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Bucs Rookie Mack Suspended For Bears Game
Posted Sep 16, 2008 by Roy Cummings
Updated Sep 16, 2008 at 06:42 PM
TAMPA – Just two games into his career and already Elbert Mack has a reputation for being a dirty player.
Mack, the Bucs rookie cornerback, was suspended for this Sunday’s game against the Bears on Tuesday after he was cited for a second violation of the NFL’s player safety rules.
Mack’s latest infraction, according to the league, occurred when he “unnecessarily launched himself into Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan and made impermissible helmet-to-helmet contact.’’
Mack’s first violation came during the Bucs preseason finale against the Houston Texans, when earned an unnecessary roughness call for hitting Texans quarterback Alex Brink.
Mack was fined $5,000 for the first violation. His second violation will cost him a game check.
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Reader Comments
Por (Brandon Short) on September 16, 2008 (Suggest removal)
This comes at a fortunate time, now nobody has to get cut as Jerramy Stevens comes off the reserve/suspended list, now somebody keeps his job another week (James Allen/Ben Troupe/Jeff Garcia).
Suggest removalPor (PeteV) on September 16, 2008 (Suggest removal)
Let the guys play football. This isn’t a little kids game. I liked the hit on Ryan. Keep it up Mack…just watch the rules big guy. Go Bucs. VegasSports com
Suggest removalPor (nathan) on September 16, 2008 (Suggest removal)
bah! matt ryan is a pu$$y
Suggest removalPor (G. Michael Reynolds) on September 16, 2008 (Suggest removal)
Good move. There was a lot of classless playing out there this weekend. Being a tough defense and cheap-shotting the QB are two different things.
Suggest removalPor (MIke J) on September 16, 2008 (Suggest removal)
Looked like a pretty tame block to me on replay. In any event, an extreme reaction by the League—a suspension for 2 plays?
Suggest removalPor (tbidnizz) on September 16, 2008 (Suggest removal)
C’mon man really dat BS at its highlest level youre taught n little league to lay out anybody whose standing around on a turnover plain in simple. the Nfl needs to gone head the that bulls### man quaterback are football players to in thaT CASE FEMALES SHOULD BE ABLE TO PLAY QB SINCE THEY CANT BUT TOUCH THE WRONG WAY
Suggest removalPor (raw_as_fuq) on September 16, 2008 (Suggest removal)
Well this sucks! Now we might only have 2 CBs playing next week.
Suggest removalPor (RCG2) on September 16, 2008 (Suggest removal)
If his hits were truly “cheap shots” then I have no problem with the punishment. However the league’s agenda of “protecting” players from what is a natural part of the game of football is absurd. This “protection” policy is ruining the greatest game around with quick whistles (see SD/Den) and rediculous penalties in what is supposed to be a physical collision sports. Again, “cheap shots” shouldn’t be tolerated, but the redefining of the rules is ruining this game.
Suggest removalPor (Steven Small) on September 17, 2008 (Suggest removal)
It was a cheap shot!
Suggest removalPor (PeteV) on September 17, 2008 (Suggest removal)
Steve from Ontario…you don’t know football. That’s why all the teams left L.A. because of idiot fans like you. Go back to watching H.S. football in the Inland Empire because that is all you have. Bad fans with no football smarts. Typical Californian. At least the state has USC.
Suggest removalPor (Michael Harris) on September 17, 2008 (Suggest removal)
Nasty and mean is good. Helmet to helmet is not. Clean it up Buckaroos.
Suggest removalPor (mike j) on September 17, 2008 (Suggest removal)
Mack is 5-10; Ryan is 6-4.Wonder how their heads manged to collide??
Suggest removalPor (Rick Hughes) on September 17, 2008 (Suggest removal)
Is there a video of the hit anywhere?
Suggest removalPor (Chris T.) on September 17, 2008 (Suggest removal)
Pete V - you say he’s an idiot for calling it a cheap shot? Then the NFL is full of idiots too.
