From the Pressbox

Hey Jim Brown - wasn't BC supposed to be winning back-to-back this year?

Jiminez's appeals means he feals he did nothing wrong. If it goes to an appeal and he looses, the suspension should be increased to a minimum 3 games, or to the date that Gargiulo returns to play. If he can't own up to what he did and take responsibility, the appeal process must be empoyed to lengthen the suspension not only to overturn it.

Most men would own up to what they did and accept the punishment, and move on. If Jiminez feals he did nothing wrong, with the video evidence, the truth will come out. He will either be vindicated, or if guilty must be sent a message.

After viewing the video on today's pregame show, if there are any B.C. fans still disconnected enough to not recognize the unnecessary nature of that attack, and the outright dirty nature of it, then they have bigger problems. It was a cowardly cheap shot. No defense can be constructed for that act, even though he will have all winter to drum something up. Jason Jimenez should no longer play in the CFL. Rather than resorting to the process to keep a player like that active, Wally Buono should be ashamed, be a man, and win the game with true sportsmen.

Instead of whinning about the CFLPA, the league should have domne something about you SASKATCHEWAN whinners all year long. Now talking about suspensions the league should've thrown the book at #41 Perry for his hit to the head on DAVE DICKENson along time ago. And the same goes for #96 Schultz and #98 CHICK, they should;ve been tossed a few times this year.

Is it me or does the league favor the BC Lions? This Jimenez thing is just one of a string of other incidents this team has caused. In an earlier game this year (You might remember as the game where BC beat Sask 37-34) another offensive lineman Sherko Hassi Rassouli had a fighting incident in which he never even got kicked out but later was suspended a measly 1 game for his actions. That game would have ended different I am almost positive and this West Final tomorrow would be in the friendly confines of Taylor Field. I think the BC Lions have the dirtiest O-lines in the league but yet the panel on CBC makes such a big deal about them being the "best" they are only good because they use underhanded tactics. The Riders O-line is never talked about and yet look at it, it is in my mind the best the league has to offer (Smith, Jones, AbouMechrek, Oday and Big Gene Makowsky)

The lack of disiplanary action against Jiomanez shows the weakness of the CFL. His actions resulted in injuries that threaten the career of another player, yet he can continue on, no fines and the opportunity to make playoff bonus money.

Lets make this plain and simple. I intentionally nail someone with my car, and I paralyze them. After I'm found guilty of attempted murder, and I choose to appeal I sit in jail until that appeal.

This is a joke. Sure Jimenez should have the right to appeal. That doesn't mean he should have the right to play while waiting for that appeal. Shame on the part of the B.C. Lions, they should do a better job keeping their players in line, especially when they are already being accused of dirty tactics left right and center.

There is a definite disconnect between the way rules have been changed in the league over the past couple of years and the discipline that the league is prepared to dish out when there are flagrant violations.

On the one hand, rule changes take the game farther and farther away from the hard-nosed game I enjoy. Every year for the past 5 or 6 years I've had to re-learn the rules of a game that I've watched/played for 50 years and I do believe that within a year or so, the league will decide to have the QB's playing flag football so that they can't be hit AT ALL. Gotta keep those guys healthy and playing, after all.

On the other hand, there is absolutely no disciplinary action taken when a player does something really nasty in a clear effort to hurt/maim someone. Maybe this is because the league is so talent-poor, it cannot afford to have starters suspended. Wait! Maybe there is no disconnect.

Anyway, if I had my way: the offending player should sit out as many games as the player that they tried to injure. If that means a new career selling used cars, so be it. I guess both Jimenez and Todd Bertuzzi (what is it about Vancouver, anyway?) are thankful that the rule makers in "professional" sport are more reasonable than me.

Jimenez better hope that there are no slumbering Bertuzzi's on the Stampeders next spring...I doubt that we'll change out the entire defense 2 years in a row.

First: Until the video is made clear to everyone, not just a select few at CFL headquarters, no one can say for sure what happened.

