This does not mean Jiminez is innocent or guilty of anything, but simply that the League cannot have a player sit out while awaiting arbitration. Cohon made an improper ruling by not staying it when it first came to his desk.
It also doesn't mean he's guilty of anything either. The burden of proof is on the league, not on Jiminez.
There is no conclusive evidence from the video. Cut blocks are legal on the line unless the defensive player is being blocked by another offensive player.
The question is not whether we like or don't like cut blocks. The fact is they are legal on the line of scrimmage and always have been. The fact is that a number of cut blocks take place each game on the line of scrimmage.
The only question is whether the hit took place before or after the whistle. Jiminez was not even flagged for a late hit. He was flagged for rough play. A cut block on the line is not rough play, even if a player gets injured.
So, if the official did not flag him for a late hit but rough play and a cut block is legal I think Jiminez is not guilty of the infraction that was ruled against him. I believe he will win his arbitration case.
The CFL would have been wise to have left this thing alone. Players get injured all the time in CFL football. It was unfortunate for the Calgary player and we all wish that his injury hadn't occured but CFL pro football is not flag football and as Wally says...this is a tough contact sport.
The major reason the CFL went after this thing is due to all the press about our Leos offensive line and all the crying after by Calgary. The CFL was quick to rule that the hit that gave Dickenson his serious concussion was legal. The hit that Jiminez made on his cut block that put the Calgary player out of the game was legal..period.
The only real unbiased evidence the CFL has is the official who made the call and when he didn't call it a late hit but rough play...this whole thing should have been ruled an unfortunate but legal hit and we wouldn't have been dealing with this process.
Now the situation looks like Jiminez is getting away with something by being able to play in the Western Final and possibly the Grey Cup and our Leos are advantaged by his choice of going to arbitration. The CFL league office are the ones who have tainted the whole thing by their complete focus on 'optics' rather than having a clear cut case to suspend Jiminez.
This one will come back to bite the league because it has to have the onus of proof and the arbitrator is going to clearly ask why Jiminez was not given a flag for a late hit at the time the incident took place!!
"When I went to Catholic high school in Philadelphia, we just had one coach for football and basketball. He took all of us who turned out and had us run through a forest. The ones who ran into the trees were on the football team". (George Raveling)
