Sports Columnists

By Steven

September 14, 2005 05:42 PM | Link to this

Mr Moore, Do you think Trotter knew that throwing a punch would likely have him ejected? You know he did. What he and Mathis did was foolish and not a way for grown men to behave. Save it for the game.

And Mr. Moore, you noted that it was possible and even probable that Trotter would have stuffed the Falcons run game. I’ll give you that. As you stated, we will never know. But you will never know how many pick offs Mathis would have had in nickel coverage with Rod Coleman breathing down the neck of of the Eagles’ number 5. Since we are speculating, he would have returned one for a touchdown.

By Dwight

September 14, 2005 07:26 PM | Link to this

Mr. Moore,

You are absolutely right…..Let’s have no type of control during warm-ups. Let’s allow players to get overly excited and throw blows all the time. Let’s allow the professionals to display totally “bush league” behavior.

What are you thinking?!!!?

By terrence

September 14, 2005 08:21 PM | Link to this

Such a brilliant editorial terry… Obviously you need to spend alittle more time on the flusher when you write your stuff. This one should have gone down the pipes. love ya man

By Bob inSF

September 14, 2005 10:04 PM | Link to this

I agree to a point. Yes, players should get run for brawling but…that wasn’t a brawl! A shove to the facemask followed by two guys latching onto facemasks and tugging isn’t much of a fight. Some examples;A balled fist to the stomach or under the mask to the throat or chin is a fight. Ripping off a helmet Romanski-style followed by a punch to a naked face is a fight (ok that’s an assault). Rison and Deion sissy slapping each other at mid-field was not a fight. I think the ref’s did overreact. Offsetting penalties probably a the start of the game would have more appropriate.

By Great Falconi

September 15, 2005 02:39 AM | Link to this

I don’t think Trotter punched Mathis. However, players shouldn’t be allowed to go at it before a game like that. It’s just stupid. Trotter has himself to blame for walking over there (with an official in tow, mind you) and jawing with Mathis. If he doesn’t like the end result, that’s his problem.

(Joke time: Maybe Mathis’ injury is God’s judgment on him for making it so easy for the Falcons to run it up the middle?)

By rick

September 15, 2005 06:50 AM | Link to this

Competitive players often do what Trotter and Mathis did. That is, they got a little too excited before a big game. COMPETITIVE PLAYERS SHOULD ACT PROFESSIONALLY! THROW OUT MORE TO MAKE IT A PROFESSIONALLY COMPETITIVE GAME! MR. MOORE YOU ARE NOT JUDGE & JURY ON THIS TOPIC… THANK GOODNESS…

By Jim

September 15, 2005 08:13 AM | Link to this

What can anyone say about the behavior of both teams prior to the game, except they both got what they deserved?

When folks act like animals they get leash laws enacted…isn’t that a good suggestion for todays so called “wrestlers”

Next thing you’ll see is high school and college players acting like that… and the outcry will be severe..

Bottom line is grow up…. play the game with intensity but not like an absolute lunatic. You would never see a Manning or Favre out there, so what is the excuse of the animals?

By Longtime fan

September 15, 2005 08:58 AM | Link to this

Yet another in a series of vapid columns.

By Jeff

September 15, 2005 09:29 AM | Link to this

Wrong Mr.T ….UR Wrong

By glen p

September 15, 2005 09:30 AM | Link to this

Terence, What in the world does the president have to do with this fight. While you were sitting on your flusher i was in the middle of the hurricane disaster area and can tell you that the local people made the biggest mistakes of them all. You should be thrown out of writing your next article for landing that cheap shot!

BTW, you fail to mention the absolute toughness these Falcons show and that, unless Trotter was on the OL for the Eagles he wasn’t going to keep #5’s torso from getting disconnected from his body.

GP

By Mickey

September 15, 2005 09:31 AM | Link to this

I’m sure Jim will be blasted as “racist” for comparing Favre and Manning to Trotter and Mathis.