Second: regardless of the injury, the type of hit is legal, and is something that Buono has been trying to make illegal for two years now. However, while the rest of the league says no to Buono, there is no reason his guys shouldn't use something that the league considers legal.

Third: What makes this particular hit legal or illegal is the timing of the whistle and I have still not heard anything definite on that.

Fourth: A ref pulls a flag and ejects Jimenez...these are the same refs that fans across the country have been complaining about all year in regards to bad calls...now suddenly every one believes them? What absolute hypocrisy.

Fifth: Gass talking about dirty hits? The master of dirty hits? (well, maybe that does give him a better read...)

Sixth: Only those capable of mind-reading can know the intent of Jimenez when he made the hit...last time I checked, no one is capable of such a feat.

Seventh: Jimenez has the RIGHT to appeal his suspension, and no one can take that away from him.

Eight: If the hit was legal (ie. between the whistles), then why is he being punished at all? Simply because Garguilio was hurt? It's a damn football game, guys get hurt, it happens, deal with it.

The hit on Gargiulo by Jimenez was after the whistle was blown. It was pure and simple assault! This man is not a professional athlete, he is nothing more than a street thug and should not be allowed to play professional football. The league needs to wake up and do something about individuals like him. I am sure that he will eventually get his dues.

There are a few items that have not been mentioned here. One is that this hit occurred quite a distance from where the rest of the play was. Thus, the lack of video. I guess this would be like cranking the place kicker on the 40 as the ball is going through he uprights. Sure, the play was still on, but the outcome was already final. The other is that this was the last play of the first half. The timing and position of where this occurred show intent to hurt. There was absolutely no reason for this type of hit.

As for Wally Buono. He is no angel, and gets away with too much. You can't tell me he hasn't told everyone to keep quiet. Look at Dickenson's comments immediatly following the game. He was quoted as saying what was Jason thinking... Wally is just trying to keep it all quiet so Jason can play in the playoffs. This is a complete farce. Any coach with any dignity would be benching the Jimenez.

Jimenez should be realeases from the Lion's organization. If he isn't I refuse to renew my season tickets.My 2 children were at the game with me. What we saw was deplorible. They now don't even want to go back to the stadium. Wally Buono should sit this cheap shot artist till seasons end and then cut him. This is not the Wally of old that fans accross the league loved. All he seems is insenced to win at all costs. Jimenez be a man and take what is coming to you for that cowardly shot.

I have not seen the hit, I have only heard descriptions and angry back and forth.

I am going to preface my comment by saying that my prayers go out to Gargiulo and his family. No one deserves something like this and I'm sorry but "he knew what he was getting into when he decided to play football" is complete nonsense.

That being said my first question after reading this article was: Who cares? After seeing all of the posts my question is now: Why do you care? I used to watch the CFL and hold it above any other football league. After having watched a good amount of NFL and a ton of NCAA I now know better. The CFL is an inferior league with inferior talent. The owners are blind to the fact that their fan base is shrinking in the younger age brackets. I watched 2 games this year to make sure I wasn't missing something and that was a waste of my time.

Goodbye CFL. You are a weekly newspaper in the internet age.

There should have been no suspension. It is football. It is violent. Dirty hit but part of the game, there are dirty hits every play. The fact the player is hurt should have NO relevance, accidents and injuries happen. The hit itself does not warrant suspension

There is no doubt that the BC Lions have, in some ways, an exceptional team this year. I have been very discouraged, however, at the lack of respect that has been shown by certain individuals on this team, whose unsportsmanlike and dangerous behavior must certainly be condoned, or perhaps even encouraged by the coaching staff. Perhaps this is where the problem starts, but certainly doesn't stop here.

CFL players assume a certain amount of risk when they enter the fray, but the lack of gumption and inconsistency shown by the CFL combined with the apparent disregard by the CFLPA for the well-being of its members, leaves me disheartened.

Unlike most professional organizations, the CFLPA seems to have forgotten that one hallmark of any profession is the responsibility to discipline its own members.

