Recently, Rob Gronkowski was handed a one-game suspension for his hit on Bills corner Tre'Davious White after White had a questionable interception and this caused Gronkowski to lose his cool and essentially drop the people's elbow on the guy.
Luckily he was not thrown out of the game as the hit was dirty, but was suspended one game. Can I understand why Gronkowski did this? Absolutely.
Was it right? No, it was not and it was one of the more dirty plays I’ve seen in recent memory. Fast forward to Monday Night Football with JuJu Smith-Schuster laying out Vontez Burfect near the head and after seeing this hit, I look at it as a fine since he’s a rookie and first-time offender. Nope, Goodell gives him one game as well.
Two very different plays, yet they get the same punishment? Goodell wants to improve the ratings for this league? Have more consistent officiating and rules, plain and simple.
At the end of the day with all this, we just want consistency Goodell. The NFL’s motives seem to be good ones, they really do. However, the quick and instinctive reactionary way is annoying. There could be a possible suggestion to come out of this though. Unfortunately, why its needed such a season to figure this out in the first place is anyone’s guess. The solution would be as I had mentioned before, is for there to be a list of punishments for specific violations of these rules. Similar to how the real world has for criminal behavior and the punishment attached to certain crimes. Specific rules with specific punishments for violating them. Consistency. Fairness. All things that will provide players with the opportunity to adapt and change, or violate and be punished and create a safer league.
