How cool would it be if Smitty got suspended? Very, I say
Mike Smith calmly asks DeAngelo Hall to take a long walk off a short pier. (AJC photo by Curtis Compton)
I’m not a big fan of mindless violence (or of mindful violence, come to that). I don’t much like movies where things blow up. (I’m more an Ingmar Bergman guy.) That said …
How cool would it be if Mike Smith got suspended for getting into it with DeAngelo Hall?
James Dean cool. Jim Morrison cool. Off-the-charts cool.
The NFL is investigating Sunday’s sideline incident, which got me to thinking. Just imagine the grid cred that would flow from Smith having to sit out one measly game. (Make it against Tampa Bay, though.) He’d be known as the ultimate players’ advocate, the guy willing to square off with the most-disliked guy in the sport. (Perhaps I overstate. There’s still Terrell Owens.)
Smitty would be a hero in his locker room. Heck, he’d be a hero across the whole wide NFL. I mean, who among us has not wanted to lay hands in a harmful way on D-Hall?
Speaking for myself, I’ll confess that D-Hall’s three-penalties-on-one-drive psychodrama against Carolina in 2007 was enough to make me want to put my Bergman movie on pause — “Persona,” I believe it was — and take a poke at him myself. What can I say? The man has that effect on people.
So today I feel happy. (No more Swedish Bergman gloom.) Today I have a new role model:
Two-Fisted Smitty, the one coach willing to get down to the nitty gritty. He’s the man.
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189 comments Add your comment
Sonny Clusters
November 9th, 2009
5:22 pm
Clusters don’t believe in violence.
Extremus
November 9th, 2009
5:25 pm
Actually, I kind of hope the whole thing blows over quickly so we can focus on the Carolina game without further distractions. I think that one will be a tough rematch against a team fired up after nearly toppling the Saints.
Falcon fan
November 9th, 2009
5:26 pm
I love this guy. He`s the right coach for this team.
Sonny Clusters
November 9th, 2009
5:27 pm
We was first! We was almost suspended from Parkview back when we was in school but Coach come up big for us with the principal and we just had to do study hall with Coach for about twelve weeks. When DHall crossed that sideline all bets were off.
Mark Bradley
November 9th, 2009
5:28 pm
Clusters was first! Kudos are falling from the sky!
Coach Smitty Supporter & MeAngelo Hater
November 9th, 2009
5:29 pm
I wonder if Coach Smitty knows any “PEACH CLOBBER” (not “cobbler”) recipes for hoodlums like Mr. Hall.
Coach Smitty Supporter & MeAngelo Hater
November 9th, 2009
5:29 pm
I wonder if Coach Smitty knows any “PEACH CLOBBER” (not “cobbler”) recipes for hoodlums like Mr. Hall.
Sonny Clusters
November 9th, 2009
5:30 pm
Smitty is a good coach for the Falcons and they play hard for him. Smitty is a lot different than some other coaches/managers in town. He don’t appear to be a nose picker and you don’t hear a lot of, “C’mon kid” comments. Mostly, he appears to be running his team and expecting to win.
THWGT
November 9th, 2009
5:30 pm
I dont care what the outcome of this situation is…….
it still doesnt take away the fact that Georgia Tech runs a high school offense, is the most overrated team in America, and will have no chance in hell recruiting a QB or WR worth a crap in the near future……
just sayin’
BamaBirDawg
November 9th, 2009
5:31 pm
DeAngry Hall could well bounce Couch Smith for a game or two but in the end… it doesn’t subtract from Mike’s ability or devotion or standing. If anything… it really would be cool. Baseball managers get booted all the time. I like someone who likes my team as much as I do and does what I would do… if I coulda.
Just Sayin'
November 9th, 2009
5:33 pm
Interesting. I wonder if this request will come back to bite D Hall. If it does, would it end his nonsense.? Dang, all I can think about are his poor kids….having him as their role model.
Mark Bradley
November 9th, 2009
5:33 pm
If Smitty had to sit, he’d be only about 150 ejections behind Bobby Cox.
Paul H
November 9th, 2009
5:33 pm
Hall will find someone to tell the teacher on every week if this happens.
Dawg Gone It
November 9th, 2009
5:33 pm
Ingmar Bergman was a hottie, that fo sure. Between her and Grace Kelly, I can’t decide.
mountain_jim
November 9th, 2009
5:33 pm
Agree Extremus. Plus for me at Carolina is the ‘laugh at the inlaws’ at Thanksgiving and Christmas game – we have to win. They would also be back in the wild-card hunt if they beat us, each then 5-4. I am worried about rumours that Baker is going to be out for awhile (again this year), though his backup SVITEK played well. Him first hurting his foot against Dallas explains alot about how bad the left side was caving in during that game.