Two points:
The honour and respect that used to be found in football seems to be slipping away as it already has in hockey. You're only tough if you play the game as hard as you can within the rules - an ultimately with respect for your competition. It seems B.C. must suspend the player for the remainder to uphold whatever respect for the game may be left.
And bravo to Mr. Friedman who for a change has ventured a sharp opinion.

Wow Jim, you have the best CFL team in the country! Congrats! I didn't realise that second-tier professional football was something to hold aloft over the rest of the country, but considering how well the Canucks are doing right now, I guess Vancouver needs to hold on to whatever glory they can. I'll be sure to ask for Jimenez's autograph when he serves up my Big Mac combo in the offseason. I think I might "clip" a picture of him with the Grey Cup to sign...

Jim Brown, there's such a thing as being a bad winner too. Take a page from poster Bob Madill's book; he's objective enough to be a fan but still recognize Jimenez' play as dirty. That's what athletes and fans with class do. You're obviously the sort of fan who'd root for Ty Cobb or Barry Bonds as long as he plays for your team. I'm sure you wouldn't be so supportive if Jimenez played for any team but yours.

All you have to do is read Jason Jimenez's carefully prepared statements. He is a goon. Haji-Rasouli is a goon. The jury is still out on Murphy. Buono condones it all by inaction. The CFLPA is a joke (doesn't Anthony Gargiulo pay his dues too?) Whoever signed that agreement from the leagues side must have been an idiot.

So let me get this straight; a play in a football game was the worst thing to happen in the history of the world. Thank you for the fake sincerity Elliotte, try actually thinking about the columns you write instead on phoning them in.

Disqualification from the game should include an automatic one-game suspension, with NO appeal.

The referee has to provide a game report. His account of the incident should provide sufficient information on which to base further suspension. The lack of television video is a convenient cop-out -- if we can't see it on TV, it must not have happened.

An illegal hit, from the blind side, after the whistle, away from the play -- yet serious enough for disqualification. That is the most cowardly act of all.

I'm from BC and I am totally appalled at this. Yes Bob, the goon squad does fit. These guys have been doing this all season with Buono seemingly condoning it. I shudder to think that the CFL wants to advertise guys like Rob "Chokehold" Murphy and "CutsLikeAKnife" Jiminez to their fans. Without meaningful consequences, nothing will change.
What is most disheartening about all of this was that I thought for sure that Buono would step up and say what happened was wrong. Nope, he didn't even squirm as he defended his player's rights. Maybe end someone's career, but as long as you hoist that cup at the end of it all, thats what counts. I have no more respect for Wally-or the Lions.

After the whole farce that was the Gass non-suspension, I will go so far as to say that until the Commish's office is given final say on suspensions, no player in the CFL will ever again serve a suspension within two weeks of when the commit an act for which a suspension is given down.

Heck, I'll even go so far as to say that if Jimenez has this sad excuse for a suspension ultimately overturned (which wouldn't surprise me - if ripping the helmet off a player after dragging him around the field for a few seconds and then launching it downfield isn't worth a suspension of any length, what honestly is), for the remainder of the time that the whole arbitrator process for suspension appeal is in place, no player will ever be suspended for any length in the CFL unless they kill somebody on the field.

The issue in question is not the legality of the hit which in some circles has been deemed legal, but whether the hit occurred after the whistle blew and the play was dead. I don't think there has been any conclusive audio evidence put forward to help settle this issue one way or the other. If the whistle didn't blow and Gargiulo relaxed on the play prematurely, Jimenez would have every right to play to the whistle. I would suggest that even if it could be determined that the whistle hadn't blown, Jimenez cleary demonstrated a lack of respect for a peer, which is why I think the CFL Panel is disgusted with the play. Gargiulo has a family to feed. Having said that for those individuals trying to portray Jimenez as a "goon", they should remember he only had 2 rough play calls all season prior to this incident. Fred Perry earlier this year hit Dave Dickensen with what many in the media deemed to be a perfectly legal hit which threated to be career ending for Double D. I wonder if that "legal" hit showed any more respect for a peer than Jimenez's????