I remember the days before “trash talking” was invented, much less tolerated as “competitive.” Mr. Moore would say that I’m simply harkening back to the days of Jim Crow.

Those who “don’t get it” still won’t get it. Class is class, and bush is bush.

By TRS50

September 15, 2005 09:35 AM | Link to this

Terrance, you and the ESPN talking heads think the same…I know it’s a rule, you know it’s rule, the players know it’s rule, but why enforce it? Send a message to everyone that rules are arbitrary at best. Pick the ones you want to follow and disreguard the rest.

Most people are in jail not because they have a criminal mind, but because they put themselves in a position that going to jail was a possible outcome.

Stay out of the center of the field and it will be harder to do something that will get you ejected.

By Sean

September 15, 2005 09:54 AM | Link to this

Because it was a Monday night game they should use common sense? A rule is a rule. Period. Wrong again TM.

By falcon guy

September 15, 2005 10:10 AM | Link to this

I like the rule and I think it was properly enforced. It was instituted to keep guys like Warren Sapp from dancing thru the warmups of opposing teams and starting a riot. Trotter should keep his mouth shut if he wants to play. (So should Mathis.) The lesson: the games aren’t played with your mouth, but your mouth can keep you from playing the game.

By ebineezer

September 15, 2005 10:18 AM | Link to this

Mr. Moore, your article is worse than Jeff’s article about the new and improved Vick. Fighting is never ok in sports.

By Don Joiner

September 15, 2005 10:36 AM | Link to this

Terrance- Is your point really, let’em play? If there is a rule and you don’t enforce it, it kind of makes it hard to draw the line somewhere, right? I know I don’t want to see someone sucker punching Vick before the game and getting away with it. I know your specialty is race-baiting but even you should see the repercussions of not enforcing the rules.

By Willie

September 15, 2005 10:41 AM | Link to this

Neither Mathis or Trotter were players featured to build the hipe this game received. also nobody left the game because they were not playing. What you are advocating is tipically what happens everyday in our society, exceptions for celebrities when they break the rules. Would you have suggested the same if the players were just backup players?

By GT

September 15, 2005 10:49 AM | Link to this

I assume you liked the idea of the NBA players heading into the stands. A little mid-game steam releasing, nothing bad, mind you, just head knocking the customers. Trotter and Mathis acted like a couple of tugs. This image is hurting “professioal sports”. It promotes a trashy atmosphere and leads our children to believe this is the way successful people act. I think Mr. Moore has gotten to close to the heap. There is nothing “foolish”about disciple, the truth of the matter is it may be too little too late.

By Deanna

September 15, 2005 12:41 PM | Link to this

I agree that Trotter did not throw a punch. I also do not believe that either player should have been ejected. The Falcons won their Super Bowl on Monday night. As far as Mathis’ season ending, possibly career ending, injury is concerned, I believe that Willie Nelson put it best. It’s a little old fashined Karma coming down.

By Rob D

September 15, 2005 01:33 PM | Link to this

You people must have no lives, your one goal in life is to say ” I got that T. Moore”, and you know what unless you been on the battlefield, and played college and professional football, the intensity on the field you have to prepare for these games sometimes get the best of you. But to call these guys animals, you people have no real clue what it takes to play a game where you are losing years on your life everytime you step out there and play. Hey, Jim what QB have you ever seen start a ruckus, they are the most composed players on the field, so that is comparing apples to oranges. If that would have happened during the game, it would have been a 15 yard penalty, bottom line. I know its a game and not reality, so why don’t you take some responsibilty and stop blaming the “thugs”, that you pay thousands to watch play, for teaching your kids bad values.Its a game, who cares if they fight, is the world going to end because of this get a life.

By GW

September 15, 2005 02:09 PM | Link to this

The fact that the incident occurred before the game and not during it was all the more reason to toss them. Regardless of whether they were animals or really fought, it was totally uneccessary. It could have led to a major brawl.

