Stay Classy NIU. Player Suspended for lowering shoulder on band member.

• Drums of War

  http://offthebench.nbcsports.com/2011/11/03/northern-illinois-player-suspended-for-sacking-toldeo-band-member-video/
  
  
  Before the idiotic comments start flowing, know that this is a 125# female flute player getting trucked by the moron NIU linebacker #6 (6', 200#). I think the school is publicly doing the right thing here, but is the punishment severe enough? This could easily lead to an assault charge or a lawsuit. I can not say that I would not consider it if I am the chick laying on the ground.
• gorocks99

  

  First, let me say that was a dick move by that guy. Having been in a college marching band, I've been run into by players, but not intentionally or that hard.
  
  Second, this was the first thing I thought of.
  
  [video=youtube;FwhRQYf--KM][/video]
• enigmaax

  1. Get off the field.
  2. Not convinced he meant to hit her. When he first comes into view on that video link, he's coming down to the ground already from a jump, then he bounces up again. He wasn't looking directly at her; she was moving toward him from out of sight. It wasn't like he was walking along and then suddenly jumped toward her - he was clearly jumping up and down before the contact. The way he turns in the air, perhaps he was trying to avoid her once he realized they were going to collide - you can't just stop in mid-air though?
• sleeper

  

  Only in the SEC...
• Drums of War

  enigmaax;956562 wrote:1. Get off the field.
  2. Not convinced he meant to hit her. When he first comes into view on that video link, he's coming down to the ground already from a jump, then he bounces up again. He wasn't looking directly at her; she was moving toward him from out of sight. It wasn't like he was walking along and then suddenly jumped toward her - he was clearly jumping up and down before the contact. The way he turns in the air, perhaps he was trying to avoid her once he realized they were going to collide - you can't just stop in mid-air though?

  1. They belong on the field, it is called Pre-Game. Every college band in America does it. Also the Visitor locker rooms are well out of bounds, and they are headed to their own sideline, so technically they should "get off the field".
  
  2. You have got to be ****ting me. Even their own staff admitted that it was intentional. Besides if it was so innocent, where is the player in the frame after the hit to make sure the girl was ok? I understand giving both sides to an argument, but let's all be serious here for a moment.
• Tobias Fünke

  

  sleeper;956565 wrote:Only in the SEC...

  
• vball10set

  thug
• Little Danny

  

  Drums of War;956516 wrote:http://offthebench.nbcsports.com/2011/11/03/northern-illinois-player-suspended-for-sacking-toldeo-band-member-video/
  
  
  Before the idiotic comments start flowing, know that this is a 125# female flute player getting trucked by the moron NIU linebacker #6 (6', 200#). I think the school is publicly doing the right thing here, but is the punishment severe enough? This could easily lead to an assault charge or a lawsuit. I can not say that I would not consider it if I am the chick laying on the ground.

  Sorry, I think you are going way over the top here. I am guessing you never played football at a competitive level?
  
  What you have to understand is that football is a very emotional game. These guys are running out of the locker room designed to hit somebody and are very excited. I agree with another person who indicated they saw nothing neferious. I played organized football for a long time and have witnessed bystanders get trucked by guys. If the linebacker was truly looking to plow into somebody at top speed, believe me that 125 pound flute player would not be able to get up off the ground.
• j_crazy

  

  i'm kinda with enigmaax here. however the school admitting it was intentional means they have to suspend him. i'm okay with the punishment.
• Mulva

  

  Drums of War;956579 wrote:1. They belong on the field, it is called Pre-Game.

  Fine, stay on the field but get out of the way. It's called football, not marching band.
  
  If he had just trucked her without doing the exaggerated leap this would be a non-issue, because that's a risk you take if you want to walk across a team trying to run out onto the field.
• Drums of War

  Little Danny;956619 wrote:Sorry, I think you are going way over the top here. I am guessing you never played football at a competitive level?
  
