base comment, since Dane’s already touched on it.

After reading through your post, multiple times to piece together your rambling, I have taken from it the three random points (that I believe) you are trying to make:

1) Sucker punching people in the face is okay in professional football, because similar instances have taken place and people have gotten away with it.

Rebuttal: This “point” is so absurd, I don’t even know how to argue it. I guess I will try to lay it out in the simplest of terms.

If my sister stole a piece of candy from the convenience store, does it make it okay for me to, as well? No, of course it does not. What Tommie did was wrong, whether it was the NFL or flag football in the backyard.

The NFL has advanced, or digressed (if that’s how you see it), and punching people is not tolerated like it used to. These players know the rules of the NFL and they also know that the Commissioner has led with a heavy hand.

2) Although the fans “think” that Tommie’s been performing poorly, the “stats say otherwise.”

Rebuttal: 2009 major stats – 8 games, 0 sacks, 8 tackles, 1 interception, $7 million (+) earned

My only other argument against this is, who cares about what his stats are, for the sake of the suspension? If Lance Briggs had punched someone who was lay on the ground, my opinion of supporting Lovie’s or the the league’s decision would not change. (But maybe, that’s because I think for myself!)

My overall stance on this is that because player x sucker punched player y, in the face, while laying down, player x deserves what he gets.

3) Tommie doesn’t have a track record of punching people, so Lutui must have provoked him.

Rebuttal: So what? In football – nay, in life – you are only accountable for your own actions. There are dirty players all throughout football, there are some on our team (I’m sure), but players don’t typically react how Tommie did.

You wanna know how to get back at Lutui, you beat his a** on the next play and sack his effin’ quarterback. You only hurt your team by reacting the way Harris did.

I don’t have time to re-read this to check for clarity since I’m running late, so I hope it makes some sense. And please, you don’t have to call me “mister.”