How about that punch to the chin on that steeler lb from LT Nate Solder?
Ok, they were locked on to each other, heat of battle. When the ref, standing 6 inches from them, probably saying break it up, aftef the whistle blew the play dead, the steeler dis engaged, hands down creating a good 2 feet of space between he and Nate. And then Solder rips off a nice dead on, closed fist punch to the steeler lb's chin and the ref throws a flag. As he should.
Problem is, that should have been an EJECTION from the game. Play was over, the assaulted party was dis engaged and not threatening and was then attacked. I think somewhere that is called the Alzado rule after the raiders Lyle Alzado who was notorious for this very thing.
Had this been the falcons or bengals or titans, player would have been gone. Players get in scrums, slaps on the helmet, pushing, both parties taking aggressive stances or contact. But, when its over, whistle blown, one party clearly at ease, especially with a ref right on the spot and the other player continues, especially landing a solid punch, the player is EJECTED!!
HERE is wants happening now. The pats have had an "untouchable" attitude for years. Now, with Tom and the pats beating a rap that even the officials knew they were guilty of, they know no one is going to level ANY accusation at them again. They now own the commisioner and the leauge they know it. They are going to get worse. And they flaunted it last night.
Tom Brady could have decked a ref and the ref would have been suspended. That ref had instant second thoughts on tossing solder as they too were embarrassed and their credability tossed in the deflate loss and ejecting the pats left tackle early in the game was a real caution for that ref.
And all this hooey about "all teams cheat, they would have go after every team" is pig poop!! Not all coaches are dirt bags. And even if it were true, fine! The leauge should take action and send letters with an ANY TEAM caught cheating will be charged a LOSS for the game the offense occured in. That would end that. No playef or coach would risk lossing a game.
But between the pats radio and the punch by solder, nate solder was the thing that shows clearly the effect this deflate win by the pats have affected (or better yet, infected) the league. The pats will now have a "their picking on us again" trump card. The refs and commisioner know this. Thats why the pats had the balls to do their radio bit right out of the gate. Their already thumbing their noses.
Brady must go down, and he must go down HARD!!!