College football has come a long way since the Junction Boys. And the program that Paul “Bear” Bryant made famous/notorious at a 10-day summer camp with all-day practices in triple-digit heat with no water breaks has raised once again the question of what is and isn’t acceptable when it comes to coaching men who are playing football -- especially when they aren’t being paid to play.
Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher aggressively grabbed the face mask of linebacker Tyrel Dodson on Saturday, after Dodson was involved in an altercation with an Arkansas player. Multiple NFL players took issue with Fisher’s conduct, despite the circumstances.
“Garbage,” Eagles defensive end Chris Long said on Twitter. “And the announcers immediately laughed it off and downplayed it. If it were a player doing that to a teammate . . . . whoa buddy.”
“Should be suspended,” Saints tight end Benjamin Watson said, a sentiment with which Rams tackle Andrew Whitworth agreed.
“I was just trying to make a point: I don’t want you out there fighting,” Fisher said after the game. “Make the play, shut your mouth, and go on.”
That’s fine, but there are ways to make a point that don’t involve laying hands on a player. And while that kind of stuff may have been acceptable when Fisher was playing, it’s clearly not acceptable now. Unless a coach is grabbing a player to physically pull him away from a fight, there should be no discipline in the form of physical contact, even if the player predictably says after the fact that he has no problem with it.
