Late hit

Posted by Brian from Shawnee on October 22, 2003

In Reply to: Late hit posted by pdianek on October 21, 2003

: In American football, a "late hit" occurs when one player tackles another (or grabs his facemask, or otherwise harms him) after the whistle has blown. It's supposed to be illegal, but if one times it well, or if the referees or line judges aren't watching, a player can get away with making late hits, and his team won't be penalized.

: But with reference to Gray Davis, the politician and soon-to-be ex-governor of California, I don't know how this would apply!

Yes, it's definitely a football term. It probably refers to the 11th hour allegations of "groping" that were leaked to the tabloids regarding the now-governor-elect of California. I guess the writer is accusing him of leaking other 11th hour "revelations" about his opponents in past elections.

• Late hit Smokey Stover 04/November/03