The Loop

Mike Vrabel, a gigantic former NFL linebacker, got absolutely CRUNCHED by this referee

It's no secret what the Tennessee Titans' identity is as a team. They're going to be physical, they're going to run it down your throat, they're going to play great defense and they're not going to take any shit from anybody, not even the big bad Patriots. That all starts with their head coach, former Patriot Mike Vrabel, who, at 44 and long retired, still looks like he could get out there and make a few tackles. The 6-foot-4, 260-pound former linebacker probably ranks No. 1 on the list of "coaches you don't want to mess with," though a case could also be made for Ron Rivera.

Well, nobody told that to one of the referees from the AFC Divisional Game between the Titans and the Baltimore Ravens last Saturday. In a video clip from Showtime's "Inside the NFL," Vrabel can be seen looking at the video board as he begins to say "go, they're in a ..." Then ... BOOM, he gets absolutely crunched by a zebra. Vrabel's taken and dished out some big hits in his career. This one's got to be right up there:

Ouch. This is precisely why coaches have "get back" guys to keep them far enough back to avoid collisions with side judges. Apparently Vrabel doesn't have a "get back" guy, probably because there is nobody big enough to hold him back. That said, you'd think the victim in this case would have been the ref, who a few outlets are reporting is side judge Eugene Hall. No sir, Hall was clearly the aggressor here, and his hit stick might make Vrabel think twice about where he stands during the AFC Championship. If you don't want to get hit by the train, get off the tracks.