Since the bountygate scandal, we've become sensitive to talk of injuring players on purpose, perhaps too sensitive at times.
That's why Titans defensive coordinator Jerry Gray's words are under the microscope following a statement yesterday.
Per the Tennessean, Gray, who used to work for Gregg Williams, used language that may draw the ire of Roger Goodell and the NFL.
If you are worrying about that, you are not going to go out and try and blow the guy up. Great football players have to put that out of their mind. You have to say, ‘This is my territory between the numbers, and if you throw the football you better bring the Gator truck.’ And that’s how you have to play. You can’t play timid in the NFL.
The NFL probably won't fine Gray, and a suspension is way out of the question. The likely response is a memo from the commissioner reminding all coaches that they are constantly under a microscope, and statements like this won't be tolerated.
Maybe we've become far too sensitive following bountygate, but talk like this just doesn't sit quite right with me. I know Gray was just saying that he wants his team to make opposing players think twice about running over the middle of the field, but he should really consider re-wording the way he says such things.
