Jennings suspended for first half of bowl game (merged)

[rikberry31]

Once again, what's important to you is not that Davis was suspended for the exact amount of time prescribed. What's important to you is that the SEC didn't do the suspending.

Yeah, that’s the point. If JJ was a bammer he would have only been benched because Little Nicky wanted him to. For an important game RD would not have missed a snap.

 

[VolInNW]

This is not that hard. In these types of matters (player on player violence) the SEC should be the official sanctioning party. If, like an NCAA investigation, the school chooses to announce self-imposed sanctions on the player, that should, in Bamawriter's words, mitigate the SEC action, perhaps entirely. But allowing the team to more or less set its own punishment for some schools while imposing sanctions on others is bad from a number of angles, not the least of which is credibility of the SEC itself in such matters.

Also, since we are arguing intent, thought I would help a bit.

This is an intentional act:





This is arguably an intentional act, though from my perspective JJ either decided at the last second not to stomp, or was simply trying to stand up and hit the guy's head. I'm not sure, but it is just a smidgen less clear that the punches, above:



Hope that helps.

 

[orangebloodgmc]

My theory ... we could beat Indiana or Louisville without JJ ... so, this means we are getting Michigan or Wisc.

 

[Vol Main]

You keep saying this, but when I ask if you believe that Jennings stepped on the dude's head, you start talking intent. Put intent aside for a moment. Did Jennings step on the guy's head, whether on purpose or by accident?

If Jennings stepped on his head, I believe that it would leave a mark, as Tommy Boy would say. But there was no broken or indented mark on the Vandy player's skin. Therefore, Jennings did not step on his head.

 

[VOLSONLY]

Personally, I thought that what the Vanderbilt running back did on that play was even more egregious; he initiated and deliberately maintained sustained contact with Alontae Taylor’s chin strap/face mask for several yards before finally yanking Taylor’s helmet off his head.

And, then, as you note, one of Vandy’s offensive linemen (no. 63) yanks Butler’s helmet off and Butler was flagged for illegal participation, thus offsetting the extraordinarily flagrant foul committed by their RB.

Yes agree 100% it’s a load of crap

 

[bamawriter]

Eventually the SEC is gonna have to become more transparent like the Pac-12 in the conference's officiating reviews. I don't buy into any collusion conspiracy but I believe in the refs susceptibility to bias on any given day.

My thinking is that the SEC suspended Jauan Jennings to quite outside media noise and us fans pretending to be lawyers arguing the merit of the infraction, intent....Is a welcome distraction to the SEC's motive.

I think our fan bases indignation over the SEC's enforcement is a two fold combination of having gotten the sh!t end of the stick from bad officiating in several games with a seeming lack of accountability from the SEC regarding officiating as a whole.

The officiating has got to start being held to a higher standard with more transparency.

I agree with pretty much all of that.

 

[bamawriter]

Yeah, that’s the point. If JJ was a bammer he would have only been benched because Little Nicky wanted him to. For an important game RD would not have missed a snap.

So, you're of the opinion that Tennessee is not an important game?

 

[rikberry31]

So, you're of the opinion that Tennessee is not an important game?

Yes, we are an also ran in their minds. They we definitely surprised that it was a game into the 4th.

 

[VOLSONLY]

So, after watching that about 15 times in a row....

1) The hit was fair and in bounds, no penalty should have been called.

2) The reason they were carried so far is because they slid on the tarp. This made the play look way worse than it really was. The only reason anyone can suggest late hit is because they ended up so far removed from the field, but again....due to the tarp, not the location of initial hit.

3) Jennings stayed on him longer than he should, and it definitely looked aggressive. I have a hard time believing there was zero emotion in that, nor was he just trying to get up.

4) Jennings appears to have been the one to ripped his helmet off (this I think was the big thing. If the helmet stays on, no big deal.)

5) I don't think JJ stepped on his head intentionally.....but I also don't think he cared that it happened in the moment either.

If I'm taking my orange shades off for a second.....the suspension is probably deserved. I don't think the flag was called because nobody saw the angle of what happened at the time. I do think he went overboard staying on top of him so long, and definitely by taking the helmet off. And I think with JJ's past, it made it even more exaggerated.

