We all went to bed last night thinking Tyler Hansbrough's nose was bloody but unbroken. However,
a non-displaced hairline fracture, which is surely painful but not as bad as it could have been.
I've watched the replay of the flagrant foul several times and it's really hard to decide what to think. Looking at the camera angle from behind the basket, Henderson's elbow easily looks intentional, and flagrant. From that viewpoint the way he twists his body appears unnecessary, unless he were trying to throw the elbow. It also looks almost like he's got a closed fist too. But when I look at the replay with the camera angle from the left of the key, it looks totally accidental. From that angle, Henderson's hand is open, and it does appear that his mid-air twist was an attempt to maintain his balance as he came down from his jump.
1
Let me say right up front that I am a North Carolina fan, and I dislike Duke. (The reverse is true with women's basketball, but that's another story.) I watched ESPN last night, and your video today, and it seems a reckless foul, a stupid foul, an excessively rough play -- but not an intentional foul. The distinction is a narrow one.
Posted by: Hugo Schwyzer at March 05, 2007 03:53 PM (Yu24L)
2
I thought it was intentional. He seems to come out of nowhere and is not going for the ball at all. It looked as if he was definitely throwing the elbow. However, I was drinking beer and eating pizza at the time, so I wasn't paying that close attention.
Posted by: Preston at March 05, 2007 09:11 PM (HZZuA)
3
Somebody should look at it," Krzyzewski said. "If they see it different, then we accept it. I know there was not the intent to (hurt Hansbrough)."
No, but there was an intent to send a message to Roy Williams about having one of his stars of the game still playing hard with only 14 seconds left and the game well in hand..
Even if the act was Henderson's decision (probably given Duke is down this year and Henderson is a top sub), recall Coach K said last year about the GMU player who punched another player in the crotch
We need more coaches to have the courage to step up in situations like this and say to our kids, ‘That's wrong; I’m not making excuses for you..
Coach K only focuses on intent not to hurt..still no excuse for the player's action.
Posted by: Col Steve at March 06, 2007 01:26 AM (8Wfq8)
4
He threw it and looked right at the guy as he went down.
It was no accident. He wasn't even going for the ball.
Posted by: shelly at March 06, 2007 06:46 AM (JQe3J)
5
I grew up on Tobacco Road and bleed Duke blue. Having said that, I've watched the video from several angles and have some thoughts:
1) Henderson meant to foul Hansbrough extremely hard, up to and including knocking him to the turf.
2) It doesn't appear like it was an intentional elbow to the face, but rather a flagrant, overkill foul attempt that didn't slow down at all when the basketball was long gone.
3) It was unbelievably stupid. Sending a message? Sure, that you're a dumbass. Now a top sub is out for a game that Duke might want to win.
Anyway, I think that Henderson swung as hard as he could to foul Hansbrough, but it wouldn't have been such a big deal if the ball were still there, which would likely have prevented the broken nose. Unfortunately, the ball
was, so Henderson ended up acting like a goon.
In unrelated news, my alma mater VCU won its tournament title last night, so I'm at least somewhat happy.
Posted by: physics geek at March 06, 2007 09:12 AM (KqeHJ)
6
Annika,
I agree with the points of the Physics Geek and the rest. I too, have no love for Duke (my son is graduating Maryland this year). This was a suspendable infraction. Way to hard, the ball long gone. If not specifically designed to hurt someone it was reckless and looked more like a corner back trying to dislodge the football ofter a catch. Not a basketball move.
Posted by: strawman at March 06, 2007 10:03 AM (9ySL4)
7
Speaking of hoops Annie, how thrilled are you that the Kings got Artest? He grew up down the street (and in a different universe) than me.
Now he's got much more time to plug his wonderful(c)rap album.
I'll say this, he plays a mean synthesizer - with his tail!
Posted by: Radical Redneck at March 06, 2007 11:28 AM (VxchV)
8
Damn, Anni, you're right. It's hard to believe that the two different angles were of the same play; they look so different. The underbasket cam makes the hit look completely thuggish and intentional, but the courtside zoomed in cam makes it look like it was just a followthrough, as if Henderson were expecting the ball to be there but ooops! Johnson swatted it away first and there was nothing there.
Then again, the halfcourt camera - the one giving the wide view at the beginning of the clip - does make it look like Henderson was deliberately shoving Hansbrough down.
I dunno... but that's weird: I never would've thought different angles of one event could lead to such different conclusions. If I had to choose, I'd agree with Hugo and Physics Geek: No, not intentional, but yes, flagrant.
Posted by: ElMondoHummus at March 06, 2007 12:25 PM (xHyDY)
Hide Comments
| Add Comment