Mark Bradley
November 9th, 2009
5:35 pm
Ingmar Bergman was a guy. Ingrid Bergman was not a guy.
Sonny Clusters
November 9th, 2009
5:36 pm
Most Falcons coaches in the past was fighting they own players, not somebody on the other team. Van Brocklin and Wages, June Jones and Jeff George. It’s better to be fighting somebody in another color uniform. Besides, Smitty didn’t see nothing but a maroon helmet. Could have been anybody.
Dawg Gone It
November 9th, 2009
5:36 pm
I’m capable of dumbbutt comments like that.
Kid me not
November 9th, 2009
5:37 pm
Coach Smith is a great standup coach. It’s a great chemistry on this team. Losers like Meangelo have no place here.
Clemson538
November 9th, 2009
5:39 pm
This is exactly what Atlanta needed. Mark you actually just hit it right on the ball and im not sure if you realized this. Guys LOVE playing for the braves because Bobby Cox is one of the premier managers, and one of the main factors is that he ALWAYS sticks up for his players no matter what. Every time the braves sign a free agent you hear guys say he is a manager that always sticks up for his players. Mike Smith is the Bobby Cox of the falcons now. Whether you intended to make that point or not, their both the same when it comes to sticking up for their players. Whether or not they will be the same winning wise will remain to be seen. But it will have the same effect as it does with players wanting to play for cox. Premier free agents will WANT to play for Mike Smith because he sticks up for his players!
mudcat
November 9th, 2009
5:39 pm
No pads, no helmet, only a few years away from social security and our coach is going toe-to-toe with the Darth Vader of the NFL. You gotta love it! Punish him? No way! You don’t mess with a guy who has steel balls.
Mark Bradley
November 9th, 2009
5:40 pm
Well said, Sonny C. This was much more fun to watch than June J. versus Jeff G. on Sunday night against the Eagles.
kerryb
November 9th, 2009
5:41 pm
Give me a break. You Tech morons kill me. You have a little success in 20,000 years and you wont shut up. You just barely beat Clemson on a bogus holding call at the end of the game and got saved, you barely beat a Wake Forest team in overtime that Clemson beat the living crap out of 2 weeks ago and you think you are something. I bet if they meet you again in the ACC championship game they are going to clock you this time. Your small offensive line was no match for their large defensive line in that game. I’m not even a Clemson fan and can tell you that you better hope that you don’t meet them again.
Herschel Talker
November 9th, 2009
5:42 pm
FIRE BOOBY COX!
Ohio State fan
November 9th, 2009
5:44 pm
If Urban Meyer had done that you would be calling for his immediate dismissal. And you know!
Stay classy, Bradley. You’re consistent.
Mark Bradley
November 9th, 2009
5:46 pm
I would not be calling for anyone’s dismissal so long as the party of the second part was DeAngelo Hall.
IlliniDawg
November 9th, 2009
5:47 pm
Smith sticks up for his players – and they are the players that he wants to stick up for. That is the key. No way would Smitty stick up for an arrogant a$$ like MeAngelo – primarily because a guy like that would not be on the team. THAT is what I like about Smith – he takes no crap from anybody and will not have a malcontent on his squad – something June Jones, Gerry Glanville, or Jim Mora did not have the balls to do.
CinemaGirl
November 9th, 2009
5:49 pm
Ingmar Bergman? Oh no, Mark Bradley’s an intellectual.
GT_70
November 9th, 2009
5:53 pm
kerryb, what’s your point? Why are you even here? Go back to your double wide and watch old UGA reruns or something.
BugKiller
November 9th, 2009
5:56 pm
You know what they say, right?
Douche bags attract other douche bags.
This explains the VaTech football program.
It also explains the New York Yankees and their fans (most of whom disappeared between 1981 and 1995, making them Bandwagon Douches).
Jim Mora, Mike ConVick, and MeAngelo Hall.
Vick Supporter 2 and his various personalities (Bad News, bigeasy831, and now “Choke”).
Barrack Obama, Joe Biden, and Rahm Emanuel.
Karl Rove and Dick Cheney.
Keith Olberman and Keith Olberman’s Ego.
Rush Limbaugh and Rush Limbaugh’s Ego.
Howard Stern and his Idiot Fans.