  What you have to understand is that football is a very emotional game. These guys are running out of the locker room designed to hit somebody and are very excited. I agree with another person who indicated they saw nothing neferious. I played organized football for a long time and have witnessed bystanders get trucked by guys. If the linebacker was truly looking to plow into somebody at top speed, believe me that 125 pound flute player would not be able to get up off the ground.

  First, let's be clear Danny, you are dead wrong. I played football at the Varsity level. Although not in college, I do understand adrenaline, and running out with your hair on fire. The fact is here if you can picture the angles, the band collapses to the far sideline, and then turns to exit the field. As I said earlier, the same pattern for at least 15 years. Therefore the NIU team was looking directly into the band as it was exiting. Also they are not randomly placed, they are in a line, so it is pretty easy to pick up where they are. Also, the girl in question is not looking toward the players and gets blind sided. There is no way you or anyone else can tell me that it was accidental, or he did not see her there or any other bull flop. This was an intentional act, and in fact a criminal one in my opinion. Tell me how this is not criminal assault if already admitted to be intentional?
• enigmaax

  Drums of War;956579 wrote:1. They belong on the field, it is called Pre-Game. Every college band in America does it. Also the Visitor locker rooms are well out of bounds, and they are headed to their own sideline, so technically they should "get off the field".
  
  2. You have got to be ****ting me. Even their own staff admitted that it was intentional. Besides if it was so innocent, where is the player in the frame after the hit to make sure the girl was ok? I understand giving both sides to an argument, but let's all be serious here for a moment.

  1. Disagree. It is a privilege for them to be on the field, not a right. As someone has already mentioned, it is a football field for a football game. Perhaps some better time and/or logistics management by the band is in order - the football team has its pre-game routine which never includes staying in the locker room until the exact moment of kick-off. The band works around the team.
  
  2. I didn't go looking for more evidence, but I didn't see where the school said it was intentional. I saw an apology and an acceptance of responsibility and that is the "right" thing to do. Accidents and carelessness have consequences, too. I dare say if there was a thought that it was malicious, the penalty might have been a little more harsh. As for why he didn't check on her, again, he was moving forward, in his own zone...may not have even realized he knocked her down.
  
  The guy might have been acting like a dick and did it purposely, I don't know, I wasn't in his head and neither were you. I'm not convinced by what little I see on the video to proclaim that the guy suddenly decided knocking the shit out of a band girl was a great way to start the night.
• LJ

  

  The home band does not work around the away team.
• Drums of War

  Mulva;956626 wrote:Fine, stay on the field but get out of the way. It's called football, not marching band.
  
  If he had just trucked her without doing the exaggerated leap this would be a non-issue, because that's a risk you take if you want to walk across a team trying to run out onto the field.

  Again, wanting to assign no blame to the thug wearing #6. Would your opinion be the same if this were your child being blasted by a 200# athelete for the only reason that she was on the field before the game started entertaining the crowd? What if a player were to run out of bounds, intentionally lower his shoulder and blast a cheerleader just for fun? Would you feel the same way? And to be clear, the way it lines up, they were crossing through the band, not the other way around. If you knew the layout of the stadium, there is no reason for someone heading to the sideline to even be on the field. It is called respect, and I see this young man has none.
• Little Danny

  

  Drums of War;956674 wrote:First, let's be clear Danny, you are dead wrong. I played football at the Varsity level. Although not in college, I do understand adrenaline, and running out with your hair on fire. The fact is here if you can picture the angles, the band collapses to the far sideline, and then turns to exit the field. As I said earlier, the same pattern for at least 15 years. Therefore the NIU team was looking directly into the band as it was exiting. Also they are not randomly placed, they are in a line, so it is pretty easy to pick up where they are. Also, the girl in question is not looking toward the players and gets blind sided. There is no way you or anyone else can tell me that it was accidental, or he did not see her there or any other bull flop. This was an intentional act, and in fact a criminal one in my opinion. Tell me how this is not criminal assault if already admitted to be intentional?

