Dashon Goldson Suspended One Game

November 18th, 2013

Bucs safety Dashon Goldson has been suspended without pay for one game in what the NFL deemed a violation of its safety rules, the NFL announced today.

Per Buccaneers.com, Goldson’s crime came yesterday in the beatdown of the Dixie Chicks.

Goldson was penalized for unnecessary roughness in the second quarter of Sunday’s game against the Atlanta Falcons after making direct, helmet-to-helmet contact with a defenseless receiver, Atlanta’s Roddy White. 

The violation of this rule was Goldson’s third of the 2013 season.  Goldson was fined $30,000 for striking a defenseless player in the head and neck area in a Week 1 game against the New York Jets.  He was initially suspended for making direct, helmet-to-helmet contact with a defenseless receiver in a Week 2 game against the New Orleans Saints.  The discipline for the Week 2 violation was subsequently reduced on appeal to a $100,000 fine.

This is the new NFL we live in. People can holler and scream and carry on, but until or unless the NFL competition committee deems otherwise, this is the way life in professional football is going to be.

Goldson is either going to have to adjust, or be comfortable with the NFL taking money out of his children’s mouths and losing subsequent playing time.

Joe loves the headhunting of Goldson, but Joe doesn’t live in the 1970s any longer, either. Adapt and adjust or whither on the vine.

Goldson has three days to decide if he wants to appeal his penalty.

56 Responses to “Dashon Goldson Suspended One Game”

  1. WalkdaPlank Says:

    That’s the meaning of discipline. Following the rules, despite whether or not you agree with them. Although Roddy White’s punk a** probably deserved to get the stuffing knocked out of him, you can’t headhunt people in the NFL. I don’t like it, Goldson doesn’t like it, and even my freakin’ dog doesn’t like it, but it’s the way things are. But it’s not just Goldson, aren’t the Bucs the most penalized team in the NFL? Hmm, I wonder whose shoulder’s that fall on.

  2. Sam Says:

    White ducked into hit……and the fool who head butted a guy with no helmet on gets same as this hit?!

  3. WalkdaPlank Says:

    *falls on.

  4. Super Friend Says:

    He tried to hold him up after the hit. Really, a player could go level the QB on the first play of the game next time. When was his last penalty for hitting someone? Week 3 or 4? Seems to me he has changed his ways. Yeah you can say play within the rules, fine him, yes but suspend him for that hit….shame.

  5. jo mama Says:

    I guess joe is turning in his pen|s for a va jayjay.

    Also in todays news, the United nations is proposing less than lethal ordinance and bullets, they are also putting limits on how hot napalm can get.

    Football is getting frustrating to watch. Only a lawyer will enjoy watching in the next 5 years.

  6. Bobby Says:

    Of course he’ll appeal it and he’ll probably win again. Even the announcers said it was a BS call. If you lower your shoulder to hit a guy and the receiver ducks into the helmet to helmet hit how is that the DB’s fault?

  7. Buc1987 Says:

    “But it’s not just Goldson, aren’t the Bucs the most penalized team in the NFL? Hmm, I wonder whose shoulder’s that fall on.”

    WalkDaPlank…in college and high school probably the coach’s shoulders. In the pros probably the player.

    How does the coach exactly teach DISCIPLINE to a veteran player? NOBODY has answered that question properly for me on these boards since I’ve been asking it for a month now. These guys are not rookies committing stupid penalties either, they are veterans. So what exactly does a coach do to prevent these penalties from happening?

  8. WalkdaPlank Says:

    @Super Friend – Goldson’s last penalty for hitting somebody was during yesterday’s game, for hitting Roddy White. Did you read the article?

  9. Gt40bear Says:

    No Joe, when people stop watching and going to the crap that the bleeding hearts are creating, they will change the rules with common sense in mind. Follow the money! NASCAR, while still popular, has lost many fans by ripping the heart out of the sport for the sake of $$$, the NFL will too if it is not careful. I left NASCAR and will have no problem leaving the NFL when it succeeds in making the product unwatchable!

  10. Paparick Says:

    Why do Dashon’s children have money in their mouth, that’s nasty?

  11. Drew Says:

    If Goodell has his way the game will be played in ballerina slippers and pink tutu’s. Slapping another player in a girly way will be cause and justification for a $1,000,000.00 fine and a ban for life from the Panzy Arse NFL. Go Roger G!!!

  12. Drew Says:

    Gt40bear… did you mean common cents?

