Hairy issue becomes a hot topic

[BlitzburghRockCity]

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06290/730567-66.stm

Tuesday, October 17, 2006

By Robert Dvorchak, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette



The NFL does not regulate how long a player can grow his hair -- and courts since the 1970s have said that hair length is a personal choice protected by the U.S. Constitution -- but the interpretation of tackling by the hair dates to 2003.

NFL director of officiating Mike Pereira, in a videotape distributed to the teams and made available to the media, ruled that the hair flowing out of Ricky Williams' helmet was fair game to a tackler after the former Miami back was yanked down by his dreadlocks.

"You've got the hair being pulled, and the locks are like the shirt, I guess," Pereira said in the video. "If you pull the locks, it's OK. If you're going to wear your locks like that, you're the one that's at risk."

The issue remained a hot topic of conversation after Steelers safety Troy Polamalu -- in what he said was a personal first -- was hauled down by his hair during an interception return Sunday against Kansas City. Larry Johnson caught him by the hair and was assessed an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for his role in a sideline skirmish after the play. The play had no bearing on the game, but it has fanned all sorts of speculation and personal opinions.

From the sports highlight shows to talk radio to YouTube.com, hair was entangled in a debate about personal safety or whether such a play may cost a team a game.

The call, however, was clear in the NFL's eyes.

"It is not a foul to tackle a player by the hair," NFL spokesman Steve Alic said. "A player's hair is considered part of the uniform."

Troy could get tackled by the hair every week from now to kingdom come but don't expect him to cut it, its part of his heritage and that's more important than a few lost hairs now and then.

[House of Steel]

You got that right, my wife saw that and was yelling, LOOK AT WHAT THE **** HE DID? I said, Yep, it is legal, but what he did afterwords picking him up by the hair was absolutely wrong, but I am telling you now, I still think the NFL rules that the hair is part of a shirt to a legal tackle. I swear everyone is going to go after Troy's Hair from now on. That made my teeth rattle to feel the pain he went through on that play. Cleveland media was mocking Troy for having that happen to him, this city is full of lowlives.

[BlitzburghRockCity]

How often does Troy get tackled anyways , if they want to make fun of that tell them to go back to the dog bones and leave the NFL to the rest of us.

[House of Steel]

How often does Troy get tackled anyways , if they want to make fun of that tell them to go back to the dog bones and leave the NFL to the rest of us.

I wish you could SOUND OFF to WJW FOX 8 News at Five. You go to MyFoxCleveland.com and you will see a Sound Off box, you can e mail Stacey Bell and Brownies Lover Bill Martin and tell them how you feel about Cleveland being lowlives, Matt. I guarantee you will get your 15 minutes of fame and then some booing. I did that last season, after they read my sound off, they put Little John Rinaldi in a skit concerning my post and IT WAS UGLY!!! Big Chuck and Little John show in Cleveland is a very popular late night thing here in Cleveland, they show a good movie too.

[Koopa]

the nfl better not make players cut their hair, that would be gayer then having long hair lol........i was playing, i like troy's hair cause it ain't all girly like tg favorite bands hair.....he doesn't straighten it and all that gay shit....his hair is tight, on nappy and shit lol

[House of Steel]

For once, Koopa, you got a good point.

[BlitzburghRockCity]

He only has a partial point, stop encouraging him HOS ! He's brainwashed into thinking that rap is actually considered music and that chamilliondollar is actually a good artist !

[House of Steel]

I am not encouraging that fool. Rap is music??? HUMMMMMMMMMMM is he trying to be one of them? Chamilliondollar is a huge joke in the dictionary, and the last I remember, you put that in ask.com and it responds like this,

[BlitzburghRockCity]

We can thank Koopa for this thread too !

[Koopa]

He only has a partial point, stop encouraging him HOS ! He's brainwashed into thinking that rap is actually considered music and that chamilliondollar is actually a good artist !

at least ppl still care about chamillionaire, only old ppl that don't matter to the world still like kiss lol........plus i don't like rap, just texas rap, i listen to rock way more then i listen to rap