Hit on Green Brings Geathers Notoriety

[Rumble In the Jungle]

[img]http://newsimages.synacor.com/ap_photos//77384a3a-d40a-48f6-9482-b9973019ecd7.jpeg[/img]
[i]Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Trent Green (10) runs with the ball as Cincinnati Bengals defensive
end Robert Geathers (91) moves in for the tackle during the third quarter of an NFL football game Sunday,
Sept. 10, 2006, in Kansas City, Mo. Green was injured and carried off the field after the tackle. The Bengals
won 23-10. (AP Photo/Dick Whipple) [/i]




[i]Wednesday, September 13, 2006 6:07 PM EDT
The Associated Press[/i]
By JOE KAY

CINCINNATI (AP) — Until this week, Robert Geathers' football distinction was his family history — his father and uncle also were defensive linemen in the NFL. It took one hit on Trent Green to provide his own, uncomfortable moment in the spotlight.

Since he knocked the Kansas City quarterback unconscious in the season opener, the Cincinnati Bengals' lineman has been put in an unaccustomed position — watch all the replays and explain why the play turned out that way.

"I couldn't have done anything different," he said Wednesday, choosing his words carefully and sparingly.

That one shoulder-down hit has become the signature moment of his brief career.

Geathers, a fourth-round draft pick from Georgia in 2004, lost his starting job this season and was relegated to rushing the passer — the thing he does best. He had six tackles and a pair of sacks on Sunday, an impressive showing overshadowed by one play.

Green took off on a third-quarter scramble. Geathers was blocked from behind by receiver Eddie Kennison as he closed in on the quarterback, who went into a slide just before he was hit. Geathers' shoulder landed high on the chest, providing the force that snapped Green's head back violently.

The officials saw nothing wrong with the play — no flag was thrown. The league office reviewed the play and agreed on Wednesday, absolving Geathers. A league official said the play "was unfortunate and has drawn much commentary, but it is not a foul."

Not everyone saw it that way.

The capacity crowd at Arrowhead Stadium booed as Green lay motionless on the field before being taken off on a cart with a severe concussion. Chiefs president Carl Peterson fumed that the play crossed the line and should have been penalized.

"In my opinion, I think it was a late hit," Peterson said, a day later. "I think it was obviously a very vicious hit, one that unfortunately Trent Green and the Kansas City Chiefs are paying a price for."

Green has been released from the hospital and is expected to be sidelined for a few weeks. Geathers has been trying to ignore the hubbub it caused.

When he saw reporters and photographers forming a semicircle around his locker Wednesday, he flinched.

"I want to take care of it professionally," he said, referring to the attention. "I think I'm handling it all right."

He's getting a lot of support from teammates.

"I said it before: Robert's not a malicious player," quarterback Carson Palmer said Wednesday. "He doesn't take cheap shots. He's an honest football player, and I think it was an honest play. He's going in trying to get a tackle."

Palmer was on the other end of a disputed hit during the playoffs last January. pissburgh's Kimo von Oelhoffen slammed into his left knee after he threw his first pass in a 31-17 loss to the stealers, shredding two ligaments and dislocating his kneecap.

Just like in Kansas City, the Bengals fans booed after that hit, which wasn't flagged, either. The stealers' lineman was coming off a block, just like Geathers.

"Football is football," Palmer said. "Bad things happen. Good things happen sometimes. Unfortunately, something bad happened for Trent. We're all praying for him and hoping he recovers."

And Geathers wants to get on with re-establishing himself.

His uncle, Jumpy, had 62 sacks for New Orleans, Washington, Atlanta and Denver from 1984-96. His father, Robert Sr., was drafted in the third round by Buffalo in 1981.

Geathers got off to a good start as a rookie, ranking fourth on the team with 3 1/2 sacks and returning an interception for a touchdown. He moved from left end to the right side last season, started every game and had three sacks.

He's been relegated to a backup this season, using his speed — he's 17 pounds lighter — to go after the quarterback on passing downs.

"Last year, we asked Rob to move inside on passing downs, which kind of limited him a little bit," left end Bryan Robinson said. "This year, he just comes off the edge, so he can do what he naturally does best and get after the quarterback."

And, he's hoping the clamor goes away.

"I'm not even thinking about it," Geathers said. "It will take care of itself."

[url="http://broadband.zoomtown.com/news/read.php?id=14387992&ps=1013&lang=en&_LT=HOME_SHNWC02L1_UNEWS"]http://broadband.zoomtown.com/news/read.ph...SHNWC02L1_UNEWS[/url]

[Guest BlackJesus]

[size=3][quote name='Rumble in the Jungle' post='339296' date='Sep 13 2006, 06:48 PM'][b]Chiefs president Carl Peterson[/b] fumed that the play crossed the line and should have been penalized. [i]"In my opinion, I think it was a late hit,"[/i] Peterson said, a day later. [i]"I think it was obviously a very vicious hit, one that unfortunately Trent Green and the Kansas City Chiefs are paying a price for."[/i][/quote][/size]



[center][img]http://images.southparkstudios.com/media/images/501/img_35.gif[/img][/center]

[Cricket]

[quote]Just like in Kansas City, the Bengals fans booed after that hit, which wasn't flagged, either. The stealers' lineman was coming off a block, just like Geathers.[/quote]

The difference in the two being that when Geathers knew that a collision was unavoidable, he ducked in order to prevent a helmet-to-helmet hit. Kimo, on the other hand crawled to Carson, wrapped an arm around Carson's lower leg, and drove his shoulder into his knee.

