You've read the rhetoric by now. "Kudos to the NFL for trying to cut down on all the head shots." Well if you think you've clicked on that type story, sorry. I'm sick of the rhetoric. I'm sick of all the public relation moves that the league has made under commissioner Roger Goodell. This may be the most egregious one.
This cat Goodell first came in as commissioner and laid down the law on players about their off the field antics. The new sheriff in town thought he needed to protect the players from themselves and be the morality police. We've sat and watched Goodell serve uneven punishment for players over the last several years. Goodell dished out fines and suspensions for any action he felt was not good for the league. I'm not getting into Mike Vick or Pac-Man's punishments vs. how Brett Favre is still playing despite his crude behavior, because if Goodell wanted to make his name on what goes on off of the field that was fine. Now he and his henchmen are effecting the game that you and I love on the field.
The NFL announced that it's going to be more harsh in enforcing it's rules about helmet-to-helmet hits. This is football people. Repeat this is football people! Goodell is once again trying to protect the players from themselves, but this is going to end badly.
No one makes anyone play professional football. These guys know the risks before they strap on the pads every week. The vocal minority wants more protection for the players, but if you survey an NFL locker room you will find that these guys know violent hits are apart of the game. Defensive guys pride themselves on the big hit and offensive guys pride themselves on being able to avoid it or in certain situations being able to absorb it.
Have you ever watched football? Going over the middle and complaining about the inflicted carnage is like running into oncoming traffic and complaining about how a car is supposed to hit you. Defensive players are taught how to hit and tackle and you know what, sometimes in the midst of trying to tackle someone you're going to get helmet-to-helmet contact. You know why? Because the offensive player is trying not to get hit! Think of it like this, would Ray Lewis rather take a fine/suspension and deliver a kill-shot or would he rather the offensive players think that they can come over the middle without the threat of getting punished? This is what these guys sign up for. You're trying to turn pro football into two-hand touch.
The other problem that no one seems to be addressing is what happens when a key player gets suspended for what amounts to doing his job? Do you think it will be fair if James Harrison has to miss games because he was out there being intimidating. Being a physical and intimidating force is what has made Harrison a rich man. It's what a great defender does. When the playoffs start and a team is without it's star defender because of a b.s. rule to make football "safer" will that be fair? And what about a guy who makes a big time hit and is not flagged but it's clearly helmet-to-helmet? What will the NFL do? This new emphasis on helmet-to helmet hits is going to open up the door for more subjective discipline. Is Goodell going to sit as the executioner on this board as well? He seems to get satisfaction in doling out punishment.
Another guy who's got the grill burning hot is Rodney Harrison. This was one of the dirtiest s.o.b's to play the game. He made his living playing right up to the edge of the rules and now he wants to run his mouth on Sunday Night Football how to fix the game after his skills have diminished and made him a talking head. He would have despised the emphasizing of this rule and now he's the one who's got a large hand in making the game soft? Well good job Rodney. I'm glad to see being away from the game hasn't made you any more likable.
The old guard is mostly against making the game Charmin soft because it's not the game they played. Fans who pay their money every week are against this because the big hit is equivalent to everyone digging the long ball in baseball. Players are against it because they have to reprogram everything they've ever been taught about how to play the game. Most of the people pushing for these changes are people who never played the game and can't possibly appreciate the controlled violence that happens every week. So commish put your helmet-to-helmet around this. You're going to be remembered as the guy who was holding the ball when football ceased to be America's favorite sport, but hey at least it was safer.
Follow me at http://twitter.com/Sports_Grill Or drop an email to sportsgrillmaster@yahoo.com
