There is no place in the game for Mitchell's arm snap on Rottier!
The TSN cameras show a clear picture of the whole thing.
The maximum suspension in the CFL is 1 game. :roll:
Truly disgusting what he did and there is no place in the game for that type of play. To hear his explanation after the game was laughable. The guy is a punk, plain and simple. I suspect he'll have a big target on his back the next time the Esks and Lions meet up.
Pretty egregious hit. If you're trying to get away from a blocker, you don't generally grab his arm and twist it around with you as you're in motion. :roll: That seems like a pretty clear intent to injure and I would hope the league reviews the play and disciplines Mitchell accordingly.
Should be kicked out of the league, IMO.
Blame the CFLPA. Cohon can't discipline them. 1 game...About the same as an ejection early in the first quarter. Cohon has about the same power as an official !
Here's a link to the replay, plus post-game interviews with both players.
[url]Video - TSN
And here's the TSN panel discussing the play.
[url]Video - TSN
Total disgrace. I couldn't believe my eyes. No room for this in the CFL. I think the jerk should be suspended and fined
He should be suspended and fined. That was an obvious intent to injury. Rottier was intertwined with the other players in the muddle. Yanking on his arm was a stupid way to remove him. Even the moron himself admitted he heard a popping sound when he tried to separate him from his limb.
What's was more ridiculous than the action itself were the lame excuses he offered later.
The TSN panel suggested that there is no limit to the discipline that can be handed down to Mitchell. We'll have to wait and see what Cohon does with this. It had better be something significant, since the CFL will have a serious public relations nightmare on their hands if it isn't. Like the TSN panel said, Mitchell must be made an example of in order to get these types of inexcusable actions to stop.
In fact, if I was the management of the BC LIons, I wouldn't wait for Cohon's ruling on this issue. I would have the team punish Mitchell before Cohon even gets to make his own announcement, including the possibility of releasing him. That would go a long way in helping the public relations for the BC LIons organization. Do you think Wally Buono would do anything like this? If I were David Braley or Dennis Skulsky, I would order Buono to deal with it immediately!
I also found it interesting when Chris Schultz on the TSN panel kept suggesting that the action was pre-meditated and intentional. It almost sounded as if he would like to see some sort of criminal charges brought up against Mitchell above and beyond what the league imposes on him. I would certainly agree with it if it was possible, but even if it were possible, it would be difficult to prove that there was actual pre-meditation and malicious intent.
Ghastly and despicable actions by Khalif, including the lack of remorse and accountability.
No question the intent was there.
and I previously had utmost respect for KW when he spurned NFL offers last year to remain with the Leos.
That is absolutely brutal. Whatever is handed down I hope the player's PA stays out of it. It doesn't matter whether it's NFL or NHL I can't stand it when a player is brutally hurt and the PA stands up for the offender who is suspended trying to shorten the suspension. Where is the support for the injured player? The players need to demand to be protected from this crap not the league's discipline.
I think what Schultz meant was the Mitchell knew what he was doing as he was doing it I wouldn’t go as far to think that before the game he was planning on trying to do that Rottier’s arm. But I definately think that Mitchell saw the arm and made the decision to do what he did. I don’t think the Lions would release him or even sit him for a gun as he is too good a player. I am not saying that excuses the play I hope the league suspends him without pay for at least 5 games. But realistically Mitchell is their best D-Linemen and in the end this is a business and Buono will wait for the league to rule before he does anything.
Buono has encouraged/condoned this kind of behavior for years. The culture in B.C. is still the culture created by Buono’s long tenure as coach/GM and now GM. The same guy that made excuses for goon behavior by Rob Murphy and Jason Jiminez now brings you yet another cheap punk “just playing on the edge” :roll: . Buono can’t be out of the league soon enough as far as I’m concerned. Sadly, Buono’s contempt for the safety of opposing players won’t keep him out of the HOF.
I don't think it's fair to implicate Wally Buono in this matter. Mitchell is his own player, and Buono isn't even a coach this year. Until and unless we find out that there was some sort of Saints-style bounty system going on, I'll continue to put these actions on the players themselves. Mitchell had absolutely no reason to do what he did, and he should be disciplined accordingly. Sadly, the current CBA makes it difficult for the league to really crack down on dirty players.
