Eric Mangini Says Ward's Hit Not Clean: Shipley Says "It's Part Of The Game"

by Josh Kirkendall on Oct 5, 2010 4:00 PM EDT in Analysis

CLEVELAND - OCTOBER 03: Defenders T.J. Ward #43 and Eric Wright #21 of the Cleveland Browns break up a pass to wide receiver Jordan Shipley #11 of the Cincinnati Bengals at Cleveland Browns Stadium on October 3 2010 in Cleveland Ohio. (Photo by Matt Sullivan/Getty Images)

If you haven't seen it yet, this is the hit that Cleveland's T.J. Ward put on Jordan Shipley during Cincinnati's 23-20 loss to the Browns.

Carson Palmer was so upset that he got into Ward's face, while other Bengals players were jawing about the hit, many of whom called it a cheap shot. Hey, what do you expect from a guy with the last name of "Ward"?

For his part as growing into the Browns' "enforcer" on defense, he said:

"I hit him with my shoulder," Ward said. "They [Bengals] tried to yap at me, but I ignored them. I would do it again."

Jordan Shipley would eventually just say that "it's part of the game" without further comment.

On Monday, Browns head coach Eric Mangini basically acknowledges that the hit wasn't clean.

"T.J. is not a dirty guy," Mangini said Monday, per Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. "He's a young guy. He's an aggressive guy, and he's an inexperienced guy, but he's not a dirty guy. He's a good person. He's a good kid. I'm not going to try to take anything off of the way that he plays because I think it's a real strength, but there are things that he'll learn to do even better within the framework of what we all have to play with."

"I don't want to see our guys hitting guys in the head when they're defenseless," Mangini said. "We can be just as tough and do it in the framework of how it's supposed to be. You like physical play, but you can't put the team in that situation where you give them a new set of downs."

The truth is, in some sadistic way, the hit actually benefited the Bengals, save for Shipley's concussion. The hit forced an incomplete pass that would have brought fourth down. A personal foul later and the Bengals were granted a new set of downs.

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Must be Whines Ward second cousin or something

In Zim We Trust......Collaros for Heisman...An Avid Reader of Cincyjungle.com

by TennBengalfan on Oct 5, 2010 4:13 PM EDT reply actions

Funny how double standards works

Here is the exact same hit Ryan Clark put on Willis McGahee in 2008 AFC Championship game with no penalty or fine. McGahee had to be taken to the hospital. The NFL even said there was no helmet to helmet. How blind is the truth.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6d3R5aVR4K0

by TheShadow on Oct 5, 2010 7:45 PM EDT reply actions

Guess what nobody cares

by Diesel2405 on Oct 5, 2010 8:44 PM EDT up reply actions

And you moron in no way is that the same hit. I think you might be retarded

by Diesel2405 on Oct 5, 2010 8:44 PM EDT up reply actions

Are you the typical Bengal fan

Even Steeler fans on Baltimore Beatdown have more class than you do. It’s the exact same hit, helmet to helmet. But as you said you don’t care, now who is the moron.

by TheShadow on Oct 5, 2010 8:48 PM EDT up reply actions

Your an idiot. How in any way is Clark hitting a defenseless receiver?

Thats a clean shot on a guy running down the field. The only thing in relation to the shipley hit is the helmet to helmet contact. Shipley didn’t even have the ball. McGahee does and is running after the catch.

by Diesel2405 on Oct 5, 2010 8:56 PM EDT up reply actions

Open your eyes Diesel

When Shipley was hit he had the ball in his right arm with full possession. It was not a defenseless hit ,it was helmet to helmet, just like you said Clark did to McGahee. Not only does Diesel call people names, Oregon does also. I know you’re upset because the Bengals may finish last in the division, but don’t take it out on me. You don’t see me calling people names, just talking about football.

by TheShadow on Oct 5, 2010 10:46 PM EDT up reply actions

Open you eyes Shadow

The ball bounced off the ground before Ward hit Shipley. And I called you a troll… because that is what you are. Over here on the Bengals blog with nothing that has to do with the Ravens.

by Oregonbengalsfan on Oct 6, 2010 12:12 AM EDT up reply actions

Why are you even here troll?

by Oregonbengalsfan on Oct 5, 2010 10:20 PM EDT up reply actions

Wait...

