Revisiting the Art of Hand Fighting

June is an excellent month to revisit informative articles written in previous seasons. When training camp arrives and that 1st preseason gets here, hand fighting is at the top of my list for what to look for in 2016. Hand fighting is essential to being the physical bully of the NFL.


"So, how did Bennett -- a guy who ran 5.14 in the 40, went undrafted, and was then cut after his rookie training camp in Seattle back in 2009 -- become such a dominant player?"

Reloaded: Michael Bennett and the art of hand-fighting >>> [urltargetblank]http://www.fieldgulls.com/2016/6/9/11845994/reloaded-michael-bennett-and-the-art-of-hand-fighting[/urltargetblank]

Absolutely beautiful! Thank you sir.

Jville gets it.

Good find, although it actually pissed me off a bit watching those clips.

I'm watching in slow motion while Patriots OLmen just hang on Bennett and literally tackle him. Brady throws an obvious intentional grounding, and the last clip slows blatant holding around Bennett's waist from behind while the ref is looking right at him with no other players around. No flags anywhere. You can't tell me it's not a conscious decision to not throw that flag and let the Patriots mount a comeback.

Hawks46":jc382g8d said:

Good find, although it actually pissed me off a bit watching those clips.

I'm watching in slow motion while Patriots OLmen just hang on Bennett and literally tackle him. Brady throws an obvious intentional grounding, and the last clip slows blatant holding around Bennett's waist from behind while the ref is looking right at him with no other players around. No flags anywhere. You can't tell me it's not a conscious decision to not throw that flag and let the Patriots mount a comeback.

Click to expand...

The Ref's were probably told to help keep the game interesting for the viewers.
The allowance of blatant holds on Bennett were one of the reasons that the Patriots were able to close the gap on the scoreboard....Injuries to the LOB was the other reason....Refs should never be allowed to put their 'Thumbs On The Scales', but they do it all the time.
Could have all been moot if they let BEASTMODE go in for the kill.
This hand fighting technique is really nothing new, but the Seahawks have taken it to a whole new level, and not just with the Defense.....Tis a beautiful thing when it's done to perfection.

scutterhawk":6mx5z9df said:

Hawks46":6mx5z9df said:

Good find, although it actually pissed me off a bit watching those clips.

I'm watching in slow motion while Patriots OLmen just hang on Bennett and literally tackle him. Brady throws an obvious intentional grounding, and the last clip slows blatant holding around Bennett's waist from behind while the ref is looking right at him with no other players around. No flags anywhere. You can't tell me it's not a conscious decision to not throw that flag and let the Patriots mount a comeback.

Click to expand...

The Ref's were probably told to help keep the game interesting for the viewers.
The allowance of blatant holds on Bennett were one of the reasons that the Patriots were able to close the gap on the scoreboard....Injuries to the LOB was the other reason....Refs should never be allowed to put their 'Thumbs On The Scales', but they do it all the time.
Could have all been moot if they let BEASTMODE go in for the kill.
This hand fighting technique is really nothing new, but the Seahawks have taken it to a whole new level, and not just with the Defense.....Tis a beautiful thing when it's done to perfection.

Click to expand...

I will never understand why we as fans feel the need to believe that there is a conspiracy behind everything that doesn't go in a favorable direction for our team. Call it poor officiating, or just bad luck. But the Ref's being told to officiate in a particular way for the sake of viewers for a game viewed by more people than any other game in the world just makes no sense.

While I don't think there was a conspiracy (it's actually a pretty engaging storyline: the old dynasty being challenged by the new dynasty), it's hard not to admit that it was a much more interesting game having the Patriots come storming back into the game, than it would be to watch Seattle go up by 14 then watch our DL bludgeon Brady to death.

I don't take it personal, as I honestly believe that most of the refs swallow the whistle on offensive line holding calls, especially for the elite QBs. I saw some clips of obvious flags that weren't called on both of Rodgers' Hail Mary's last year. So if were facing Luck, Manning, Newton, or Rodgers, we'd still see Bennett getting held.

As for the narrative that professional sports leagues don't have agenda's, that's just crap. Look at the officiating of every NBA game. It's literally opposite depending on which team is at home. Star players obviously get special treatment, and calls like travelling are rarely called, especially when star players are on their way to the rim. I think the NFL also has agendas to keep games close and I wouldn't be surprised if it's not communicated to the referee crews on prime time games.

MD5eahawks":3vllq07u said:

scutterhawk":3vllq07u said:

Hawks46":3vllq07u said:

Good find, although it actually pissed me off a bit watching those clips.

