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Friday, April 6, 2012

Yahoo! Contributor Network - Yahoo! Sports

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Yahoo! Contributor Network - Yahoo! Sports
Apr 6th 2012, 12:07

By Deborah Braconnier, Yahoo! Contributor Network

Kill the head and the body will die. This is a phrase that can be taken with many different meanings. As many have pointed it out, when it comes to football, this phrase refers to the idea of taking out the QB and the team will fall apart. However, is that what former New Orleans Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams meant when he spoke to the team on January 13, 2011 or was he being much more literal?

Had I not heard all of the tape (you can listen here) and only heard these words, I would have definitely thought he was referring to this statement as a metaphor. Take out the QB, or the head, and the rest of the team will fall. As a Denver Broncos fan, I am sure that with the addition of Peyton Manning, this will be an idea that other teams will use in the upcoming season. Stop Manning and the Broncos don't stand a chance.

However, it is the rest of the tape and the other words that were said by Williams that makes me think he was referring to the head in a much more literal sense. Williams said, "We need to decide on how many times we can beat Frank Gore's head." Now, if he was referring to Gore as the head of the team, there would be no reason to include the word "head" in this sentence. To me, this is clearly saying to hit his head.

The tape also has Williams saying, "We hit [expletive] Smith right here," and points to his chin. Now, hitting someone on the chin is a head hit. That is taking out the literal head, not just the head of the team.

In another example Williams says, "We've got to do everything in the world to make sure we kill Frank Gore's head. We want him running sideways. We want his head sideways." Okay, now saying you want his head sideways speaks volumes here. He is obviously not referring to the head as a figurative part of the team. Saying you want someone's head to be sideways is a clear message. He wanted Gore to be taken out. He wanted Gore to leave the game with a concussion and this is what he was asking his players to do.

I realize that Saints fans are doing everything that they can to stand up for their team, but this was not some metaphor being used by Williams. He was clearly calling for players to target the heads of others. He was asking his players to target the head and possibly cause career or life ending injuries to these players. Just look at Manning. Was that hit to Manning what caused his neck injuries and kept him out for the 2011 season? Could it have been much worse?

In my opinion, Williams should never be allowed back in the NFL or anywhere near football. Football is a game, not a matter of life and death. However, Williams apparently believes that it is. With all the information now about concussions and their long-term effects on a person's life, I can't believe that he could ask other people to try and cause this kind of injury. Worse yet, I can't believe that players actually participated.

Deborah Braconnier is a former athlete and avid football fan. She is a freelance writer and Featured Contributor for the NFL and Olympics. She has followed the Denver Broncos since she was a child and is looking forward to a season with QB Peyton Manning. Follow her on Twitter at @fwcdeborah.

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