NFL is dying

[Full Time Hobo]

the only hit worth a fine was the hit on Todd Heap

That game the same fckin guy went helmet to helmet twice.
The first time he missed but if you watched that game that dude led with his helmet for half the tackles he made... He was going for the kill it seemed like.

Some players deserve fines but suspension is stupid it completely takes away from the game.

People do not realize how this can mess people up and possibly lead to career ending injuries.
Bottom line is protecting investments. Just look at all of the penalties for touching the QB... its ridiculous.
Of course you dont always need to lead with your fckin head. If half of these morons played smart the NFL wouldnt need to worry about a potential death on the field every week.

Most people are just going for the kill... and for some reason these past few weeks have been the worst

Heres a play i remember from the Ravens Jets game i was actually surprised was not a penalty... Completely legal hit but the Refs have all the power ... So many judgment calls ruin the game.



Now would you fine Sanchez for setting him up to get crushed?
With the rule now would Ray Lewis have gotten a fine?

[t-bone]

penalties are out of hand period. you can watch teams drive down the field without making a fvckin completion these days, not fun to watch

[donjuan]

Watch Aussie rules football if you want to see tough players

There's barely any hitting in Aussie Rules.

[Snowball]

Safeties have turned into missiles.
Old school football is the tackle, the hands bring receiver down.

Too much "jacking up" with head leads like charging bulls
that's not football.

No problem with NFL getting rid of these assholes who can't tackle
but will paralyze a man playing a GAME.

[pavyracer]

Lets get rid of the safeties and linebackers then and call it soccer if you don't like hitting.

[Snowball]

Lets get rid of the safeties and linebackers then and call it soccer if you don't like hitting.

the new helmets are bigger. these backs are leading with their heads
it's not how you play football. hands, shoulder, but not helmet to helmet
charging. sorry but NFL is right on this.

[jgray]

Lets get rid of the safeties and linebackers then and call it soccer if you don't like hitting.

There would be more scoring, that's for sure.

[Mr. Jones]

If he played today, Jack "The Assassin" Tatum would be fined every week.

[RibbedTrojan]

They want need pads and helmet before long. It is dying for shure.

[loopydude11]

if they both got concussions it was obviously a STUPID play and should be punished. you guys are idiots if you say that was clean, both players getting hurt is not clean.

[SpeedPro]

Yeah there don't seem to be any clear cut rules for this. It seems to be up to the Ref.

[BobHarvey]

Ask the kid from Rutgers how he feels about helmet to helmet hits.

[Cappy]

I disagree, I think he was laying the wood to a defenseless guy. The problem is, that if they allow that sort of thing then guys are going to make careers out of being bruiser defensive backs. I think it's good that they have that rule, and I think that it should make the defensive backs more aware of how hard they need to hit in order to tackle a man.

[pavyracer]

You don't understand the laws of physics. If Jackson had his feet on the ground he would have been tackled at the upper body. But he was airborne due to the pass being thrown off target so he jumped to catch it. Robinson tried to tackle him but since he was several feet off the ground when Jackson was landing the first part of his body that met the tackler was Robinson head. If they are going to ban this play they should make it illegal to catch a pass 3 feet off the ground while being airborne. No one told Jackson to get airborne to catch the errand pass. He did it on his own will and once his feet were airborne he is a target for a hard nice hit.

[samdapatriotsfan]

The NFL is not dying nor will it be the next sport to suffer economically. The national economy has seen better days and people are not "over spending" to enjoy sporting events as they may have in the past. The NFL remains the most popular pro sports and makes a ton of money. MLB, NBA, NHL will see far worse days before the NFL. It has already started, check the numbers. Don't get hyped up in any changes the NFL makes...the are more progressive than any other sport.

Let's hope this holds true if they happen to have a lock out next season.

[mangina11]

anyone who has played football KNOWS that helmet to helmet contact is going to happen no matter what. If were gonna start fining players for illegal hits, because the NFL hopes that it will put this thought "in the back of their mind" so that in the heat of the moment the player is thinking "wait, maybe i shouldnt lead with my helmet right now because im going to get fined or suspended" that is a fukin joke, and anyone who has played knows thats the last thing on your mind..... shit, if thats the nfl's policy they should start fining referees who make bad calls! That way the next time some dumb ass ref wants to throw his flag he will think "wait is this the right call" "i dont wanna get fined or suspended for a bad call so i better be sure that was a penalty!"

[icancount2one]

Safeties have turned into missiles.
Old school football is the tackle, the hands bring receiver down.