I'm watching in slow motion while Patriots OLmen just hang on Bennett and literally tackle him. Brady throws an obvious intentional grounding, and the last clip slows blatant holding around Bennett's waist from behind while the ref is looking right at him with no other players around. No flags anywhere. You can't tell me it's not a conscious decision to not throw that flag and let the Patriots mount a comeback.

Click to expand...

The Ref's were probably told to help keep the game interesting for the viewers.
The allowance of blatant holds on Bennett were one of the reasons that the Patriots were able to close the gap on the scoreboard....Injuries to the LOB was the other reason....Refs should never be allowed to put their 'Thumbs On The Scales', but they do it all the time.
Could have all been moot if they let BEASTMODE go in for the kill.
This hand fighting technique is really nothing new, but the Seahawks have taken it to a whole new level, and not just with the Defense.....Tis a beautiful thing when it's done to perfection.

Click to expand...

I will never understand why we as fans feel the need to believe that there is a conspiracy behind everything that doesn't go in a favorable direction for our team. Call it poor officiating, or just bad luck. But the Ref's being told to officiate in a particular way for the sake of viewers for a game viewed by more people than any other game in the world just makes no sense.

Click to expand...

So you're okay with the No Calls on MULTIPLE & blatant holding....Didn't say it was a conspiracy, but it's damn shady.
Oh and, they DO get instructions from the league to let them play....Shitty Calls/No Calls are the evidence of Referee participation, and skewed numbers......Kind of like the NONSENSE call on Kam Chancellor for pass interference when we played the Pack in the Fail Mary game a couple Years back, eh?

Definitely.

That's why I'm excited for Quinton Jefferson, I think the team has enough information about Bennett's training regime that they'll implement some of that for Jefferson.

First, by developing Jeffersons lower body strength... uphill running, boxjumps, squats etc.

And then perhaps suggesting mma and boxing training to develop hand speed and fighting skills.

And I think that's where Jefferson being "grounded" by his family because he'll likely committ and buy in twice fold to put in the work, and extra time needed to be successful.

Jefferson already looks solid in the video I've seen but he could be a force much like Bennett if he can gain lower body explosion and strength and pair it with superb hand fighting skills.

scutterhawk":uir4ee5r said:

So you're okay with the No Calls on MULTIPLE & blatant holding....Didn't say it was a conspiracy, but it's damn shady.
Oh and, they DO get instructions from the league to let them play....Shitty Calls/No Calls are the evidence of Referee participation, and skewed numbers......Kind of like the NONSENSE call on Kam Chancellor for pass interference when we played the Pack in the Fail Mary game a couple Years back, eh?

Click to expand...

By no means am I okay with No Calls or any other "bad" officiating. I just don't see where it would benefit anyone to tell refs to make a game viewed by sooo many people more interesting. Conspiracy theories are just that...theories. They may get instructions to let them play but the key word is 'they', meaning both teams. I don't believe refs are told to let any particular team have an advantage to win.

I don't think the 'Fail Mary' game can be used as any type of evidence for any argument whatsoever. The replacement refs that year were awful for absolutely every game and that game was the needed pinnacle to settle that dispute.

MD5eahawks":2bwma1zx said:

scutterhawk":2bwma1zx said:

Hawks46":2bwma1zx said:

Good find, although it actually pissed me off a bit watching those clips.

I'm watching in slow motion while Patriots OLmen just hang on Bennett and literally tackle him. Brady throws an obvious intentional grounding, and the last clip slows blatant holding around Bennett's waist from behind while the ref is looking right at him with no other players around. No flags anywhere. You can't tell me it's not a conscious decision to not throw that flag and let the Patriots mount a comeback.

Click to expand...

The Ref's were probably told to help keep the game interesting for the viewers.
The allowance of blatant holds on Bennett were one of the reasons that the Patriots were able to close the gap on the scoreboard....Injuries to the LOB was the other reason....Refs should never be allowed to put their 'Thumbs On The Scales', but they do it all the time.
Could have all been moot if they let BEASTMODE go in for the kill.
This hand fighting technique is really nothing new, but the Seahawks have taken it to a whole new level, and not just with the Defense.....Tis a beautiful thing when it's done to perfection.

Click to expand...

I will never understand why we as fans feel the need to believe that there is a conspiracy behind everything that doesn't go in a favorable direction for our team. Call it poor officiating, or just bad luck. But the Ref's being told to officiate in a particular way for the sake of viewers for a game viewed by more people than any other game in the world just makes no sense.

Click to expand...

Well then you were too dumb to have watched the first Super Bowl that the Hawks were participants in, because anyone who did knows full well something was not right in that game with the refs. If you don't then perhaps you should take up knitting instead of watching football as a hobby.

Revisiting an earlier article from January 2013 on the Art of Hand Fighting .........so essential to being the physical bully of the NFL.