[eva4ben-gal]

Don't forget that Carson had released the ball a good 3 seconds earlier while Green was scrambling for a first down. Anybody who would compare those two hits is a moron.

[TheChosenOne]

[quote name='eva4ben-gal' post='339386' date='Sep 13 2006, 08:54 PM']Anybody who would compare those two hits is a moron.[/quote]

Leave it to the media to create a comparison where by all rights there should not be one.

[Guest Coy Bacon]

Remember too that the Squealers had threatened to retaliate for their center blocking Odell Thurman into Jenn Rothlisberger's knee.

[Memphis_Bengal]

[quote name='eva4ben-gal' post='339386' date='Sep 13 2006, 07:54 PM']Don't forget that Carson had released the ball a good 3 seconds earlier while Green was scrambling for a first down. Anybody who would compare those two hits is a moron.[/quote]

Sorry but some of you guys are just flat out blinded by your Bengal loyalty. The ball was not out of Palmer's hand more than a second before Kimo hit him. It was a release and then almost instantaneous hit. It wasn't flagged AND the league, just as in Geathers case, reviewed the tape and found no wrong doing. Neither hit was illegal or fineable.

[AmishBengalFan]

Hey, it's in a song so I know it's true:[quote]Then Kimo the old heffer stood and said I've got a plan
I may be slow and not so good, but I'll do all I can
The next thing we remember was his slow pathetic crawl
A good two seconds after Carson Palmer threw that ball[/quote]
Just like the Edmund Fitzgerald. [img]http://forum.go-bengals.com/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/20.gif[/img]

[|Lucid|]

[quote]"Football is football," Palmer said. "Bad things happen. Good things happen sometimes. Unfortunately, something bad happened for Trent. [b]We're all praying for him and hoping he recovers[/b]."[/quote]

Carson is such a pussy, I bet he doesn't pray for those poor people in Africa either.

I would think he would understand that football is all about handing out severe head trauma that could end someone's career. I say we cut him for being such a fucking pansy faggot fucker!

[Guest oldschooler]

[quote name='Coy Bacon' post='339398' date='Sep 13 2006, 08:09 PM']Remember too that the Squealers had threatened to retaliate for their center blocking Odell Thurman into Jenn Rothlisberger's knee. [/quote]



You mean when Odell was TRIPPED into Big Jen`s knee...

[img]http://img203.imageshack.us/img203/9669/odelltrip0hmslow0ei.gif[/img]



[quote][b]But stealers center Jeff Hartings says he accidentally tripped Thurman[/b], and that may have caused last Sunday's hit. Thurman got a a 15-yard penalty for roughing the passer.

[b]Despite Hartings' explanation, wide receiver Wines Hard suggests the stealers will have the play on their minds the next time they face Cincinnati.[/b][/quote]


[url="http://www.wkrc.com/bengalsnation/story.aspx?content_id=BB8F0668-6BA4-4CC1-A48A-F70030203003"]http://www.wkrc.com/bengalsnation/story.as...8A-F70030203003[/url]

The "next time" they faced each other was the Playoff game. The first pass play for the Bengals... well we all know what happened...

[85fanwilkes]

[quote name='Lucid' post='340033' date='Sep 14 2006, 02:01 PM']Carson is such a pussy, I bet he doesn't pray for those poor people in Africa either.

I would think he would understand that football is all about handing out severe head trauma that could end someone's career. I say we cut him for being such a fucking pansy faggot fucker![/quote]

I'm thinking and hoping that I heard a lot of sarcasm in that.

[TheChosenOne]

[quote name='85fanwilkes' post='340371' date='Sep 14 2006, 08:24 PM']I'm thinking and hoping that I heard a lot of sarcasm in that.[/quote]

There is. I guess you have to read [url="http://forum.go-bengals.com/index.php?showtopic=22183"]this thread[/url] to understand the context and who it's directed at.

[DanvilleBengal]

[quote name='85fanwilkes' post='340371' date='Sep 14 2006, 08:24 PM']I'm thinking and hoping that I heard a lot of sarcasm in that.[/quote]
It is really hard to write sarcasm on a message board, isn't it?

Why not every time that someone makes a sarcastic remark, we signify it with or [img]http://forum.go-bengals.com/public/style_emoticons//3.gif[/img] or .

[|Bunghole|]

[quote name='Lucid' post='340033' date='Sep 14 2006, 12:01 PM']Carson is such a pussy, I bet he doesn't pray for those poor people in Africa either.

I would think he would understand that football is all about handing out severe head trauma that could end someone's career. I say we cut him for being such a fucking pansy faggot fucker![/quote]
[img]http://forum.go-bengals.com/public/style_emoticons//20.gif[/img] [img]http://forum.go-bengals.com/public/style_emoticons//20.gif[/img] [img]http://forum.go-bengals.com/public/style_emoticons//20.gif[/img]