If you didn’t realize, this article’s sole purpose was to report that Mack was suspended for the hit. He wasn’t suspended because there was nothing wrong with it.
Suggest removalPor (charles) on September 17, 2008 (Suggest removal)
This doesnt really relate to Mack but check out what the Bears players ar saying about Griese. He was asked who has the advantage Griese or the Bears Defense.
Suggest removalI actually heard Bears defensive end Adewale Ogunleye asked that question during an interview this morning on WSCR-AM and he said that Brian Griese would have the advantage after practicing for two years against the Bears defense. Ogunleye said that Griese knows the scheme and the personnel and how to attack both, and that the Bears would have their hands full against their former quarterback.
Por (Jack Goddard) on September 17, 2008 (Suggest removal)
There should be a 4 game suspension for 2nd infraction, 8 games for 3rd, 16 games for 4th, 32 games for 5th… this will end this type of play
Suggest removalPor (tony) on September 17, 2008 (Suggest removal)
i heard jason craft got released yesterday the bucs will have another roster spot open due to the suspension we are gonna need another corner whether its jason or hamilton off the practice squad either way the bucs cant go into this game with just 2 corners if talib cant play!!
Suggest removalPor (Bryan Kohn) on September 17, 2008 (Suggest removal)
I am from the old school where tough football players were the norm. It was not uncommon to se players playing with broken bones. Head to head hits are extremely dangerous. A broken neck can lead to paralysis, or even death, and should not be tolorated. I love Macks intensity but that is not Monte’s style of defense.
Suggest removalPor (Globo Ball) on September 17, 2008 (Suggest removal)
If you don’t think that was a cheap shot, then YOU don’t know football. I’m surprised so many of you have not seen the play. This was not Sapp taking out Clifton during pursuit of live play. The play was essentially over and Ryan (or Mack) was nowhere near the play and had no chance of being in the play - Ryan was basically standing still when Mack launched himself.
He deserves the suspension and hopefully he’ll learn how to play hard without being stupid with more cheap shots. That doesn’t mean the Bucanneers play soft - see Brooks, Tannard Jackson, Ruud, etc.
So get real, all you football experts. It was a cheap shot without question. Own it.
Oh yeah, and Matt Ryan is a #####!
Suggest removalPor (Globo Ball) on September 17, 2008 (Suggest removal)
I wrote: Matt Ryan is a pansie but I used a p-word that goes with cat or women.
Suggest removalPor (BigBucFan) on September 17, 2008 (Suggest removal)
It’s hard to say if it was an intentional “Cheap Shot”, but it was definitely Helmut to Helmut. He pretty much knocked Ryan’s Helmut off. Ryan was not standing still. Ryan was moving forward as if he was going to try to make a defensive play. To block Ryan was acceptable for sure. I think Mack got a little excited & he surely rung Ryan’s bell. Mack made a rookie mistake & so did Ryan as a QB. You have to like the Fire that Mack displays. We have a Defense that is full of Headhunters. When you play the Bucs, prepare for Pain.
Suggest removalPor (Globo Ball) on September 17, 2008 (Suggest removal)
Helmut?
What the hell?
Suggest removalPor (bobbyd) on September 17, 2008 (Suggest removal)
I say no harm, no foul as long as Matt’s head wasn’t still in the helmut (I like that BigBucFan).
Honestly, I haven’t seen a replay of it, so I don’t know if it was a cheap shot or not. I’m guessing that since it wasn’t on SportsCenter, it was either not that spectacular, or clearly dirty.
I still like a good hit though. Lynch made a career out of smacking guys around. The Bucs need that kind of intensity, just needs to be within the rules so players don’t get suspended.
Suggest removalPor (BigBucFan) on September 17, 2008 (Suggest removal)
Sorry guys about the Spelling. I know it’s “helmet”, but I must have had a Brain Shart. Not the 1’st & surely not the last. I saw that replay several times on the DVR& in slo-mo. I didn’t see it at the game. It looked like another bonehead play to me. At least we had 2 on the same play in a game that we won. Unlike so many, I do watch the games before I run my mouth. LOL
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