There was no helmet to helmet on the Shipley hit. The guy led with his shoulder, and hit a defenseless receiver in the head. That’s illegal. The fact that the guy admits he lead with his shoulder and said he’d do it again should be reason enough for a major fine AND a suspension.

by MrMcLargeHuge on Oct 5, 2010 11:32 PM EDT up reply actions

Look at the play again

The defender may have led with his shoulder but the helmets hit at full force. That is why there was a penalty because the helmets hit. The receiver wasn’t defenseless, he caught the ball. If the defender tackles the receiver it is still six points, he has to be separated from the ball. If the helmets would have never hit it would have been a clean shot.

by TheShadow on Oct 5, 2010 11:42 PM EDT up reply actions

And they will call the same call if you put your shoulder into somebody's helmet

helmet to helmet, shoulder to helmet… you’ll get the call… it’s already happened more than once this year. But that is beside the point on this one because it was a late hit. As I said above the ball had bounced off the ground before Ward hit Shipley. Watch the video again.

by Oregonbengalsfan on Oct 6, 2010 12:17 AM EDT up reply actions

You're right

It looked like the ball bounced out of his arm when he was hit but it bounced up as he was going down. See how easy that was for me to admit I was wrong, and I didn’t even call anyone a name.

by TheShadow on Oct 6, 2010 12:43 AM EDT up reply actions

I call it how I see it...

This…

Funny how double standards works
Here is the exact same hit Ryan Clark put on Willis McGahee in 2008 AFC Championship game with no penalty or fine. McGahee had to be taken to the hospital. The NFL even said there was no helmet to helmet. How blind is the truth.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6d3R5aVR4K0

…is nothing but trolling.

by Oregonbengalsfan on Oct 6, 2010 2:29 PM EDT up reply actions

It's talking about football

and making comparisons and not calling people names.

by TheShadow on Oct 6, 2010 6:03 PM EDT up reply actions

No you are complaining about double standards that don't exist

You are claiming that the Ravens don’t get the calls or get the bad calls. Well guess what, they aren’t alone. Ndukwe should not have been called for a personal foul on his hit. TO sould have had a PI call… I could go on. You come onto a rival’s blog and try to claim that the Bengals are “favored” by claiming that the refs single out the Ravens with bad or lack of calls. That my friend is trolling.

Goodbye, I’m done with you.

by Oregonbengalsfan on Oct 6, 2010 6:48 PM EDT up reply actions

Actually the helmets did hit

But his shoulder also hit and that is where all the force came from… he basically uppercut Shipley with his shoulder and their helmets hit also.

by Oregonbengalsfan on Oct 6, 2010 12:14 AM EDT up reply actions

Is what it is!

Cleveland was hitting hard, kid got a little carried away & got penalized. Young DB trying to make name for himself against a quality receiving corp. Browns passion a lesson for Bengals.

by Vman in Germany on Oct 5, 2010 9:47 PM EDT reply actions

Hard hitting and intimidation is part of the game no doubt about it

There is a gray area between a legitimate hit and unjustified ruthlessness. It is unfortunately beyond the ability of the refs and the powers to be in the NFL to draw that distinction. The players have to police this. The same way a pitcher in baseball will retaliate against a pitcher who beans one of their players by hitting, not the offending picher, but rather a team mate. One of our backup guys should have been sent out on the field and blown up one of their guys with malace and intent. Yes he would be fined and maybe suspended for a game or so but as distasteful as it may sound it is necessary. Once a player sees one of their team mates blown up because because of his dirty play he will think twice about doing it again.Ward blindsides Rivers – Collins destroys Troy. Ward knocks out Shipley – Dunlop tears the helmet off of Cribbs. Believe me the more we take it the more we will face it. Once a player knows there will be consequences they will stop doing it.

Mangini is a sloth and a jerk. Ward isn’t a good guy. He is a thug and he deserves to look into the eyes of a team mate who was the subject of retaliation and is out for the rest od the season – or – his entire career because of his stupidity. If I were in MLs position a significant player on the Browns tean would have been carted off the field. If that is the way the game is to be played we need to learn how to come out on top playing by those rules. Period.

"If we always agree, one of us is not necessary"

by JUNGLEJOHN on Oct 5, 2010 11:15 PM EDT up reply actions

street justice

love it! Growing up playing hockey it was/is the exact way you describe it above, albeit a different sport where you can actually fight to defend a teammate- the underlying principle stays the same. You funk w/us, we’ll funk you up back…..preach on Jungle John

by TruWhoDey on Oct 6, 2010 2:29 PM EDT up reply actions

BTW this is the third time it has ahppened.

Carson in 05. Rivers in 08 and now Shipley. Enough is enough. You do not have to stand tall in this world but you do have to stand up or you will suffer.

"If we always agree, one of us is not necessary"

by JUNGLEJOHN on Oct 5, 2010 11:19 PM EDT up reply actions