DT and Jim Brown,

Thanks for your invaluable and thought provoking insights. Your intelligent and well articulated comments have REALLY added a lot to an otherwise pedestrian discussion.

I know you will both do well when you eventually reach high school,...

I would think Friedman would have learned about shooting from the lip after his allegations about Damon Allen. Jiminez is 6'7" and weighs around 315. If he was a dirty player, there would have been a trail of broken opposition limbs throughout the season. That was not the case.

I don't think what happened to Garguilo was right, but I'd be willing to bet his injury was more a fluke than intentional. I don't think Jiminez hit him with the intent of injuring him so seriously, just as I don't think Bertuzzi meant to injure Moore like he did.

I'm sure Jiminez took a cheap shot, but there's no evidence he intended to inflict a serious injury. He was contrite after learning about the injury whereas an arrogant person, or a mean person, would have been unaffected. It's understandable that a guy with his size and mass might not understand the impact it could have on another player. It's too bad it takes such a serious injury to get the message through. Then again, Fred Perry unloaded on Dave Dickenson, after the ball was thrown, with a similar effect. Little was said about that.

I'm glad there is a possibility of Jiminez playing. Saskatchewan is a dirty team and I'm sure they'll be after our quarterbacks. I'm confident Jiminez will learn from his grievous error, and it seems the people protesting are those who want to see the Lions stuffed. It's not going to happen, with him or without him.

I have no time for the CFl and its in-house rulings. They are going on the word of a ref and that leaves me with little confidence. Buono is not an idiot who suffers fools gladly. He disagreed with the refs decision and has backed Jiminez from the get-go, something I'm sure he based on a chat with Jiminez after the incident.

First: Until the video is made clear to everyone, not just a select few at CFL headquarters, no one can say for sure what happened.

Second: regardless of the injury, the type of hit is legal, and is something that Buono has been trying to make illegal for two years now. However, while the rest of the league says no to Buono, there is no reason his guys shouldn't use something that the league considers legal.

Third: What makes this particular hit legal or illegal is the timing of the whistle and I have still not heard anything definite on that.

Fourth: A ref pulls a flag and ejects Jimenez...these are the same refs that fans across the country have been complaining about all year in regards to bad calls...now suddenly every one believes them? What absolute hypocrisy.

Fifth: Gass talking about dirty hits? The master of dirty hits? (well, maybe that does give him a better read...)

Sixth: Only those capable of mind-reading can know the intent of Jimenez when he made the hit...last time I checked, no one is capable of such a feat.

Seventh: Jimenez has the RIGHT to appeal his suspension, and no one can take that away from him.

Eight: If the hit was legal (ie. between the whistles), then why is he being punished at all? Simply because Garguilio was hurt? It's a damn football game, guys get hurt, it happens, deal with it.

What a joke! I didn't give the CFL much credit and hardly watched it until this year preferring to instead spend my time watching hockey and the NFL (What I consider to be the best run league in North America, if not the world). That said this year I was actually paying more attention to the CFL thinking that with a new commisioner maybe things were looking up.

With the handling of the Gass suspension earlier this year and now with this terrible ruling on a vicious play it just shows that the CFL doesn't deserve to even be mentioned in the same breath as the NFL. It is bush league as Murray from Calgary and many others put it. What a joke and it just can't seem to lift itself up to a level pf professionalism.

The CFL better watch out because if the NFL starts to look north a bit more seriously and the CFL continues to lose what respectability it has among fans the younger generation like myself will give up on it and it will be game over, sadly as over as it may be for Gargiulo's career.

I am a die hard lions fan, but this is getting to much. All year there has been talk about o line being dirty and i would think just sour grapes on the other teams but this hit was wrong and sickening i personally think jimenez should be gone for the year and part of next year. Players on his own team think its wrong. Im gonna cheer for the lions but jimenez i want out of the league.

I hope this story thread makes its way to Mark Cohon, CFL HO and the CFLPA. Thank you Elliotte.
Most of us threaders wish for a longer suspension - a stronger message to players in the CFL that intent to injure won't be tolerated.
We have a great game in our CFL and this incident is deplorable, as is the one game suspension.
What thinks you Mr. Cohon and CFLPA heads?