  13. WalkdaPlank Says:

    @Buc1987 – How about the traditional way, practice makes perfect? Go over the rules multiple times in practice, if you yank a guy’s jersey and pull him back or down to the ground, that’s a holding penalty. If you see a guy running out of bounds, don’t hit him just angle him to make sure he goes out of bounds, or else you’ll get called for a late hit. Don’t go in to tackle a guy with your helmet down, because in today’s league you’ll not only get called for a personal foul, you’ll get fined and suspended. If you push or grab a guy (receiver or DB) after he’s past the legal 5 yards, you are going to get called for a pass interference. Those are just some examples on paper, it means a lot more in practice.

    And why do you think we have so many coaches for individual positions? It’s not just Schiano and his 2 or 3 coordinators. There are LB coaches, DB coaches, D-Line coaches, O-line coaches, RB coaches, WR coaches, and QB coaches as well as Schiano’s college of coaches with assistants. Those guys are there not only to teach them how to play better at their position, but how to play SMARTER. How to not commit dumb penalties. Yes, penalties happen to everybody, I’m sure even Peyton Manning has a couple false start penalties in his career, but when you have as many as the Bucs you’re not doing something right on the sidelines. I’m not saying it’s all the coaches fault, but it’s also not all the player’s fault either. Just because they are considered veterans doesn’t mean they aren’t dumb. They are still a bunch of guys in their 20’s and 30’s that let things get to their heads, and it’s never too late to raise that football IQ, IMO.

  14. patrickbucs Says:

    I thought that was a bad penalty at the time, now a suspension? Maybe he will win it, we need him against Megatron.

  15. stratobuc Says:

    You should watch the tape, and listen to the call the broadcaster made. He was dead on – Goldson was trying to miss his head, but got called anyway. It was a BS call, and its a BS rule – but Goldson is judged differently from everyone else. Ed Hoculi is a moron.

  16. aj Says:

    It’s bs because he pulled up, he was trying to not hit him. It was barely a love tap by a guy trying to stop. Add to that, the part where receivers have figured out to just lower their head for an easy 15 yards and you have the new NFL.

    I have some advice for Goldson. Go Low. At least it won’t be food off of his family’s dinner table. The next time a receiver tries to take money out of Goldson’s pocket by dipping their head, he should respond in kind by blasting them out at the knees.

    To those who will say I am wrong, where is a db supposed to aim? Can’t aim at the chest, too close to the head. Can’t aim at the waist, because if the guy goes down or ducks then you are hitting the head. Can’t aim for the ankles, too small a target when someone is going up for a ball. What does that leave?

    I’m all for player safety, but they are going about it all wrong. Spearing was illegal for years, and should be again, in ALL instances.

    A hit zone needs to be established. And the offensive player should have as much responsibility to keep their heads out of that zone as the defender has to hit in it. If a defender hits in the zone and a head hit occurs, it should not be a penalty.

    Because what I am seeing now, is guys aiming for the belly button, receivers going down at the very last moment, and penalties and fines being laid on the defender. And pretty soon, the only place left for them to aim is going to the knees.

  17. DallasBuc Says:

    It was a garbage penalty like the others. He lowered his damn shoulder and white crouched into goldson. No head hunting. I love how the people in suits and fans on their couch act like playing physical, fast football can be done without there being inadvertent hits above the shoulders. Just because a ref calls it and the apologists for this insane approach to “safety” circle the wagons doesn’t make it right. It is wrong and very damaging to sport and brand. Far more damaging than any injury incurred. The sport is violent. Stop trying to change it and act like you are not!

  18. BucFan 20 Says:

    Look at all the other BS flags. McCoy low? Every bomb that is not caught in college or the NFL now flags fly. Holding calls are off the charts. This has not just become a safety league but also flag happy.

  19. WalkdaPlank Says:

    @aj – Idk, after Matt Elam blew out Randall Cobb’s leg by going for the knees, Roger Goodell’s bound to establish a rule against that soon as well.

  20. Buc1987 Says:

    WalkDaPlank…I’m sure they have gone over and over the rules with Goldson just like I’m sure Harbaugh went over the rules with him. Same results.

    I just don’t know how you go up to a guy like VJax who’s been in the league what 7 yrs now and say. This is how your supposed to not false start. Or go up to Davin Joseph and teach him how not to hold a player after 7 years in the league. This is stuff the player learned in high school and some in Pop Warner. Sure the Pro coach can keep telling and trying to teach that 7 year veteran, but what good does it do at that point in the players career. What does the coach take Davin aside and say, now ya see Davin this is how to block without holding or this how to not false start. It’s on the veteran player, the guy that gets paid millions of dollars to do his job right imo.

