Quote:
Originally Posted by Fan in Exile
I really am quite incredulous that there are still so many people that think it was just an accident and he didn't see him, that no one can read Wideman's mind, et cetera. You would think that in any kind of civil or criminal context, anything short of a confession would never result in a finding that someone intended the consequences of his actions. In fact courts make these findings all the time. We all do this all the time. People do reckless and irrational impulsive things, even people with no prior history of such. The courts are full of these people and the league sees this all the time too.
To most objective observers, it looks like Wideman deliberately hit the linesman in the back of the neck with a cross-check. He didn't chase after him and likely just acted of annoyance and frustration that the linesman was between him and his intended destination after getting his bell rung on a borderline dirty hit with no call. I can see the league accepting that it wasn't his intention to injure the linesman but I would be shocked if the league found that he didn't mean to hit him or he didn't see him or couldn't avoid the collision, let alone ignoring that Wideman raised his stick up with both hands, extended his arms out and hit the linesman in the back of the neck.
There's a reason that people who have a personal familiarity with an accused or defendant do not get selected for juries. By and large it's not an intentional bias but it's just a fact of human nature.
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If you pause the video when contact happens it's clear it isn't a cross check in the neck. Wideman's right hand is behind Henderson's shoulder. The left hand (based on how far apart Wideman's hands are and the angle of his stick in the air) is probably about the middle of Henderson's back.