Cohon and the league office look lost with this decision in relation to how they have dealt with 'comments detrimental to the league'.

Really, what is more important here, Marc??

First to the rest of Canada - The comments just below by "Jim Brown" are an embarrassment to the rest of us in Van. He should probably just work on his spelling and leave actual comments for a couple more years.

That said

When the league looks soft it condones this type of thing for everyone else in the future and drags the game down.
We needed a strong statement from a strong commissioner and he behaved like a coward.
We LOVE the lions in BC and Van and this is a big deal to us.

Go the Lions for the Grey Cup but please do it without Jason Jimenez

Elliott: is there a e-mail site that we can send our comments to at the CFL office? This was a blatant hit. And one game only..a joke. There is nothing listed in the CFL web site, or maybe you can direct us to where to find it. To staunch Lion Fans...many strong Lion fans have commented on what they saw first hand. Keep in mind there is bias here.." the dirtiest hit they have ever seen, and after the whistle."...Some of my own family was at the game..and I think the word they used was "ashamed"....We have got to get this one game only, increased. He is appealling, so the judges can increase the time.
He doesn't deserve to finish the season..period. Really, it is no different than Todd Bertuzzi's hit..only the Calgary player hadn't done anything to the Lion's Captain the game or two before.

Hit the nail on the head. In a day when public perception is so important the CFL dropped the ball. The suspension is a joke and as the panel said on game day the play deserves no less than the rest of this season and maybe even next season. The hit reflects the play of the dirtiest team in the league. Way to go Wally.

This is a black day for the CFL!!

To Rick,

Wow. "Football is a rough full-contact sport. It is the O linesman's job to make this sort of contact, and unfortunately, sometimes serious injuries result."

Really? A block from behind when the ball is 40 yards downfield with Geroy Simon? How is that part of the job or the play? Is Jason that bad of a player he can't follow the play and know when it's over?

To the BC Lions - "Simply the Best" O-Line T-Shirts. This is two suspensions (Rasouli the other), Murphy has been kicked out of at least two games and if not for Andre Proulx, three. "Simply the dirtiest" is much more appropriate.

One game suspension is such a shame given
the severity of injury and deliberate
intentions of the BC player. I do hope
the Calgary player will be ok . Must be
something in the air in Vancouver. Hockey,
football , all the same barbaric actions.
Overshadows a very good BC team and good
individual achievements this year. Good on
you Elliotte for making comment.

I don't know how everyone has such an opinionated comment on both sides. Everything I've heard is that there is barely any video tape of the incident, and few people know exactly what happened. The refs obviously saw something worth ejecting Jimenez, what did they tell the league? Obviously nothing that would make the commissioner give more than a 1 game suspension. Listen, I'm a HUGE Lions fan, but I don't condone any dirty plays. I find it hard to believe that in a meaningless game, Jimenez went out with intent to injure Gargiulo. But let's wake up, the battles between the O & D lines on each and every team in the league are going to get dirty, chippy and occasionaly result in injury. 99% of us have never been in that situation, so it's a little hard to put ourselves in that situation. I pray Gargiulo is okay, nobody deserves that, but NOBODY can comment on something they haven't seen. We're all turning into tabloid writers.

"To suspend Jiminez in view of these two facts is wrong. The league is pandering to those who ignore the facts of the case and the situation."

Perhaps Jennifer should be educating the sensationalizing that's going on here.

The fact that the league suspended Jimenez based on the report filed from the referee that was 10 feet away from the play speaks volumes on why he was suspended without "clear video evidence" that Rick seems so bent on requiring.

I find it very unfortunate that there WASN'T better video evidence than what has been provided to the public, as Jimenez may have gotten what he deserved.

A cheap play, through and through.

