(Illustration: Demetrius Robinson / The Athletic; Greg Fiume, Chris Coduto, Jim McIsaac, Isaiah Vazquez, Ahmad Hasaballah / Getty Images)
Football is a physical sport and sometimes players lose their cool.
That’s what happened on Sunday, when Detroit Lions defensive back Brian Branch, apparently upset about being blocked in the back by a Kansas City Chiefs player late in the game, went after his opponent, smacking him in the back of the head and precipitating a brawl.
Advertisement
Pretty much everyone was upset at Branch’s actions, including his coach Dan Campbell, and Branch later fessed up that he had been “childish.” The NFL agreed, suspending him for one game. In a sport where players are taught to go all out until they hear the whistle, it’s kind of surprising these things don’t happen more often.
We’ll dive into football fisticuffs and much more in this week’s quiz. And while you’re at it, check out our daily Connections: Sports Edition, too!
Spot the pattern. Connect the terms
Find the hidden link between sports terms
Play today's puzzle
Bob Harkins is a senior editor on the news team at The Athletic. Before joining The Athletic, Bob held multiple roles at FOX Sports, including editorial manager of live events and senior editor for colleges. He also spent 13 years at NBC Sports, where he was senior editor for MLB.
