NFL Brawl Compared to Gang Warfare
RUSH: Now, what was it? It was an NFL playoff game that was many, many moons ago now. It was the New England Patriots, San Diego Chargers. It was in San Diego. I think the game was in overtime or it was approaching the end of regulation, and the Chargers were on the way to victory. All they needed was for the Patriots to be stopped. They just had to stop the Patriots. The Patriots lose on downs. They get to fourth down, hold 'em, and get the ball back and run out the clock and it was over.
And instead what happened is after a play was over, a defensive back for the Chargers started big-timing it and preening it and taunting a wide receiver, I think it was, for the Patriots and was flagged for taunting, unsportsmanlike. There might have even been some swings taken or contact after the whistle or whatever. And the Chargers blew it and the Patriots went on to win the game simply because somebody on the Chargers decided to start strutting around and acting like he'd been disrespected by having the ball thrown his way or what have you.
And in commentary the next day or two after that game, I made a flippant, passing comment that it began to look more and more like the Crips and Bloods out there. There's also something else that happened. I think the Patriots... They were not innocent here. I think the Patriots started messing around at midfield on the Chargers logo or some such thing, and all hell broke loose. "How dare I refer to this as the Crips and Bloods, gangs and so forth? That's just unseemly. We can't have that.
"That's just obviously prejudicial," and so forth. Well, from KTVT Eyeball TV News: "The Dallas Cowboys training camp practice with the St. Louis Rams was canceled Tuesday after a violent brawl broke out." Now, the Cowboys trained out in... I think it's Oxnard, California. They leave Dallas 'cause of the heat and humidity. So they go to Thousand Oaks, Oxnard, somewhere in there. KTVT-TV Eyeball News "reporter Keith Russell later tweeted out a video from the practice, saying the fights 'resembled gang wars.' ...
"The Cowboys have been involved in three sideline [fights] in less than a month, including one that broke out among its own players, Dez Bryant and Tyler Patmon, according to [the website] Bleacher Report. The latest violent incident took place Tuesday," yep, right there, "in Oxnard, California, where the Cowboys were having a joint practice with the Rams. ... [T]he brawl on video and later tweeted it out... The Dallas Morning News' Joe Machota was able to get a closer look at what exactly went on leading up the all-out brawl.
"Zoomed-in video appears to show [Dez] Bryant getting punched with his helmet off. A short time later, Rams wide receiver Daniel Rodriguez can be seen tossing Cowboys safety J.J. Wilcox's helmet off to one of the spectators as teammates continue fighting..." And the headline: "Cowboys-Rams Training Camp Practice Canceled After Fights Break Out That 'Resembled Gang Wars.'" Never doubt me, my friends. That's what I mean by "being on the cutting edge." I might be six years ahead of the curve sometimes, I might be five years ahead of the curve, but do not doubt me.
RUSH: Now, what was it? It was an NFL playoff game that was many, many moons ago now. It was the New England Patriots, San Diego Chargers. It was in San Diego. I think the game was in overtime or it was approaching the end of regulation, and the Chargers were on the way to victory. All they needed was for the Patriots to be stopped. They just had to stop the Patriots. The Patriots lose on downs. They get to fourth down, hold 'em, and get the ball back and run out the clock and it was over.
And instead what happened is after a play was over, a defensive back for the Chargers started big-timing it and preening it and taunting a wide receiver, I think it was, for the Patriots and was flagged for taunting, unsportsmanlike. There might have even been some swings taken or contact after the whistle or whatever. And the Chargers blew it and the Patriots went on to win the game simply because somebody on the Chargers decided to start strutting around and acting like he'd been disrespected by having the ball thrown his way or what have you.
And in commentary the next day or two after that game, I made a flippant, passing comment that it began to look more and more like the Crips and Bloods out there. There's also something else that happened. I think the Patriots... They were not innocent here. I think the Patriots started messing around at midfield on the Chargers logo or some such thing, and all hell broke loose. "How dare I refer to this as the Crips and Bloods, gangs and so forth? That's just unseemly. We can't have that.
"That's just obviously prejudicial," and so forth. Well, from KTVT Eyeball TV News: "The Dallas Cowboys training camp practice with the St. Louis Rams was canceled Tuesday after a violent brawl broke out." Now, the Cowboys trained out in... I think it's Oxnard, California. They leave Dallas 'cause of the heat and humidity. So they go to Thousand Oaks, Oxnard, somewhere in there. KTVT-TV Eyeball News "reporter Keith Russell later tweeted out a video from the practice, saying the fights 'resembled gang wars.' ...
"The Cowboys have been involved in three sideline [fights] in less than a month, including one that broke out among its own players, Dez Bryant and Tyler Patmon, according to [the website] Bleacher Report. The latest violent incident took place Tuesday," yep, right there, "in Oxnard, California, where the Cowboys were having a joint practice with the Rams. ... [T]he brawl on video and later tweeted it out... The Dallas Morning News' Joe Machota was able to get a closer look at what exactly went on leading up the all-out brawl.
"Zoomed-in video appears to show [Dez] Bryant getting punched with his helmet off. A short time later, Rams wide receiver Daniel Rodriguez can be seen tossing Cowboys safety J.J. Wilcox's helmet off to one of the spectators as teammates continue fighting..." And the headline: "Cowboys-Rams Training Camp Practice Canceled After Fights Break Out That 'Resembled Gang Wars.'" Never doubt me, my friends. That's what I mean by "being on the cutting edge." I might be six years ahead of the curve sometimes, I might be five years ahead of the curve, but do not doubt me.