It is sad to hear that a player can get away with ending the career of one of his own. It is sadder that the League sanctions it, the players association condones and defends it. If possible Elliote, you should play the copy before the Eastern & Western finals this week so that CFL fans can see what Jimenez is getting away with. I think the same way about this as I do about an injury that on a dirty hit in the NHL - he doesn't play until the player that is injured returns to the lineup and if that means never then so be it.
No Steve Moore, no Todd Bertuzzi, No Anthony Gargiulo, no Jason Jimenez. Point Finale.

One game is a joke - as would be a suspension for the rest of season. The punishment should fit the crime: Jimenez should be banned from playing until Gargiulo plays again, and then add on the suspension. And if Gargiulo never plays again, it will give Jimenez a LONG time to think about what he did to another man, affecting him for the rest of his life. It will also let any future player think about his actions before he lets his emotions take over his common sense.

I hope that Guglio is OK.

That said, this is a mere blip, if that on Vancouvers scene. The CFL mean's a lot less in this big city that it does to the "Country Bumpkins" of Calgary.
BC expects to win the cup, but again, its small time there.
Calgary, has little else to get hyped about other than an act from Iginla that is getting really old.

Wake up Calgary, your small time, the CFL and this fuss about the hit matters little anywhere esle but your town.

Is the video on the internet somewhere?? I cant find it...

Its looks like the rest of Canada has sour grapes because not only is out city far superior to yours, our CFL team now regularly throws a beat down on you. All of you only hold on to one thing, your cherished CFL teams, and now you don't even have that. Back to Back Championships here we come. I'm sure there will be more whining in this space next week. And again the week after. And again the week after. And probably the entire next season as well. The whining is getting a little much. Buono this, dirty that, lost respect etc WAAAAAAAAAA

I think the commissioner should be required to explian his decision.

He definately took the low road on this one. Maybe he spent too much time in Moscow back in the 90's and got used to crime, so much so that it became the norm for him.

Shame on the commisssioner. Maybe he should go back to selling Coca-Cola and flippinf hamburgers with his dad. Quite obviously he knows nothing about running a league.

The CFL has been given the opportunity to step up and make it clear to the league that this sort of action is not tolerable. At his point they have failed miserably.
If they wanted to send a message that was clear, Jimenez would have been suspended for the remainder of this season, and depending on Anthony Gargiulo's recovery maybe more.
And for those that say Wally Buono is not just as much to blame, you have no idea what the Head Coach is for. He is there to instill the attidue of what drives their team, and to make sure they play at the best of thier abilities within the rules of the game. If he lets this kind of action go, he might as well not even be there.
He has been letting this "cheap, unsportsmalike" conduct go on all year. The game against Saskatchewan earlier this year where one of thier players ripped a helmet off a players head while in a scrum, and the proceed to knee him in the head was a typical example of how this team is getting away with murder this year.
Buono should have stepped up and said "If you want to play like that on this team, you can sit on the bench until your attidue changes", instead Buono turned a blind eye to this. Sorry Buono, but you street credit has gone way down, and that is a shame. Way to let your team down.

This has been a long time coming, as the Lions (particularly their o-line) have drawn the ire of opposing teams in the CFL over the past couple of seasons, alleging them of committing cheap shots designed to intentionally injure an opponent on several occasions. First, let me assure Jennifer and Rick that there was nothing sportsmanlike or accidental about this hit at all. You must have Lions season tickets or work for the CFLPA to have such bias towards this deplorable act. Although I doubt that Jimenez had aspirations of potentially ending Gargiulo's career, there is no doubt whatsoever that he was attempting to remove him from the balance of the game. Ergo, a mere game suspension as punishment does not fit the crime in this instance. As James from Toronto has astutely recognized, the CFL would do well to revisit the length of this suspension, otherwise retaliation against Jimenez is a certainty and will inevitably spread to involve every player on the field at the time it occurs.

Outragious cheap shot and should have been punished accordingly. I'll bet NFL comish Goodell would have lowered the boom. Pathetic and another reason not to watch the bush league CFL!

"A pox on all your children!" Shakespeare had it right. We beat our breasts in dismay when this sort of thing happens. No, I do not justify it; in fact I find it the revolting response of an over-zealous player in a violent sport which glorifies physical aggression. Sure he should be heavily penalized...and the team should be assigned a loss for the game...and the coach should be fined for allowing this sort of viciousness to transpire.

