Originally Posted By: gfh77665
I didn't see the interview, and I don't know the exact words.
By watching ESPN this morning, I saw Stephen A. Smith, who has a rap sheet of his own, who constantly plays the race card on ESPN, talk about a Denver Bronco who claims they "are gonna take Gronks knees out!" in the AFC title game.
Apparently, targeting another player for injury is OK, in this case.
I have to wonder if a defender who happens to be white, claimed he was "gonna take Cam Newtons knees out!", what would happen? I believe the NFL would immediately suspend the white player for life, brand him "the dirtiest ever", and sue him in Federal court, and possibly want him arrested on his doorstep for a "hate crime".
I am assuming here that what the player said is being misrepresented. NO player in their right mind publicly says we are going to take out player X's knees. That is like publicly saying you are going to rob a bank. Just stupid if you actually plan to do it.
More than likely it is more a case of saying they will have to tackle at/target the knees/knee area to bring him down. You can not discount the extreme size advantage Gronkowski has over the average DB, Safety, and most LB's that have tio cover that guy.
NFL.Com lists Gronkowski at 6' 6" and 265 lbs. That is the size of a lot of DE's in the league. Players on D are so limited in where they can hit these days, down near the knees is the only place a smaller player can take down someone of Gronkowski's size. That doesn't mean they are dirty or trying to hurt him. Just self preservation.
What would you do if you had to take him down? If you try and hit him in the mid section, wrap him up, and tackle him YOU are going to be the one hurt and run over if you are only 5' 10 and 200lbs. Only smart move, if you are a lot smaller, is to hit him in the thigh to shin area and try to trip him up. Unfortunately, that means the knee is in the middle.
Denver's Defensive Player sizes...
DB/S = The tallest available DB/S for Denver is Talib @ 6' 1". The rest are all 5'10" or 5'11". Weight ranges run from the lightest at 187lbs to the heaviest at 214 lbs. So the DB/S's for Denver are at an extreme size disadvantage vs Gronkowski.
OLB/ILB = The tallest available LB for Denver is Ware @ 6' 4". The rest are all 6' 1" - 6' 3". Weights ranges run from the lightest at 226lbs to the heaviest at 258lbs( also Ware ).
Starting OLB's Ware( 6' 4" 258lbs ) and Miller( 6' 3" 250lbs )are the only 2 players Denver has, in positions that play coverage, that really match up with Gronkowski and he is still taller and heavier. He is also faster and neither of those LB's are great in pass coverage. If they have to spend the day covering him he will have a field day. They need to rush Brady which is to their strengths.
Take those 2 players out and taking him down, without multiple players tackling him, will require low, but legal, hits. Just how it is.
I really do not believe anyone said they were going to purposely target his knees to injure him. They were probably talking about that area so they have a chance to tackle him without the defensive player getting hurt is more what I believe the player meant.