Paul Krugman and the other Elitist, Out of Touch, Socialist Douche Bags at the New York Times.
George Clooney, Tim Robbins, Matt Damon, Sean Penn, Janine Garafalo, Michael Moore, and every other Commie Hollywood Celebrity who don’t know their butt from a hole in the ground (basically, every puppet in Team America: World Police).
Yep… the Douche Bag Law of Attraction explains much in our world.
Josh - suffering in sports deprived Louisville
November 9th, 2009
5:56 pm
Good points Mark. If he does get the one-game axe then it had better be against Tampa. We still need to focus.
@THWGT – ummm….remember Calvin Johnson?? What about Demaryius Thomas?? Leading WR in the ACC?? Just sayin’.
Peter
November 9th, 2009
5:56 pm
Poor MeAngelo…… Gosh is anyone in Atlanta really unhappy the guy is Gone ?
He did such a great job not hustling on running plays, I love how he trips over himself so he won’t have to tackle ! I watched him for years avoid making hits as a corner.
Go home and Cry MeAngelo !
"Chef" Tim Dix
November 9th, 2009
5:59 pm
Would be even cooler Mark if the Falcons “fired” him (wink) and a new head coach returned to the sidelines wearing a mask only known as “Coach F.”
BugKiller
November 9th, 2009
6:01 pm
Ooh!
I forgot Scientologists!
Those freaky morons who’ve bought into L. Ron Hubbard’s weirdo Big Scam are some pretty humongous Douche Bags.
Watch out, Tom Cruise! Galactic Lord Xenu is right behind you!!!
Hehe.
John
November 9th, 2009
6:03 pm
This is not an endorsement of D. Hall, but in a one on one fight, I would put my money on Hall. He may have a lot of fire in his belly, but Mike Smith isn’t capable of beating up D. Hall in a real fight with no one around to have his back.
MWC
November 9th, 2009
6:05 pm
The only way coach sits is if he woulda pulled a Woody Hayes on that idiot.
Why is he still in the NFL???
MWC
November 9th, 2009
6:06 pm
John…Duh
"Chef" Tim Dix
November 9th, 2009
6:09 pm
John: You may ( I repeat may) be right but everyone including you and his mother would be pulling for Smitty.
Kyle
November 9th, 2009
6:12 pm
If you are good in life when you die you go to Smitty’s House. I know he has the emotion I have about these games and is mad as I am when we play like sissies against teams with winning records. I’m afraid they are more like you Mark. They get a little to liberal and worried about violence to really be NFL players and go for the throat like the ones that are normally wearing those nice rings come early February.
Mark Bradley
November 9th, 2009
6:12 pm
I’m obviously no intellect, CinemaGirl. I just have this thing for subtitles. And Liv Ullmann.
"Chef" Tim Dix
November 9th, 2009
6:13 pm
Oh Mark even better, what if Smitty broke out a “Sideline Championship Trophy” ala Glanville and California? The possilbilities are both endless and hilarious…
Sonny Clusters
November 9th, 2009
6:14 pm
Depends on how he’s fighting. Not many people know Clusters do martial arts and Coach Smith might do that, too. Say, somebody jumps on a Clusters . . . that’s a mistake. Two chops and a kick and that fight’s over.
Sonny Clusters
November 9th, 2009
6:15 pm
We was always peace loving but could chop a tree in half with one hand. The other hand was the pitching hand and we kept it in our pocket when fighting.
punkie
November 9th, 2009
6:15 pm
@John
To borrow a line:
Hall may be fast, but Smittty can knock him over.
Mark Bradley
November 9th, 2009
6:17 pm
Elvis was a martial arts man, too, Sonny. Which puts you in fine company.
Pi$$onaDawg
November 9th, 2009
6:18 pm
Mark My eyes get tired reading all the sub-titles and I like color not just Black and White. That said. Hall still lives in ATLANTA and says he will meet SMITH. HAHAHAH I think ME-HOLE will run if Mike actually showed-up to kick his but.
Mark Bradley
November 9th, 2009
6:19 pm
I understand, POAD. I’m the only person in the world who prefers subtitles. I am, as we know, odd.
Bryan G.
November 9th, 2009
6:20 pm
Can the AJC give Sonny Clusters his own blog?
punkie
November 9th, 2009
6:20 pm
Hall and Smitty one on one– Dancing With the Stars—don’t laugh.
Mark Bradley
November 9th, 2009
6:20 pm
We probably should give Sonny his own blog. Though he pretty much has taken control of this one.