But with my orange glasses on, JJ had had an abysmal Senior Night, which I'm sure frustrated him, wanted to make a memorable play and fire up his team. And just as it did two years ago, his competitive nature may have carried him a little far.

I hate that we will lose him for a half. But I also think that he will come out the second half on absolute fire, and will be fun to watch.

That being said, I lose absolutely zero respect and admiration for who Jauan Jennings is as a person. The young man is grateful to be playing football again, and was playing his final game at a University that means everything to him. The knocking on his character by the media shows that they have no clue who he really is.

I would take 85 Jauan Jennings on my team any day. Proud that he has been a Tennessee Vol, and I will be cheering him on loudly when he starts on Sundays.

I feel the same way, there’s no doubt JJ was wound tight and he made an awesome hard tackle. Should’ve just got up and walked away, but there’s a lot of trash talking going on in these games. I could see myself loosing my cool!!

 

[allvol123]

At the risk of defending the integrity of the SEC, I highly doubt that the conference determines punishment by applying the Raekwon Davis scale of severity. There is a prescribed length of punishment for committing extreme acts of roughness or unsportsmanlike conduct. Trying to compare each individual incident so that each punishment is greater or less than the one before it, especially while trying to read minds to determine intent, is a fool's errand.

Of which there is no conclusive proof of here. By why should the fabled halls of Birmingham SEC offices give a damn about that.

 

[VolInNW]

So, you're of the opinion that Tennessee is not an important game?

Let's be honest, bammer, we haven't been an important game to you in a long time. Old timers like me still value the rivalry, and what it once was - a hard fought (usually) game between schools that respected each other. Maybe some old school bammers feel the same way.

But by and large, bammers do not consider Tennessee a rival any longer. It's up to Tennessee to change that. Time will tell.

 

[VOLSONLY]

Did the SEC think they had to do something with JJ here because there was no flags thrown? IF there had been a flag here and was pentalized would that have been that?

 

[VolsSince78]

My opinions:
-I think JJ stepped on the guy on purpose. Just a guess.
-The key here is that Pruitt and likely Fulmer talked to JJ after the game to determine if JJ did it on purpose.
-If Pruitt determined it was on purpose, I mentioned in earlier thread JJ should sit a quarter or a half as determined by UT.
-If Pruitt/Fulmer believed it to be accidental, Fulmer should push back on SEC suspension.
-JJ pulling the guy’s helmet off is no big deal by itself.
-Another key, SEC needs to get its office out of Gumpville, remove the Gump grad from head of officials, and do much better job of transparency on controversial calls/decisions.

 

[bamawriter]

Of which there is no conclusive proof of here. By why should the fabled halls of Birmingham SEC offices give a damn about that.

"Conclusive" is in the eye of the beholder.

 

[37620VOL]

Should Tre Jones from Duke be suspended for "stomping" on that poor Michigan State schmuck?

 

[feathersax]

DJ Shockley, commentator & former Georgia puke, went off the rails in his biased commentary. It was great watching JJ race around Neyland Stadium after the game conducting the P.O.T.S. Band & high-fiving VOL fans.

 

[Vol Main]

So much of life is about appearance.

 

[rikberry31]

DJ Shockley, commentator & former Georgia puke, went off the rails in his biased commentary. It was great watching JJ race around Neyland Stadium after the game conducting the P.O.T.S. Band & high-fiving VOL fans.

Nothing would have come of all this if it hadn’t been for the focus on it during the broadcast.

 

[feathersax]

Nothing would have come of all this if it hadn’t been for the focus on it during the broadcast.

Exactly.

 

[VFFL@THE BEACH]

A couple of thoughts on the incident and responses to other comments.

1. STOP with this volnation and or the whole world is some pseudo courtroom. Referee's and officials make calls on what they see and their opinions(Unfortunately). No one fans, coaches, players or referees have any legal burden of proof.

2. If Jennings was not looking at the head then he definitely did not do this on purpose. Well if you never played the game then I understand this comment but it is faulty. Part of playing football is physical awareness of your body and your targets body. I have made 100's of tackles and I have nowhere near the athletic ability of Jennings. However, I could definitely tell you where a guys head was without deliberate direct look. Jennings knew the Vandy players head was close to his foot, now was this overtly intentional curb type stomp, NO!