  21. WalkdaPlank Says:

    @Buc1987 – I can agree that a player that has been in the league 7+ years should know the rules and it can be hard to adjust to a new style after playing your way for so long, but you see it’s not the veteran players you usually have these kinds of problems with. And let’s say that Davin Joseph starts racking up holding penalty after holding penalty. It doesn’t matter if he likes it or not, he is going to have to change his approach (with help from his coaches) if he wants to stop shooting himself in the foot and hurting his team. That’s just an example of course, I like Joseph.

  22. Jbeachbuc Says:

    Good point about the receivers lowering their heads to get a cheap 15 yds ,AJ

  23. stevek Says:

    He is our 8m dollar knucklehead.

    IDK what he is trying to prove, I wish he could keep the physicality, and quit illegally blowing ppl up.

  24. Just Frank Says:

    He clearly pulled up. And almost wrapped his arms around him to kind of stop himself from having a massive collision. This is a bogus call for sure

  25. Mjmoody Says:

    Welcome to the NF(Goodel)L! I will live with Personal Foul calls at the line. Ticky Tack calls on defenders vs. WO’s and TE’s in space. Goldson’s play usually makes up for the penalties he accumulates. His take away certainly did in this game. HOWEVER, he took out Mason Foster. You never EVER hit your own color. He took out the Bucs’ starting pick 6 MLB. That’s not ok. If you’re going to lead with your head, then keep your eyes open. Otherwise, I love you man.

  26. Splengo Says:

    What happened to good old fashioned tackling where you wrapped up the ball carrier with both arms and pulled him to the ground. It seems like DBs prefer to crash into you with a shoulder to jar the ball loose! Not the football I grew up with!

  27. Adam L. Says:

    I think that players need to learn to “tackle” and not “hit.”

  28. Jordan Says:

    Splengo – coaches figured that it is better to cause an incomplete 30 yard pass than it is to safely tackle a receiver for a 30 yard gain.

  29. DallasBuc Says:

    Yeah dude, this isn’t the 6th grade church league!

  30. Splengo Says:

    Yeah, but it’s like demolition derby back there now. The rules have changed and DBs are not making it through the season now. Those that do have paid a kings ransom in fines. We just put another CB on IR today and if Goldson suspension holds it will cost a 234k game check. This is immovable object/irresistible force territory. Something’s got to give!

  31. DallasBuc Says:

    Goldson is being flagged, fined and suspended for being physical, not dirty. He is not breaking any written rules. The only ones hurting the team are the league itself

  32. DallasBuc Says:

    Think of it this way, the bucs probably overpaid for goldson on the open market so it’s really the glazers paying the charity fines for that man to bring his style of play which is so desperately needed on this team.

  33. Splengo Says:

    Nice try Dallas, but I don’t think that Goldson feels like the Bucs are paying those fines!

  34. Owl Jolson Says:

    I don’t know what football you grew up with Splengo. Look for video of hit Scot Brantley put on Eric Hipple. That’s the football I grew up with.

  35. []_[]Buc Says:

    *Correct thread lol

    At this rate Goodell will get run out by the union or cause some kind of player strike to take place.

    The players can’t play, Goodell should tread lightly.

  36. Splengo Says:

    Yes Owl, I remember hard hitting Scott Brantley. He had two strokes in 2008 and lost sight in his left eye. He has had heart surgery and suffers from CTE.

    Now what point were you trying to make about helmet-to-helmet hits?

  37. Owl Jolson Says:

    Point being that was considered a clean hit. By contrast Goldson didn’t even knock White to the ground. It almost looked like he trying to hold him up. There had to be a middle ground here.

  38. Chris Says:

    Goldson is extremely overrated. He’s a good safety but look at his replacement in SF. They don’t miss him there. Goldson was overpaid and isn’t near the elite safety money we paid him to be.

  39. Splengo Says:

    My final post guys! I’m not speaking about the refs call. I suspect it was a bad call like most of them. I’m saying that the rules have changed whether we like them or not. I don’t want a bad call and I don’t want Bowers and Foster out for concussions if it can be avoided.

    I know it’s not Sunday school and injuries are inherent to the sport. I just don’t think the rules are going back to what they were. And I don’t want Goldson suspended or injured. I don’t like it either, but ultimately the players are going to have to adjust. The NFL is not going to appear before Congress on the issue of player safety. Bet me!

  40. Owl Jolson Says:

    Your right Splengo the rules will not go back but they have taken common sense out of these calls. There is a clear difference between head hunting and a physical play or even incidental helmet to helmet contact. If pass interference calls became any and all contact and not the refs judgement on the play we would still be at Ray Jay waiting for the game to end.

  41. bigpoppabuc Says:

    I honestly think his height is the cause of the problem. He’s a thumper, and wide outs know it. They ball up when they catch it around him and he automatically is at a disadvantage.

