Controversy swept the football world Nov. 14 after Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett struck Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph over the head with his own helmet following a brawl that erupted after the Steelers-Browns game. Garrett was suspended indefinitely, at least for the remainder of the 2019 season. 33 total players were disciplined with fines and/or suspensions.
The football community took differing sides on the issue, some in defense of Garrett and his actions, saying that Rudolph provoked the entire thing and others not, claiming that regardless of how it started, Garrett’s actions were inexcusable, going so far as to say he should never play football again. Most agreed that Garrett’s actions went too far regardless of what provoked it. Garrett later claimed that Rudolph used a racial slur, but after investigation the league found no evidence indicating that Rudolph did.
“There is no question he deserves to be suspended for the rest of the season,” said Stephen A. Smith on ESPN’s First Take. “As a matter of fact, let me state clearly for the record, I think Myles Garrett would be lucky if he isn’t suspended for 14 games.”
Smith’s fellow sports analyst on First Take, Max Kellerman, disagreed with Smith’s take, saying that Rudolph started the brawl.
“Mason Rudolph is the one who started the fight. He tried to take Myles Garrett’s helmet off, got underneath and tried to twist his helmet off, ” said Kellerman via First Take.
The league acted swiftly, suspending Garrett indefinitely- at a minimum the rest of the season- less than a day after the incident. They also suspended Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey three games for kicking and punching Garrett and suspended Browns defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi one game. Each team was fined $250,000.
“The league didn’t handle this well; Rudolph should’ve gotten a one to two game suspension,” said Daniel Baldwin, senior.
Immediately after the incident, the attention was focused on Garrett, but afterwards shifted to Rudolph. The cameras showed Rudolph attempting to pull Garrett’s helmet off first, triggering an angry outburst from Garrett.
“Rudolph started it; Garrett committed a worse act. When it comes to this stuff, it’s never about who started it, it’s about what happens after,” said Baldwin.
Garrett later accused Rudolph of using a racial slur, citing it as the reason for the brawl. Ogunjobi backed this accusation, saying Garrett told him about it immediately following the incident, but Rudolph and the Steelers fiercely denied Rudolph doing any such thing. The truth is especially hard to uncover due to bias on both sides.
“C’mon man, that’s not true at all. But we’re past that. Honestly man, You guys know Mason, you’ve been around him a long time. It’s not his first time. If he was racist, it would’ve got exposed,” said Pouncey via USA Today.