  
  That's it... the guy needs to be charged with a hate crime!
  
  As enigmaxx stated, apologizing and accepting responsibility are different than stating the act was done intentionally. It says, time to move on... nothing to see here. If anything, it was a classy move by the player, team and athletic department.
• gorocks99

  

  Drums of War;956695 wrote:Again, wanting to assign no blame to the thug wearing #6. Would your opinion be the same if this were your child being blasted by a 200# athelete for the only reason that she was on the field before the game started entertaining the crowd? What if a player were to run out of bounds, intentionally lower his shoulder and blast a cheerleader just for fun? Would you feel the same way? And to be clear, the way it lines up, they were crossing through the band, not the other way around. If you knew the layout of the stadium, there is no reason for someone heading to the sideline to even be on the field. It is called respect, and I see this young man has none.

  Was it your daughter? Starting to think it was.
• karen lotz

  

  Bitch needs to have her head on a swivel. I blame her.
• ohiobucks1

  

  My opinion on this falls directly in the middle of Drums of War and Little Danny's opinions.
• Drums of War

  enigmaax;956690 wrote:1. Disagree. It is a privilege for them to be on the field, not a right. As someone has already mentioned, it is a football field for a football game. Perhaps some better time and/or logistics management by the band is in order - the football team has its pre-game routine which never includes staying in the locker room until the exact moment of kick-off. The band works around the team.
  
  2. As for why he didn't check on her, again, he was moving forward, in his own zone...may not have even realized he knocked her down. .

  1. A Privilege? Can you hear how arrogant that sounds? These kids put in 60 hour weeks, long before classes start, and then 15+ hours a week on top of classes for their RIGHT to be on that field at the request of the athletic department. Show me any stadium at any school where the home band works around the visiting team. If they would have simply run through with a little jostling I would call it rude, but no big deal here, but that was not the case.
  
  2. I have worn the pads, and the helmet, and I know if I laid a shoulder into someone's head, I would have known I did it. The suggestion of anything else simply makes you look foolish.
• Drums of War

  gorocks99;956701 wrote:Was it your daughter? Starting to think it was.

  No, my only child is 6, and in Kindergarten. I am just shocked that people would defend this guy and turn blame to the band. Hell a hit like that on a WR in the NFL would have drawn a flag, and they are atheletes in full pads. I can not find a rational excuse for this.
• Drums of War

  karen lotz;956705 wrote:Bitch needs to have her head on a swivel. I blame her.

  Funniest quote of the thread, only because I remember my coach saying that no less than 10 times a day.
• vball10set

  Drums of War;956710 wrote:No, my only child is 6, and in Kindergarten. I am just shocked that people would defend this guy and turn blame to the band. Hell a hit like that on a WR in the NFL would have drawn a flag, and they are atheletes in full pads. I can not find a rational excuse for this.

  they're not, this is OC...that's how they roll
  
  edit: this just means they're messin' with ya', 'cause if it was anyone on here's gf, sister, etc., they'd be bitchin' to beat the band (pun intended)
• karen lotz

  

  Drums of War;956710 wrote:No, my only child is 6, and in Kindergarten. I am just shocked that people would defend this guy and turn blame to the band. Hell a hit like that on a WR in the NFL would have drawn a flag, and they are atheletes in full pads. I can not find a rational excuse for this.

  
  WRs in the NFL don't march in formation while carrying instruments. Sorry.
• gorocks99

  

  Drums of War;956710 wrote:No, my only child is 6, and in Kindergarten. I am just shocked that people would defend this guy and turn blame to the band. Hell a hit like that on a WR in the NFL would have drawn a flag, and they are atheletes in full pads. I can not find a rational excuse for this.

  So that REALLY would've sucked if it was your daughter out there then, eh? Kidding.
  
  Anyhow, from a former long-time bando, as I said before, he went in there hard and was an idiot. But I also feel like criminal charges is way overboard. I feel OK about the actions of the University here.
• Pick6

  

  who cares.