I don't follow pro football, but I saw this on the news.
As an objective observer who knows nothing about either team, and does not follow professional sports at all (there's only time in my life to follow one hobby - powersports):
1. This game, is a profession and a job for both of these guys. In any profession, it's wise and logical to act in such a way as to protect your ability to earn and advance in your profession. No matter what the quarterback did, the guy who swung the helmet made a poor choice in a professional sense. We all know what professional actions are tolerated, what actions result in disciplinary action, and what actions result in termination...or professional "damnation". This guy will likely never escape this poor choice - it will follow him as long as social media and memory exist.
1. Yes, you absolutely should be penalized for ripping someone's helmet off and bashing them in the head with it. No way around it. Plain and simple. Common-sense rules have to exist anywhere a group of humans interact. When rules are broken, consequences must exist. I am NOT a fan of losing all liberty to rules, laws, and regulations. But, ripping off another players' helmet and using it as a weapon against him/her simply can't be tolerated because of the potential harm. I would not mind a hockey-like policy for two dudes getting into a fist fight - our bodies are biologically designed for fist fights, and they're fun to watch. But swinging a helmet crosses the line because of the increased potential for harm.
Or how about this for settling NFL disputes? (similar to fouls in basketball)
The referee throws his flag, the two players line up 10 yards apart facing each other, then when he blows his whistle it becomes a tackling drill to see who can put the other player on his back.