On the other hand, many who cry "foul!" are the same ones who love the violence of bloodsport, be it football, hockey or one of the pugilistic pursuits. When you play a game or you participate in its support, you buy into the cultural orgy that surrounds it.

So, to the players, to the hype-jockies of the media, to the coaches, to the advertisers, to the fans: as long as the hi-lite reels feature the hits and the fights, expect the horrific, because it's bound to happen. You might want to join me in ferreting out other sports, where sportsmanship is still an ideal and brash, trash-talking violent attitudes are considered unacceptable.

This Jimenez needs to be out for at minimum, the rest of the year. What he did is cowardly. Big lineman, what a joke this goof is. If Buono defends him, he is just as big a goof.

Khalid,

A clip is a block from behind at or below the waist. In NFL rules clipping is only allowed if tackling the runner. The risk of ACL/MCL injury on a clip is very high, especially when leading with the shoulderpads. Clipping is also known as 'Chop blocking' if done from the front, also a penelty.

Hope this helped.

I'm a Lions fan. I do not in any way condone the play of Jason Jiminez in this situation. He's had his process and presumably received the available discipline. There are some comments here I'd like to respond to.

No one commenting here has had the opportunity to review all of the evidence, so there are numerous assumptions and conclusions being made without the benefit of reading all of the submissions along with whatever video is available. The CBC should take some responsibility for the lack of clear video evidence and perhaps comment on why there are not more and better camera angles available on its broadcasts. Same comment for TSN.

The negative comments about Buono are simply unfounded. A "goon squad"? Come on.

If, as suggested, the play was legal and was concluded before the whistle blew, then the league needs to review and change the rule in the off-season in order to protect players and clarify for everyone what is acceptable (along with other aspects of the game that require review such as the "bang bang" rule on pass receptions).

Marc Cohon does not appear to me to be someone who is afraid to take a stand and is a self proclaimed steward of the game. I'm confident that the right discipline was taken on his review of the evidence. Jiminez should take his discipline and put this part of the issue to rest.

Here are some questions to ponder: Would anyone's opinion on this differ if there was no injury on the play? Why or why not? If a defensive player on a pass rush or blitz has a clear shot at the quarterback from the backside while the quarterback is exposed and the defensive player takes that shot at full speed into the back of the quarterback prior to the throw and the whistle, why is that not a penalty and considered dirty play?

Consistency, clarity, fairness and protection should guide the CFL on this in considering the rules in the off season.

Hit it on the nose. This is a disgrace to the entire CFL. If nothing is properly done you are setting precedent for war in the CFL. You a basically telling Calgary that next year they could deliberatly attempt or succeed in injuring Jimenez and the league (bootstraped by the CFLPA) can at worst give that player a one game suspension. The league has one possibly crippled player on their hands and conscience, how many more before change happens.

What does it mean to "clip" another player?

I was listneing to the game on the radio and have not seen the play. The radio announcer who, in my opinion never seems to miss a play, was livid about what Jimenez had done on the play. The radio announcer had seen the play. He said the play was made with intent to injure, no question. Anthony Gargiulo had been shutting down the BC Lions offence during the game , he was having a career game. Then he is out, interesting. Jimenez should miss minimum 12 games.
You try runnng or walking without your legs.

Best short term solution - Buono benches him for the rest of the season (assuming there are two more games for the Lions).

Wow. Two people defending Jiminez...What a coincident. They're from BC!

"Jimenez hasn't had a chance to tell his part of the story,"

What's to tell? The ref on the spot saw what happened and immeidately threw him out of the game. And I'm confident he "told his side" during his disciplinary hearing. His intent, whether he was out for blood, is irrelevant. He maimed a football player who never play again.

Will that ref report ever become public? Or will the league comment on it?

Rick / Jennifer,

Call your BC cable provider.

You obviously didn't see the same replay as the rest of the country,...