This isn’t the first time I’ve read this and based on what was said on TSN last night, it is not true. When they talked about it during halftime of yesterday’s game (and you can watch the video on tsn.ca), it was stated very emphatically that there is no limit to what the league can do to punish Mitchell. According to the panel, and Climie said he talked to people in the league office, there is nothing in the CBA that can stop the commissioner from throwing the book at Mitchell. So either what is being said on here is untrue or someone lied to Climie. I guess we’ll find out in a couple of days.
As far as I'm concerned, the penalty should fit the crime. For ANY dirty play that results in an injury, the perp should have an unpaid vacation for the duration of the rehabilitation of the injured player.
[url=http://www.windsorstar.com/sports/Mitchell+wrestling+move+Eskimos+spitting/6970866/story.html]http://www.windsorstar.com/sports/Mitch ... story.html[/url]
Here’s another write up I found on the play incident of Mitchell/Rottier. From what I get out of these Quotes from both players is there was a pile of players and [either Rottier lost his balance and/or Mitchell] who thus claims Rottier had a hold of his jersey and spun around with Rottier’s arm clearly in an arm bar from what I saw of the play. I agree however of what has been said here in this thread. - I hope the Commissioner steps up to plate with the deserved consequences.
I found this.
http://cfldb.ca/faq/game-rules-regulations/[b]
10.What are the maximum fines and suspensions for players available to the league and member clubs? Can teams fine their players for taking penalties?#
The power of the commissioner to fine and suspend players, coaches, employees, officials or team executives is granted in Section 10.06 of the CFL Constitution as amended in Section 14.02 of the current CBA. Discipline can be imposed for "… breach of any requirement of the Constitution, By-laws, Regulations or any proper orders or for conduct, actions or behaviour that, in the opinion of the Commissioner, brings disrepute to the League or the game of football."
The maximum league fine shall not exceed $25,000 or one-half (½) of the player's regular season game cheque. To reach the $25,000 limit a player would have to have a $900,000 contract (excluding bonuses). There is no maximum suspension length defined. Section 10.06 of the Constitution grants the commissioner the ability to suspend indefinitely or for life any player or person associated with the league or its member clubs who has bet on the outcome of a game as well as fine them a maximum of $5,000, cancel their contract and order their shares in any member club sold.
Article 21 of the CBA defines the rules surrounding fines and player discipline available to member clubs. Players may be fined a maximum of one-half their pay for a regular season game. Fines of $75 or less may be used by the players and coach for the benefit of all players on the club roster. Fines greater than $75 are to be collected by the member clubs, turned over to the CFL who in turn shall remit the total to the CFLPA. The CFLPA may use these monies for any purpose provided they report to the CFLPRC the use of the fines.
Based on this rule, teams may have varying levels of fines of $75 or less for infractions as decided by the head coach or players. Popular infractions for fines would be personal fouls in games, being late for practice or meetings, and other discipline related actions. While it is possible for a system to fine for every penalty a player commits, it is more likely imposed for face-masking, objectionable conduct, disqualification and other major penalties.[/b]
Ask Simeon Rottier about Khalif Mitchell and the Edmonton Eskimos offensive lineman says he’s moved on. Forgiven and forgotten. If only his elbow was as cooperative as his heart.Rottier didn’t participate in Sunday’s Eskimos practice, but he was at least wearing his No. 65, biking on the sidelines with his left arm bandaged after having it violently yanked backwards by B.C. Lions defensive lineman Khalif Mitchell during the Eskimos’ 27-14 win on Friday.
The x-rays on his arm came back negative on Sunday. The Eskimos expect him to miss Thursday’s game against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
Rottier was asked, isn’t it difficult to forgive and forget something like that?[url=http://www.edmontonjournal.com/sports/Eskimos+Rottier+forgives+forgets/6972994/story.html]http://www.edmontonjournal.com/sports/E ... story.html[/url]“Well yeah,? he said. “I mean, I was pretty upset at the time, but I always felt, I was brought up as a Christian. The Lord forgave me of all of my sins and everything I did, so if you look at it like that, everyone needs to be forgiven.
“From my perspective, forgiven means letting go of the bitterness and … that’s going to try and bring me down. I don’t need that, so I’m just going to let it go.?
I agree with this 100%