  42. BuccaneerBonzai Says:

    ” This is the new NFL we live in.”

    Until the defensive players say enough is enough amd stage a strike.

  43. BuccaneerBonzai Says:

    The problem as I see it are that half the players in the league (defensive) are being alienated.

    Refs call penalties on the drop of a dime and bad calls are at an all time high. Look at GMCs calls this last game.

    Refs suddenly have the ability to decide games by tossing in bad calls without paying a price for it. And defensive players are getting fined constantly.

    There will come a breaking point.

  44. oldfart44 Says:

    Do what Belichek did to Talib. Make him sit for a few plays.

    For you alpha males who look to write about the game being sissified, I have 2 questions for you. How many of you have played any contact sports? Have you read League of Denial?

    It’s as bad as the cliches like playing not to win, playing not to lose, blah, blah, blah.

    Why are the Bucs the most penalized team? Do we have a lot of cement heads? Is it lack of coaching? Stupidity? Selfishness? And for some, the officials are out to GET US!!

  45. Owl Jolson Says:

    And while we’re at let’s just do away with wins and losses. That way we take all the competition out of the game. If nobody wins or loses they won’t try very hard and no one gets hurt.

  46. Owl Jolson Says:

    We’ve had games where none of these incidental helmet contacts are called and that’s all this was. I’m watching the New England Carolina game and there is tons of helmet contact and hard hitting clean football with no calls. Some crews seem to be very flag happy and others don’t.

  47. WalkdaPlank Says:

    @Owl, I am watching that game now. Cam Newton just drove the kitties down the field to take the lead with a minute left. What a game, Brady’s got all of his timeouts and 1 minute to score a TD!

  48. WalkdaPlank Says:

    @Owl – what a game that has turned out to be!

  49. Owl Jolson Says:

    Wow and what an ending. Got our money’s worth out of that one.

  50. Tut Says:

    whats a $500 million lawsuit to a business that makes Billions a year? Screw the “PC” crowd and play the game… They know the risks when they sign the contract. Don’t kill the game because people become female lady parts…

  51. Greig Says:

    I have no problem with the intentions of the leagues hit to the head rules, what I do have a problem with is the rules they’ve come up with and how that are enforced.
    How is it that a defender can be making a perfect tackle only for the offensive guy to duck into it knowing it will cause a helmet to helmet, yet it’s the defender that gets the punishment for it? If a defender is meant to be able to have perfect body control in split second moment of action so should the offensive guys, you start seeing a few RBs & WRs get flags for causing it and I bet that suddenly there would be a whole lot less of these flags coming in the games after that. It’s just another way for the offense to steal free yardage.
    Down even get me started on the flags when a QB gets the softest of touches to the head.

  52. oldfart44 Says:

    Greig, it’s the same problem in ice hockey today with those who are proficient with turning towards the board in order to draw hitting from behind.

    But the worse problem is flagrant hits to the head. I played in my younger years up to about 25, and I would be scared to play the way they do today.

    Football to me is even scarier because of the constant hitting, but that is what makes the game so great to watch.

    What the hitter should also realize that his brain is slushing around when he hits with his helmet.

  53. StPeteBucsFan Says:

    Only a lawyer will enjoy watching in the next 5 years.

    In case anybody hasn’t been keeping up….Tony Dorsett..brain damaged…Brett Favre recently saying he wouldn’t let his son play football.

    This sport could be in big trouble. One of the biggest features for many fans is seeing somebody get his clock cleaned….his bell rung. Those days are gone.

    The rest of society is simply not going to let dudes give each other brain damage.

    Really? And the fastest growing sport is MMA. As for football, when we see youth football eliminated, then we can worry about football. –Joe

  54. Mjmoody Says:

    Love the discussion. I’ve read every post. Very well made points by all, and lot’s of passion. This is the way the NFL is going and it is due to a very violent and tragic past. I’ve still seen Colts v Broncos & 9’ers v Panthers this season. Great games. Physical games. So far, the rules still get watered down in the playoffs. The biggest issue in all this to me is the consistency with which the flags are thrown. Call the games, the hits, the fouls the same. A hit by Suh is the same as a hit by Smith. A hit by Goldson is the same as a hit by Byrd. Otherwise the refs are loading the game in favor of one team over another. Officiating should be reactive not proactive.

  55. BirdDoggers Says:

    The players have to adapt. Being a physical, headhunting defender is a thing of the past. Teams will have to take this into account when they’re signing or drafting players known to be physical. The personal foul penalties can hurt almost as much as turnovers.

  56. oldfart44 Says:

    Coaching and discipline. I remember when I first started watching the Bucs when I retired, and the tackling was so fabulously executed; especially Ronde Barber in the open field.