BEATING IT TO DEATH

For this blogger, reading the sports pages and TV accounts of the illegal hits controversy in the NFL is like Dracula being named to the YWCA summer camp staff. It's Manna from heaven.

The latest is the NFL Executive V.P. of football operations' Ray Anderson's response to the Steeler players assertion that James Harrison is being profiled by the league, the officials on the field, and whatever vitriol is left over is aimed at the entire Steeler's organization.

Anderson characterized the conclusion as "misguided and frankly, completely untrue" He continued, "Every team and every player, hopefully, will have the confidence that, if they play within the rules, we won't have this problem."

What rules? The ones whose interpretations are changed more frequently than the prices at Walmart?

"Taint so," says "Rain Man" who apparently is a "know all - see all", and who -not unlike Carnac - comes to us from the mysterious East - or as far East as the NFL offices are located.

It is old Ray and assistant Director Merton Hanks, a former NFL player, but not Commissioner Roger Goodell who have sole responsibility for making the illegal/fineable hit determinations.

Another NFL official, Michael Signora, said the reason Harrison wasn't suspended was "because it wasn't a flagrant hit." He added that although the hit was not flagrant, as a multiple offender of the rules in this area, Harrison received a significant fine.' (What area, Pittsburgh?)

So, let me see. Even if the hits by Harrison were examined several times and replays found at least two were found to be legal - they still are included in the accounting standards of the NFL?" This is like waiting for Mitch McConnells latest position on "earmarks" or giving approval to Bernie Madoffs math calculations.

We all watched the hit last Sunday. What we didn't see was the same thing that referee John Parry saw when he chose to penalize Harrison - precipitously. One assumes he recognized early on that in addition to a desire to hit the quarterback - James also had salacious thoughts about one of the female fans sitting in the endzone.

Rothlisberger - among others in the Steelers organization - states that Parry went for his flag even before Harrison hit the Buffalo quarterback. Why not? What's another $25,000 fine between friends?

Parry initially said, the penalty was called "for leading with the crown - or top- of his helmet." Replay definitely shows the top of Harrison's helmet never touched quarterback Fitzpatrick.

Perhaps the correct conclusion is the penalty resulted from a "self-fullfilling prophesy."

The explanations vary from week to week as to what the NFL "dynamic duo" believes comprises an illegal hit.

One of my favorites is "the offense was a 'full body' hit . It reminds me of the Hippos in Disney's -"Fantasia" - trying to dance carefully across the stage in their tutu's. It ain't going to happen - not even on "Dancing With The Stars." It's called football and big guys play it.

The NFL in it's final infinite wisdom declared they fined Harrison because "he made helmet contact to the chest of the Buffalo quarterback, who was in a defenseless position."

Yeah, maybe he was defenseless. Happens to a lot to quarterbacks who "stay too long at the fair" while exploring their options.

We got ''El Numero Uno" in Rothlisberger. He's often criticized for doing just that.

A couple of Buffalo players were trying to convince him of the evil of this fool hearted behavior by roughing him up after they sacked him this past Sunday. You probably missed the fines the NFL announced after that play. Let's not even go into the Finnegan/Johnson debacle.

Oh, and they just announced, Big Ben has a broken foot.

So who do you blame for the NFL's apparent inconsistency? The referee who's trying to hold onto his job by doing what HE thinks is consistent with the league's philosophy? The two guys who solely are responsible for making these omnipotent calls but, who in addition, apparently have found the time to examine every play committed by 32 teams (excluding bye weeks) and then determine whether or not they should result in a fine?

These guys give multi-tasking a whole new meaning.

Or do you blame Harrison for some of his foolish statements including the one that started this whole bruhaha by saying, in effect, "I'm just trying to put a hurt on them - not maim them"and now states,"I'm going to continue to play the same way and won't adjust my tackling technique"?

My conclusion? It's a gross miscarriage of justice, and the worst case of failing to develop an exit strategy since George W.

One suggestion: "Put a third guy in the booth. Add the guy heading up the TSA to the current team of NFL decision makers. He's also convinced he's always right - everybody else is wrong- and he's also really good at getting people pissed off."

Does it bother you that only two people can accurately interpret Rule 12 and it's variations as to what constitutes an illegal hit?

I'm done. On this subject, I sure don't want to be accused of "Beating it to death."