[jbeeler]

Okay, Albert Haynesworth went over the line. He knows it, we all know it. I think it's what he has been coached to do, trained to do, and in the heat of the battle, he did what has been automatic for so many games for so very long. He went way over the line, and come on, HE KNOWS IT! So does everyone. It's not golf, people. That doesn't excuse it and it doesn't make it right. But let's give him a break. He has been suspended and there may be legal action. He is probably a great guy and who knows why people snap and do stupid things. I got pulled over last night in downtown Knoxville for getting behind an unmarked police car in the fast lane and being a smartass and flashing my lights to get him to GO FASTER OR MOVE OVER. That in no way compares to the ballgame incident but how many of us have never crossed the line from sane to stupid. Let this go. Mr. Haynesworth, you are a tough ballplayer and you did what you were supposed to do, just did it to the extreme.

[etodd]

Umm... Al is not, even possibly in the vicinity of nice guy. Do your homework. He's regretful because while he was stompin the snot outta his adversay's head, he did not take pause to consider that it would cost him 500 large. Another reason to be sorry is that O-lineman all over the NFL are gonna look to disable his unruly self. Takin a swing at somebody every now and again maybe, Kicking a guy's helmet off and stomping his head TWICE is not the action of a probable nice guy. He's a punk, a thug. No place for that kind of activity. He's done similar things too many times (to his own teammates) to be passed off as an aberration.

[jbeeler]

I'm not saying it's right, and I'm not saying he shouldn't get the crap knocked out of him on the field. I'm saying he is doing what he has been trained to do and paid to do, starting probably way back. A punk? I don't know about that. Do you know him? I don't know him. I am just making an observation and I haven't changed my mind and I probably won't change my mind. I just think everybody acting all self-righteous all of a sudden like pro football is an Easter egg hunt is ridiculous. He is being punished and being dealt with and we ought to find something else to complain about.

[simple simon]

Originally Posted by jbeeler

Okay, Albert Haynesworth went over the line. He knows it, we all know it. I think it's what he has been coached to do, trained to do, and in the heat of the battle, he did what has been automatic for so many games for so very long.

hey dude, welcome to the forum

sorry to be disagreeable with your 1st post, but i think youre way off base here

i was in the Army for years, trained to kill....seems by your logic it's ok if i go out and kill people then apologize for it ?

and actually he was never trained to do what he did

he tore a mans helmet off, then stopmed on his unprotected head twice with grass cleats

if he was trained to do that, his coach needs to go to jail

[jbeeler]

I didn't think my point would be really popular, and you're right, if a coach told him or trained him to do that, he should be in as much crap as Albert. I don't think he was trained to kick the helmet and cleat the guy's face, I mean he has been trained to be aggressive and play hard and put some hurt on people, and HE took it to the cleating and helmet knocking, which is HIS fault. It's okay to disagree, I just think sometimes we show people how to act, and we tell them to go out there and kill kill kill and then when they do just that, and absolutely go way over the line, then we all act horrified as if we wanted him to tap the guy's shoulder. I just think it's a sad situation all the way around.

[alex83]

im not going to take either side of this argument, all im gonna say is yes Al made an enormous mistake and for that he has the 'proud' 'hounour' of having the longest game suspension in NFL history for an onfield activity, but the Titans have left the rest to him, hes been fined and susspened, there is nothing we can do or the Titans can do so i think we should let him deal with the punishment and move on.

im not saying what he did was ok because it was in the heat of the moment and im also not suggesting we all grab our pitchforks and head to number 1 Albert Haynsworth Avenue, Nashville, Tennessee, all im gonna say is whats happened has happened, its been dealt with and we have a season to get on with, lets not be like the Cowboys and let every incident become front page news all season and distract our players from the job they have to do

p.s. i would also like to add a special thanks to everyone on the site for making this a comfortable place to talk Titans, i thought i would exprience some backlash because im from the UK and obviously dont get as much hands on information as the guys in the US but everyone has been great and i would just like to say thanks...dont worry im not expecting some sort of a cyber-group hug at this point or anything ha ha

[jbeeler]

Hey, I'm in agreement about this being a decent place to air opinions. I talked with a friend of mine today who knows Mr. Haynesworth personally and it seems that Al is apparently a good guy, a family man, and good people sometimes use really bad judgement. He is being punished in his wallet, which is where it would hurt me the most, I don't know about everyone else. I joined this forum specifically to talk about this topic and I am pleasantly surprised at how I was not attacked and screamed at for my point of view. Thanks for that.!

[Lefty Noob]

Thank for joining us, jbeeler, and thanks to both you and alex83 for the kind words about the forum. That's what we're all about here at GTG - trying to create a place where sports fans can discuss and debate issue like this in a flame-free environment. Nothing stinks worse than being called a moron or whatnot just because you disagree with someone.

