Has This Happened Before?

[Rupert Patrick]

Umm, this is a fairly common thing. Players being ejected for making contact with an official -- usually happens when an official is trying to break up a group of players and starts pushing one player out of the group and that player swats the official off of him. Seems like I've seen that a bunch of times. Though off the top of my head right now I'm only thinking Harrison Smith, Justin Smith, I believe Aaron Donald and DeAngelo Hall as well. Plus Taylor Lewan just last season. Sure there's more I'm forgetting and these are just recent so no, not something that never happens.

And obviously the Orlando Brown one because he specifically went at an official, though his frustration could be understood.

Regardless, not sure why the Lynch incident is being blown out of proportion like it's the most egregious violation. As soon as he made contact with the official it was obviously going to be an automatic ejection but we've all seen much worse than that. Though evidently players getting ejected for making contact with officials is something people forget about.

This is the first time I can remember when a player ran in from the sidelines and shoved a ref like that. I've seen it happen with players who were involved in the play and thus they were emotionally charged, but never from the sidelines from somebody who wasn't even involved in the play. I expect the fine to be somewhat stiffer in Lynch's case.

[Reaser]

This is the first time I can remember when a player ran in from the sidelines and shoved a ref like that. I've seen it happen with players who were involved in the play and thus they were emotionally charged, but never from the sidelines from somebody who wasn't even involved in the play. I expect the fine to be somewhat stiffer in Lynch's case.

I guess coming off the sideline makes it unique but not really. Plenty of players have ran on the field or even across the field to the other sideline during scuffles. And plenty of players have been ejected for making contact with officials. Guess this combines the two.

But It's not like he ran from the sideline to attack the official, ha!

It was typical situation, official got between him and wrapped his arms around him while he was trying to get to Peters (who he's close with) and he pushed the official back and can kind of see he realized it right away and grabbed the official as if to say he didn't mean to push him off of him like that. Obvious ejection, happens all the time. Either way, for the OP, no this isn't the first time someone was ejected for making contact with an official nor is it that rare of an occurrence.

To add, another I remember is when Luke Kuechly was ejected for swiping back at the official who was pulling on the back of him for some reason.

[Reaser]

On the old forum there was once a thread about 'funny' things or whatever and this type of disqualification is what I mentioned because it's always funny to me that players are in a pile, scuffle, breaking up a scuffle, fight, etc and an official grabs or pulls a player and the player has the extremely natural response to swipe hands off of him or shake off someone grabbing him and then gets ejected for making contact with an official. Was funny to me that in a majority of cases the official actually makes contact with the player first (and a few of them unnecessarily aggressive contact).

I think I compared it to how it's usually the second guy that gets caught like when player 1 cheapshots player 2 and player 2 retaliates it's player 2 who gets the penalty. Similar to 'contact' between officials and players. Official makes contact, player tries to get him off of him, player gets DQ'd.

Funny to me. Not to excuse the players, dumb to put themselves in that situation and specific to Lynch it was dumb to come off the sideline at all and it's compounded by putting himself in the situation. Still funny that he's breaking things up and the official picks him out of everyone to grab and Lynch naturally responds by getting him off of him in the typical situation where "contact with an official" comes into play.

EDIT TO ADD: Had a minute to look some of these up, so here's a few examples ... at least the ones NFL.com had video of:

Justin Smith
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-game-high ... ts-ejected

Erik Walden
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-game-high ... g-official

Luke Kuechly
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-game-high ... ly-ejected

Harrison Smith
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-game-high ... th-ejected

Taylor Lewan
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-game-high ... -from-game

[Saban1]

Willie Wood in the 1962 NFL Championship game (Packers at Giants). Wood was arguing a pass interference call against him and accidentally bumped into the official.

Wood felt terrible about the ejection as the game was close and tough. He was afraid that the Pack might lose the game as a result.

Happily for Willie, Green Bay won the game and the NFL Championship, 16 to 7.

[bachslunch]

Relatedly, is there any dumber sports fight than one in football (and as far as I'm concerned, any sports fight is stupid except in boxing where it's the whole point)? You've got people fully armored up taking swings at each other. Heck, you're more likely to hurt your hand than your adversary, unless you manage to pull off a helmet or something.

[Todd Pence]

Walter Payton, 1980 Bears game vs. Falcons.

[Bryan]

Steve Tasker's last game: http://members.tripod.com/g_host/st_eject.html

[nicefellow31]

Umm, this is a fairly common thing. Players being ejected for making contact with an official -- usually happens when an official is trying to break up a group of players and starts pushing one player out of the group and that player swats the official off of him. Seems like I've seen that a bunch of times. Though off the top of my head right now I'm only thinking Harrison Smith, Justin Smith, I believe Aaron Donald and DeAngelo Hall as well. Plus Taylor Lewan just last season. Sure there's more I'm forgetting and these are just recent so no, not something that never happens.

And obviously the Orlando Brown one because he specifically went at an official, though his frustration could be understood.

Regardless, not sure why the Lynch incident is being blown out of proportion like it's the most egregious violation. As soon as he made contact with the official it was obviously going to be an automatic ejection but we've all seen much worse than that. Though evidently players getting ejected for making contact with officials is something people forget about.

I think someone already mentioned it by Walter Payton got ejected (the only time in his career) in a 1980 game against the Falcons.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/ ... 6ddca231ba

[BD Sullivan]

On the opening drive of the second half in the 1988 Browns-Oilers WC game, the Browns' Earnest Byner was hit with consecutive personal foul/unsportsmanlike conduct penalties that knocked Cleveland out of FG range in a game they lost by one point. The latter flag came after he got right in the face of an official. Byner was still PO'ed about the previous play, when he was penalized for taking a swing at Jeff Donaldson.

Art Modell decided to get rid of Byner (after forcing Schottenheimer out) during the offseason, with the Browns getting Mike Oliphant from the Redskins. Who got the better of that deal?

[Reaser]

Steve Tasker's last game: http://members.tripod.com/g_host/st_eject.html

This reminded me of Warren Sapp (though second to last game). I was watching that game and didn't see him make contact with an official but that's what he got ejected for.