http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=5702673
Lately the NFL has had some major issues with concussions. This isn't the first time we've heard about this. In fact, last off-season the NFL worked hard on precautions to reduce concussions. Unfortunately, there have been 40 concussions so far this season. The plan is to now suspend players that cause malicious and devastating hits. The NFL has begun its new policy and has fined multiple players from last weeks head-hunting brigade. Many players have said, especially on the defensive side, that its just the way football is played and that you should expect to be injured. They are also saying that it should be renamed the NFFL (National Flag Football League) because of how soft the rules are forcing players to be. This could go either way, but ironically, these are the same players that are appose to a 18 game season, saying it would be to hard on the players physically. I'm having a hard time believing them, if injuries are part of the game, then play 2 more. They're really concerned that the number of games could increase, but their salary would stay the same, and in most cases for upcoming rookies, decrease.
Hitting Home:
James Harrison, from Kent State, who plays for the Steelers, knocked out two key players to the Browns offense; Josh Cribbs, and Mohamed Massaqiou. He led with his helmet on both plays but wasn't called for a penalty. Another thing to worry about as a browns fan, T.J. Ward, our hard hitting rookie safety, who has shined, may become a little less useful. Of course he's a great player and has come up hue for us before, but because he's a rookie, he may ease off his explosiveness. Because of the new suspension policy, he could be afraid to make a play, only because he lacks experience. As for Harrison, i hope he gets suspended next week, because you can be sure the refs will be looking for him.
With this new policy, over half of NFL is going to end up suspended because every time someone hits and someone gets hurt then there will be a controversy about whether or not it was a "clean" hit or not. This past weekend, one of the players did a tackled a player perfectly. He wrapped up, head up, and lifted with his legs and they tried to say that that hit should be reviewed because the player got hurt and he was driven into the ground. If players quit hitting, it going to end up being a 2 hand touch football game instead of tackle. I think that this new rule in football is stupid and is going to end up suspending too many people because someone says it was a "dirty" hit. if the hits end up like the player from the falcons who leaps in the air and leads with his head, then i think they should be suspended, but if it is like a james Harrison hit, then i think it should be left alone.
ReplyDeleteThe NFFL: National Flag Football Leauge
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