The fact that only the Lions have the evidence and there was some question about whether or not they would give it up, does not help their case in my eyes.

No in fact, I am going on many other peoples opinions, the offical who saw it (10 yrs in CFL) and other eyewitness accounts.

Fact though : And I think this matters to him. Wally Bono has more than tarnished his excellent coaching reputation this year!

Once again Elliotte, I couldn't agree more.

Even the football players on the CBC panel (Benefield, Frers and Gass) were in agreement that Jimenez should be immediately suspended for the playoffs and all of next season. Remember, this is coming from ex-players, not us all-knowing couch potatoes.

Chris, perhaps you can discuss your sage insights with Anthony Gargiulo,...best do it by phone though,...

Throw the book at Jimenez, before revenge is exacted on him next season. And it will. While Jimenez's play was completely bush league, two wrongs don't make a right.

Cohon, rethink your suspension - NOW. It's not too late. Canadian footballs are still(supposedly) bigger...

Chris,

We aired the available videotape on our pre-game show last weekend, and will probably do so again next weekend.

It's tough to see, but the players on our panel who did watch it were shocked. Also, the umpire who threw the flag immediately ejected Jimenez and filed a report with the league indicating how dirty it was.

EF

What is even worse is that he will appeal and wind up playing this weekend against Sask. If they win that game, the appeal will probably not be heard until the off season.

Friedman ignores two facts: 1. There is no clear video evidence of any intent to injure; and 2. Football is a rough full-contact sport. It is the O linesman's job to make this sort of contact, and unfortunately, sometimes serious injuries result.

To suspend Jiminez in view of these two facts is wrong. The league is pandering to those who ignore the facts of the case and the situation.

I think that unless you know ALL of the circumstances surrounding the incident, you should just keep quiet. Jimenez hasn't had a chance to tell his part of the story, and all of you media people are just assuming he was out for blood and ready for a public hanging. If Gargulio isn't enraged at Jimenez, which he isn't, then you have no right to be. Stop sensationalizing something you know nothing about.

I totally agree with Eliotte's comments. I can recall the "all-to-distant" glory days of the CFL, when I used to go to CNE stadium and watch the Moon's, Brock's, etc. shoot the lights out of the scoreboard. And yes....I was an ARGO supporter. But, with a few exceptions, the league was respected. Even the big bad Ti-cats like Angelo Mosca were respected. Now, the CFL gives Jimenez a one-game suspension for a potentially career ending move. And the league shows it doesn't care about its image or the long term damage such a joke fine will cause. Lets compare the CFL to the NHL as Elliotte did above. Did the NHLPA come to Bertuzzi's defence? Probably. But the NHL did what they thought was the right thing and at least had a go at suspending Bertuzzi for more than one game. And look at the suspensions handed out this year to the various Philly Flyer players who lost it and injured opponents. No arguements here. Maybe the CFL needs to hire Colin Campbell & Company, unless they want their league to sink even lower. And by the way: I will not be watching any more CFL games. Period!

I read in the biography "They Call Me Dirty" that these kind of tactics have been going on in football since the 70's. Only respect between players keeps these kind of injuries from happening every down. Obviously Jimenez has no respect for his fellow players. I hope he doesn't last too long in the league.

Elliote is correct, but the CFLPA is not the only player group that pulls this. It happens in the NFL and NHL as well. Can you say Steve Moore?? The guilty should take the appropriate punishment like what they are supposed to be, men?!?

Precision hammer nailing those points home.

I agree. Jimenez should be suspended for the remainder of the season, Grey cup or not, into the start of the next season, and should pay a substantial fine. Why should he be allowed to play when another man's career could possibly be over. I agree that Buono is one of the best coaches ever but I have lost a lot of respect for him after seeing the goon squad he sends out on the field.

I am assuming from your outrage that you have seen video of the offence. This is a luxury the average fan doesn't have, as only the Lions had any footage of the play in question. Cut blocking has been stopped in all other areas of the game but for some reason is still allowed by the offensive line. Can you describe what you saw in the tape that was against the rules?