Fights - 2

Football pits strength against strength, will against will.  One team is determined to move down the field and will push you aside if you try to stop them.  The other team says nope and will knock people down to keep them from scoring. 

Sometimes things get a little heated out there.  Sometimes tempers flare.  Sometimes there are fights.

#91 Dikibo breaking through the line of blockers
to make the tackle.

If you've been to an Outlaws game recently you've heard of Dikibo, #91.  Her name is often called by the public address announcer - "Tackle by Dikibo!"


When you're making  a lot of tackles, the opposing team begins to consider you a problem.  They may assign two people to block you.  The person assigned to keep you away from the ball carrier may just resort to tactics not allowed in the rules. 

Double-teaming Dikibo.  Doesn't seem fair, does it?
It is a compliment when you're viewed as so
dangerous they send two to stop you.

I haven't yet interviewed Sotonye Dikibo for a blog profile but I did visit with her during the Outlaws tryouts and practice Saturday.  She is average height and weight - I didn't ask but I'd estimate 5' 8" and under 200 pounds.  She struck me as a quiet but intense person.

She doesn't look like the player whose name keeps coming up when opposing runners go down.  Well, maybe she does.  That's a serious look.

Dikibo stirs things up out there. 

There's a cliche in football - the retaliator is the one who get's caught by the official.  Someone stretches the rules, maybe even, in the heat of the moment, hits you.  You reply in kind.  The official sees you, didn't see the one who started the trouble.  Dikibo did tell me the skirmishes I've caught on film were instigated by the other player taking liberties with the rules.  I had earlier asked Soho, Outlaws coach, and she said the same thing. 

The picture above of Dikibo being double teamed, and the series of photos that follow were taken at the last game of the 2011 season, at home against Dallas.  The Dallas player assigned to block Dikibo was much bigger, over 6 feet tall, over 200 pounds.  When she didn't have a teammate to help her block #91, she used her height and did a little holding.  Holding is illegal in football, but only if the official sees it happening.

You aren't allowed to grab the opponent's shoulder pads and pull
her down.

Quick, let go before the official sees your hold.

Dikibo looks to the action and see someone else has made the
tackle. 

So she decides to discuss the rules with the Dallas blocker.

How shall I say it - pounding the point home?  Dikibo
is not intimidated by the size of the blocker. 

Fortunately the official was otherwise occupied and didn't see the little skirmish going on just to the right of the where the tackle was being made.  Neither did he see the hold that started it all.  So there were no penalties.  And the tall blocker did get the message.

In the photo below, the official did see the skirmish. 

This photo is one of my all time favorites and stars Dikibo.  Houston had a player who was twisting the rules, ignoring the rules.  Someone had to put a stop to it.  Dikibo rose to the challenge.



I don't think I need to explain the shot to you.  I like to tell about my discovering it as I browsed my Houston photos looking for good action shots.  I like the Houston uniforms, bright colors that reflect lots of light for my camera (imagine my dismay when the Outlaws went to all black uniforms - very difficult to photograph).  I first noted the ball carrier on the ground.  Not very exciting.  Then I scanned up and noticed the Outlaw #91 throwing a punch at Houston #82.  And I wondered if she got away with it.  And then I scanned up to see the official tossing the flag. 

Fights happen in football.  At all levels of the game.  I did a blog post awhile back about cheating.  Cheating happens, too.  At all levels.  Sometimes the cheating leads to the fighting. 

People attracted to football tend to be competitive.  And assertive.  If wronged, they tend to retaliate. They don't just sit there passively waiting for someone else to handle it.  They take care of business.  I like that.    

I admire people who play football.  I admire people with the strength to assert their will even if it involves physical force.