Like you point out, everyone on occasion has that switch that flips somewhere in their head that makes them want to do something extreme. I think the difference with Haynesworth is that he acted on his impulse with a total lack of restraint, and that this isn't the first time something like this has happened to him. Deep down, he may be a good guy, especially off the field. But he definitely seems to have some serious issues that need to be dealt with.

[EmpireWF]

The interesting part in all this is that sure sometimes people lose their judgement. However, in the NFL, no other player has ever done something like this so blatantly. To intentionally step on a player's head when he doesn't have a helmet on? What was he going to accomplish?

[jbeeler]

I don't guess he was thinking at all, and if anything, the only thing he may have accomplished is bringing attention to the fact that you have to play the game and have self control no matter what. But in my opinion, Fisher could have supported Albert as a person without supporting his actions more than he did. I have more respect for Albert Haynesworth than I do Jeff Fisher. Sniffing and lifting his nose in the air like a little rich girl crooking his pinky finger for tea, is shameful. He should have chewed Albert a new one behind closed doors and been neutral at least in public instead of slamming him in the press.

[EmpireWF]

I don't blame Fisher at all. He was upset with Haynesworth so much and had so much respect for his opponent that he made a point of saying even if the NFL didn't do enough to punish the culprit, he would have done so.

It's not about showing up someone in the press. Haynesworth deserved everything he got...and probably some more.

[etodd]

Originally Posted by jbeeler

I'm not saying it's right, and I'm not saying he shouldn't get the crap knocked out of him on the field. I'm saying he is doing what he has been trained to do and paid to do, starting probably way back. A punk? I don't know about that. Do you know him? I don't know him. I am just making an observation and I haven't changed my mind and I probably won't change my mind. I just think everybody acting all self-righteous all of a sudden like pro football is an Easter egg hunt is ridiculous. He is being punished and being dealt with and we ought to find something else to complain about.

Honestly THAT is somewhat ridiculous. Self-righteous? I haven't gotten in the same zip code as self-righteous (yet). Being appalled by a person causing deliberate physical injury to another person during the course of a game is self-righteous? Stomping on his unprotected (or protected for that matter) head with metal cleats is something you think is no big deal?

Its the kind of crap that Mr. Hayensworth (I use the title of respect loosely) displayed against the Cowboys (most recently) and on previous occasions (not so publically) that serves to bring a respectable sport down to the level of the modern circus show known as "professional" rastlin". In my never to be humble opinion, Coach Fisher handled the situation appropriately by pre-empting the second guessers by disclosing his disapproval. You stated later that he shouldn't have criticized him publically. HE DIDN'T MISS A TACKLE OR SCREW UP AN ASSIGNMENT. He attacked another player totally outside the scope of the game. He committed what by some has been referred to as "a criminal act". Evidently the police force in his team's hometown agreed. They said they were ready to arrest him if charges were filed.

Making excuses, as has been done in the past, for Albert Haynesworth's poor behavior, whatever the motivating factor will do little but encourage future similar acts. Letting him know it is unacceptable (by the Coach, the NFL, and the fans) will either serve to help him correct his ways or quite possibly remove him from the game eventually. For all of his talent and ability and his importance to the Titans defense, I personally couldn't care less how Mr. Haynesworth's tenure as a Titan is resolved as long as he stops acting like a thug.

As an aside jbeeler, thanks for your comments. If this comes across as adversarial, it is not intended as such, however I find it difficult to not respond to the defense of the indefensible. Thanks.

[Sweets]

If not caught on tape I seriously doubt that Haynesworth would have been apologetic, as someone already said this isn't the first of so called "rage" coming from this man, happened in college too so for anyone to say that this was an isolated incident is bogus and someone needs to do their homework before coming to the defense of this player.

He's been suspended and will probably never play for the Titans again and he can only blame himself.

Welcome jbeeler

[jbeeler]

I have that bumper sticker on my car, "Well behaved women seldom make history." It's true. I actually have done my homework since I began this thread and I still stand by my original statement. Albert Haynesworth has done some bad things on and off the field and I don't think all of them have been caught on camera and it may or may not make any difference. This last incident was the most visible and it was bad. I'm not defending it. I'm just saying he isn't the only one who has gone way over the line, and he probably is a good guy, he has just been trained to have the killer instinct and I would imagine that it's hard to turn that off. All the squealers and people willing to turn their backs on him now haven't been where he has been, that's all I'm saying. He is paying the price and is suffering the consequences. Right in the wallet, and in public embarassment. I just think it's time to let it go. Like I said before, it's not golf and it's not an easter egg hunt. He may always be known as "the player who cleated the guy in the face" but he will have to own that one. I just think it can be partially explained by the way they are trained and coached and paid to do this job.

I'm just glad we have a place we can talk about all this!

[Sweets]

Players are coached to play a GAME, not to maim or try to kill other players, the whole world was watching and Al can apologize till the he's blue in the face and it won't matter...it's obvious to me at least that he refuses to control his inner "RAGE"..

jbeeler you as well as the rest of us are welcomed to their opinions, just realize that more people see him as a threat then a good football player and one that the game can do without.