From January 2013 >>> Richard Sherman, Jeremy Lane, and the invaluable technique of hand-fighting >>> [urltargetblank]http://www.fieldgulls.com/2013/1/3/3830352/seahawks-redskins-richard-sherman-jeremy-lane-nfl-playoffs[/urltargetblank]

MD5eahawks":2c9t1iwl said:

scutterhawk":2c9t1iwl said:

So you're okay with the No Calls on MULTIPLE & blatant holding....Didn't say it was a conspiracy, but it's damn shady.
Oh and, they DO get instructions from the league to let them play....Shitty Calls/No Calls are the evidence of Referee participation, and skewed numbers......Kind of like the NONSENSE call on Kam Chancellor for pass interference when we played the Pack in the Fail Mary game a couple Years back, eh?

Click to expand...

By no means am I okay with No Calls or any other "bad" officiating. I just don't see where it would benefit anyone to tell refs to make a game viewed by sooo many people more interesting. Conspiracy theories are just that...theories. They may get instructions to let them play but the key word is 'they', meaning both teams. I don't believe refs are told to let any particular team have an advantage to win.

Click to expand...

And there has never been any such thing as a "Fixed Game", that would be absurd.

When Lawrence Taylor was playing he'd be dragging defenders to the qb on every play. They weren't just holding, they were blatantly trying to tackle him. The refs would call it about a third of the time. The announcers would talk it, it was no secret. If the refs called every hold, LT would've been killing all the qbs and the games would've been impossible to play. The NFL has always called the game differently to protect qbs. Don't think of it as a conspiracy theory so much as a corporate agenda.

kf3339":1dqwbz5v said:

MD5eahawks":1dqwbz5v said:

scutterhawk":1dqwbz5v said:

Hawks46":1dqwbz5v said:

Good find, although it actually pissed me off a bit watching those clips.

I'm watching in slow motion while Patriots OLmen just hang on Bennett and literally tackle him. Brady throws an obvious intentional grounding, and the last clip slows blatant holding around Bennett's waist from behind while the ref is looking right at him with no other players around. No flags anywhere. You can't tell me it's not a conscious decision to not throw that flag and let the Patriots mount a comeback.

Click to expand...

The Ref's were probably told to help keep the game interesting for the viewers.
The allowance of blatant holds on Bennett were one of the reasons that the Patriots were able to close the gap on the scoreboard....Injuries to the LOB was the other reason....Refs should never be allowed to put their 'Thumbs On The Scales', but they do it all the time.
Could have all been moot if they let BEASTMODE go in for the kill.
This hand fighting technique is really nothing new, but the Seahawks have taken it to a whole new level, and not just with the Defense.....Tis a beautiful thing when it's done to perfection.

Click to expand...

I will never understand why we as fans feel the need to believe that there is a conspiracy behind everything that doesn't go in a favorable direction for our team. Call it poor officiating, or just bad luck. But the Ref's being told to officiate in a particular way for the sake of viewers for a game viewed by more people than any other game in the world just makes no sense.

Click to expand...

Well then you were too dumb to have watched the first Super Bowl that the Hawks were participants in, because anyone who did knows full well something was not right in that game with the refs. If you don't then perhaps you should take up knitting instead of watching football as a hobby.

Click to expand...

Well that's a little harsh of a reply. I am certainly not "dumb" and I don't knit. My beliefs as to XL just don't include a conspiracy. I do, however, feel the officiating was THE reason for that entire mess of a game. That is all I am going to say about that.
For this topic I do believe refs turn a blind eye to many calls for the sake of certain players. That much is known in any sport. It is human nature.
Done.

the only lame call/no-call in SB49 was the no-call on Butler for tripping Lockette. Makes me cringe. But at the end of the day you can't blame the refs at all for why we lost that game.

:bump: Hand fighting techniques .... who will stand out Saturday during the first preseason game?

Jville":2bkxippd said:

June is an excellent month to revisit informative articles written in previous seasons. When training camp arrives and that 1st preseason gets here, hand fighting is at the top of my list for what to look for in 2016. Hand fighting is essential to being the physical bully of the NFL.


"So, how did Bennett -- a guy who ran 5.14 in the 40, went undrafted, and was then cut after his rookie training camp in Seattle back in 2009 -- become such a dominant player?"

Reloaded: Michael Bennett and the art of hand-fighting >>> [urltargetblank]http://www.fieldgulls.com/2016/6/9/11845994/reloaded-michael-bennett-and-the-art-of-hand-fighting[/urltargetblank]

Click to expand...

HoustonHawk82":cp5frtoq said:

Jville gets it.

Click to expand...

:ditto: