This is absolutely a fantastic point and I would add another yet another …allow rules for a benching for the rest of a half instead of a whole game depending on the gravity of the major offence …if really serious resulting in player injury or almost that case, the rest of the game …if within five minutes of the end of a half, then also for the first half of the next game or the entire next game, so no last-minute cheap shots so to speak …this could also be called the “sin bin” if for a half of football …the fundamental idea is quite right though in that the player needs time to “cool off” and an incentive NOT to commit such fouls beyond a mere fine AFTER the game.
At the core all players are the same as we are as kids in that we want to play, as in RIGHT NOW, and taking a toy away tomorrow is by far not nearly as much a deterrent to misbehaviour than being made to go to the corner for a “timeout” right now and no more toys indefinitely.
I may be wrong, but Willis wasn't called for leading with his helmet ? He was nailed with a late hit/roughing the passer ? If the ref thought that was late, then it's time to put flags on the QB !
With that I do agree they should re look at it and a player suspension would be in order.
sorry forgot to add
With the same player being called in 2 consecutive plays for a major penalty - both illegal hits on the QB - He should have been tossed out of the game at that point.
Again I say it is not the ref who should be apologizing to anyone in this case -
Get real! If Labinjo wasn’t suspended for doing knee drops in that game against Edmonton then there is no way there would be a suspension for those two hits. There was no intent to injure Durant nor was Durant injured on either play. The penalties were sufficient punishment.
Obviously the penalty was not enough and he did it again. I know in the CFL someone has to die before anyone gets suspended but can you really say with a straight face that this kind of play should be tolerated?
He was called with roughing the passer which includes leading with his helmet as one of the things that constitutes a penalty.
And it wasn’t tolerated in those two cases because he was penalized. I’m more concerned about consistency with roughing the passer calls. I could probably find still images that look a lot worse of other defensive players hitting QBs from all teams. Some were penalized and some weren’t. For example, the play where Buck was injured he was tackled at the knees or a little below. That should be a roughing the passer penalty. Do you think the Rider player should be suspended for that hit? Hey, Buck was hurt on the play and if the Rider hadn’t hit him illegally he wouldn’t have gone down and wouldn’t have hurt his elbow.