Examples,
Watch any wrestling match, wrestlers grab arms, legs, and heads all the time without staring them down. Basketball, no look passes and even shots occur every game and level. In a baseball game, a close play where an opposing player slides into an fielder. The fielder blocks the bag, applies the tag, gets up turns toward the dugout and no look tosses the baseball into the guys face. (Assuming it's the 3rd out)

3. Yes, players in a pile get stepped on all the time but that is a different situation. A pile of guys get stepped on because players are not careful when they get up, not this case. Jennings and Vandy player were only two on the ground, no "fog of war" argument here.

4. Helmet issue is a wash, I don't think either guy is really to blame. Players helmets come off all the time these days and it drives me nuts. Only legitimate reason for this is if it is due to some kind of concussion avoidance. Probably just a cool factor thing but I like the sit out a play and a penalty. Vandy running back pulling our guys helmet off should been a penalty and reviewed by officials. As a player, if my helmet came off, it was because my head was in it and I was decapitated.

5. There was extra contact or fighting by both Jennings and the Vandy player. Some people claim, that Jennings was "wrestling for the ball."
Please do not insult Jennings intelligence in this manner. Jennings knew they were way, way out of bounds and there was no chance of fumble recovery. This argument makes our fans look unfair and stupid.

6. During the little battle on the ground that we can't see, I think the Tn player that jumps up on the side is good indication that extra curricular was occuring. The TN player didn't think JJ needed any help with this combative Vandy player.

7. Vandy should also have to answer for their bench clearing. That is a penalty for a reason, the whole situation could have gotten ugly quick.

Bottom line
Jennings biggest problem continues to be Jennings. His antics after the tackle make the situation look way worse than it had to be. Punching, cheering, chest bumping minutes after tackle show that he was excited about more than the tackle. He looks as if he is excited about the violence after the tackle more than the tackle. He should have received penalty for excessive celebration alone. Why so excited about a meaningless tackle?

Jennings has some responsibility to get off of the Vandy player without further incident. Again, not a pile of players here, just two players. I know many don't like this idea but its true. Had it been a true Haynesworth stomp then the punishment would have been worse. Looking at the whole situation, the punishment could be worse but could have been lighter as well.

Also, the officials are setting a dangerous precedent with reviewing plays like this after the fact.

 

[VFFL@THE BEACH]

@VFFL@THEBEACH
I think you misunderstood what I was saying. For me, I was always aware of where someone’s head was or wasn’t after I tackled them. Wasn’t saying I didn’t know.

Yes, sorry if I misread the post. It makes total sense that you would always be aware of the body position of your target.

 

[UT's#1Fan]

Neither do you, that's pretty much my point.

Obviously no one but JJ knows, however, I'm using logic to support my argument and you're letting your homerism cloud your opinion. Big difference feller.

 

[UT's#1Fan]

As an elite athlete, it seems that if he had tried to stomp his face that there would be way more damage.

He knows better than to end him... it was a little extra that's now cost him a 1/2 game. Dumb.

 

[UT's#1Fan]

I really don't think it was intentional. He was not looking down at the player which would be the case if he was looking to stomp him. His head was turned and he was just getting up. He is an elite athlete but he doesn't have eyes in the back of his head.

But he knows how to stand up and not step on a dudes face in the process. The kid was on the ground. It was bush league.

 

[UT's#1Fan]

Listen, I love Jauan's fight, and his moxie. But innocence, that's not in the cards. Jauan knew where the other guy's head was when he stood up.

I don't think he stomped the guy's head. But I do think he planted his cleated foot there. Intending insult, rather than injury.

I'm far from young, and far from elite, as an athlete. But when i stand up, i know what's immediately around me and what i'm stepping on without looking. It's just a matter of good spatial reasoning and situational awareness. And top-tier college wide receivers have both those in spades--as has already been pointed out in this thread.

Yes, Jauan knew. If he had meant to injure, the dude would have been injured. So we know JJ held back. But he knew where he was stepping.

And...it fits his persona. Think about it. The young man is a junkyard dog. That's part of his charm, for us fans. Heh.

So JJ should take the punishment, be happy it's not more, and come in after halftime ready to help kick whoever's butt.

Go Vols!

Someone with a clue. Refreshing.