By GT

September 15, 2005 02:50 PM | Link to this

I think Rob D. is T. Moore’s new pen name. No we haven’t got a glue, because we are out here living real lives You bust someone, because you got excited on the streets and if you don’t get shot, there will be jail time, not to mention that you have a few screws loose. We get T.Moore every day ,it’s not that hard. Is the world going to an end? Not as long as 90% of it keep thinking T. Moore is an idiot.

By Philip

September 15, 2005 02:54 PM | Link to this

As usual Mr. Moore is way off base. The officials did the right thing in suspending both idiots for fighting…even 40 minutes before the game.

Yet again Terence has demonstrated that he would be more adept at washing dishes or street sweeping than sports reporting.

By Philip

September 15, 2005 03:01 PM | Link to this

Rob D. please don’t call the playing field in sports a battlefield. If you want to know about a battlefield then talk to soldiers that have actually been in action. Idiots like yourselves or athletes that campare their “game” to war or themselves to soldiers have no sense of reality.

By skin

September 15, 2005 03:12 PM | Link to this

Terry, you never amaze me with your stupidity and off the wall columns. you have been out of line and borderline retarded for quite some time now. There is a built up dislike towards your column and could you just let me know how long until you retire so I can know when to renew my subscription to the AJC.

By Jerry

September 15, 2005 03:16 PM | Link to this

Sounds like Rob D. knows as much about professionalism as he does about run-on sentences. Don’t act surprised about Terrence Moore’s opinion. He’s one of the reasons I quit getting the AJC.

By Mr "Dis-respect"

September 15, 2005 03:33 PM | Link to this

Sorry, this isn’t just ” extra energy” being burned off - it’s about a major issue of ” Dis-respect” that’s become accepted in our everyday society . It’s happening at every level of sports, it’s happening at my local gym, fights every day on the basketball court about ” dis-respecting”. I see it at schools, high schools, mid grade and lower. When will it stop, volience is killing people , look at the rates . Condoning this does affect the youth , it has to, they see it and thinks it’s OK. Mr Moore can say as he will, but ask him to explain it to his ” son” , when the next time a ” gun is pulled” and used to settle a issue of ” dis-respect” ? It’s time to use “common sense” and say it’s not right and we don’t want it !

By Edd Anderson

September 15, 2005 03:50 PM | Link to this

n****

By Rob D

September 15, 2005 07:33 PM | Link to this

Thanks. My point exactly, there is no longer the ability for people to be free. I speak my mind, and hell I am a bumbling idiot who believes the football field is Iraq. Give me a break. Why is there so much resentment that these guys have God given talent and they get to play a game they love every Sunday. By the way some of you talk you are just as arrogant and idiotic as some T. Moore’s comments. By the way, I guess all of the MLB players who brawl are thugs and animals too.No one complains about that. Whats the difference. Hmmmm! Good question?

By Rob D

September 15, 2005 07:34 PM | Link to this

Thanks. My point exactly, there is no longer the ability for people to be free. I speak my mind, and hell I am a bumbling idiot who believes the football field is Iraq. Give me a break. Why is there so much resentment that these guys have God given talent and they get to play a game they love every Sunday. By the way some of you talk you are just as arrogant and idiotic as some T. Moore’s comments.Also whi not include all of your MLB brawlers,I guess all of the MLB players who brawl are thugs and animals too.No one complains about that. Whats the difference. Hmmmm! Good question?

By Philip

September 16, 2005 03:01 PM | Link to this

Edd Anderson,

What kind of idiotic response is that? You couldn’t think of anything to support your perspective more than to sling a racial slur? Be a man and support your views with some insightful verbiage.

Rob D.,

What the heck are you babbling about now? No one knows…least of all you.

By Unbelievable

September 17, 2005 01:22 AM | Link to this

The officials made a decision based on what they saw, and what they viewed on videotape.

The rules of the competition require the officials to take the action they took, yet your position seems to be that the players should have been allowed to stay because of the magnitude of the game? Since when did players become bigger than the game? Oh yeah, I forgot… this is the NFL…