Could this, possibly, be what Chiefs' head coach Todd Haley was so upset about after the absolute whipping his team accepted in Denver last Sunday?
I can't argue the hit, applied by Denver linebacker Joe Mays on Chiefs' rookie-tight end Tony Moeaki, violated the NFL's new and improved helmet-to-helmet policy. The updated rule now includes unnecessary hits on any defenseless players — not just exposed wide-receivers — and could result in immediate fines and suspension. It was obvious Moeaki was not defenseless, though the necessity of the hit could surely be questioned. I was shocked, though, that the play received virtually no media coverage outside of Kansas City.
One would hope the Chiefs were smart enough to send a heads-up to the league for review. Moeaki looked pretty bad trying to get back on his feet after the hit, and is likely to miss this Sunday's Chiefs-Cardinals game at Arrowhead because of it.
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After the game, Haley refused to shake Broncos' head coach Josh McDaniel's hand, instead opting to share a few choice words with him while pointing his finger in disgust before walking away.
Haley has since apologized through the media to the fans, the Broncos organization, and McDaniels, though he said he would not reach out to the coach personally. There was speculation Haley's outrage had nothing to do with the Moeaki hit, and had more to do with Denver's unrelenting offensive and defensive attack late in the second-half after the game had long been decided.
Sports Illustrated's Jim Trotter even tweeted about it.
Regardless, it is worth noting that in the Chiefs' 44-24 blowout of the Broncos in last season's finale at Invesco, Haley pulled running back Jamaal Charles in the second-half when he was just 38 yards shy of breaking Adrian Peterson's single-game rushing record.
No matter what side of the fence you're on, this all makes for one hell of a storyline leading into these two teams' rematch at Arrowhead in three weeks.
I detest Denver, and I especially loathe their fiery coach, who I feel, will be proven to be a marauder w/ headset.
ReplyDeleteBut, I disagree on the "handshake fiasco."
Haley needs to be the better man, to take his whooping, and to finish his business with a telephone call on Monday Morning. He looked NO BETTER than "Skippy" in throwing a postgame fit, pointing a finger, and grumbling. As a Chiefs fan, I was screaming: "Why don't you yell at your underachieving team, the one that didn't bother showing up?!"
Yes, it was a rather cheap shot, but, that said, Moaeki needs to be aware that he is not going to be GIVEN a thing, nor should he. If Denver wants to score 120, that is their right-- I do not believe in "The gentlemen's code to conduct" as it comes to playing Pro Ball--- If you don't like a team playing 100% to the conclusion of the game, then you are forced to resort to grumbling and throwing fits. Props to Denver for kicking ass-- I half expected to see Clinton Portis emerge from the tunnel wearing that WWF belt.
I want to note something before I comment really:
ReplyDeleteYou are bringing tweets in to your blog? Stop it.
As for Haley, he does have something to feel frustrated with because of the class he showed last year, and the lack of class he was shown last week. However, He does not have to do it on national television and it shouldn't even be brought up except for fans making note like this.
Also with the hit, I agree that you shouldn't fault Mays now, but this may be the start of NFL fines going out to over zealous/uncalled for hits. I don't agree with it, I just see that coming.
As always Eli, Great post.
Twitter is an absolute MUST for anyone interested in promoting their projects/ideas. Like, in this case, a BLOG.
ReplyDeleteI was a skeptic for awhile. I now reflect on that time period as pure ignorance. If used properly, Twitter is/can be/will be your greatest and most efficient outlet for news/info/entertainment purposes.