Too much "jacking up" with head leads like charging bulls
that's not football.

No problem with NFL getting rid of these assholes who can't tackle
but will paralyze a man playing a GAME.

Here's what a CLEAN hit trying to knock the ball out looks like.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqmdI3tVuMA

[Scorpion]

Harrison, a three-time Pro Bowl linebacker and the NFL defensive player of the year in 2008, said defenders like him can't win no matter where they hit a ballcarrier. Hit him high, the league wants to fine them; hit them low, and the offensive player risks a knee injury.
Such was the case in the 2009 season opener at Heinz Field when Harrison hit Tennessee tight end Bo Scaife so hard in the left leg that Scaife not only fumbled, but he did not return to the game. Scaife called the hit a "cheap shot." Titans coach Jeff Fisher, co-chair of the NFL competition committee that helps shape the rules, firmly said it was not an illegal hit.
"I hit him low and he ended up injuring his knee and was out for a number of games,'' Harrison said Tuesday. "I guess I'll end up having to take the fine and save someone's career."
Despite Scaife's outcry, Harrison said NFL players would prefer to be hit high than low and risk a knee injury.
"Ask any player in the NFL, they'd say that's dirty," Harrison said of a knee shot. "But the NFL says that's a legal play, but you can end his year if not his career. But if you hit him up high and give him a concussion or whatever, they fine you for it. Now you have to start hitting guys low, and what then?
"We've had enough rules on how to tackle a quarterback, now we have to worry about what a guy does at the last second. If he puts himself in harms way, now it's our fault."
Harrison said it's a frustrating dilemma for all defensive players.
"You can't go out and play like it's flag football," Harrison said. "If that's what they want to do, let's put flags on everyone. "It's a physical contact sport; some things are going to happen. You have to evaluate things and see it for what it is and not go on the reaction of people who can't see what they're really looking at."

[Dark Horse]

Maybe all QB's should throw on the run and throw the ball 3 feet higher than the receiver so that the receiver has to jump to get the ball and become defenseless so that he can't be tackled by the defender. This will open a new can of worms for the sissy NFL.

There you go. Perfect strategy for whenever you need 1st and goal at the 1.

If people don't want to get hurt, they should choose a different sport. WTF doesn't Goodell understand about that? He's gone too far this time, and zebras are going to determine the outcome of football games the rest of the way.

[louis.ana]

if they both got concussions it was obviously a STUPID play and should be punished. you guys are idiots if you say that was clean, both players getting hurt is not clean.

Loopydude11 said it all, a clean hit would of never hurt the person executing the hit.
That move was dirty and the NFL fined accordingly.

Receiver always takes their chances when they jump in the air for a catch.. and they know that.
They are expecting to get nailed, but they should not answer to a head to head, or clothesline, or dropkick, etc.

[EaglesPhan36]

You lead with your head, you're gonna get fined. Keep your head up and you don't get fined and probably don't knock yourself out in the process.

[Skidcom]

Probably should take every over from now on

[brooks85]

You lead with your head, you're gonna get fined. Keep your head up and you don't get fined and probably don't knock yourself out in the process.

It really is this simple and would solve most of the controversial hits we see.

[thericker7]

They need to let the players play.

[pavyracer]

There you go. Perfect strategy for whenever you need 1st and goal at the 1.

If people don't want to get hurt, they should choose a different sport. WTF doesn't Goodell understand about that? He's gone too far this time, and zebras are going to determine the outcome of football games the rest of the way.

You have to give the opportunity to the defender to make a tackle in the air. Else all balls will be thrown 3 feet above the head of the receiver and when he jumps to catch the ball he becomes defenseless which penalizes the defender since he can't hit him in the air.

[wrongturn]

what if they put a cushion layer on outside of helmet, does it help to reduce injuries?

[perceptible]

NFL is tough sport. They know the risk. They need to get over it and if they can't they should change their profession to golf or something.

[Scorpion]

Mark Schlereth sounds off on the NFL

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=5706132

[Dark Horse]

what if they put a cushion layer on outside of helmet, does it help to reduce injuries?

Just go back to the leather helmets. No way players will use those as a weapon.

[CrimsonQueen]

I think they should just play flag football... much safer. That's what this is all about, right? Or maybe not play at all? Every single tackle players should get fined for. I'm sick of watching NFL.

I had money on the Falcons last week, and when DeSean Jackson got his head nailed, I didn't cheer, I was genuinely concerned. But maybe the problem isn't all on the people making the hits... Maybe receivers should be more aware of their surroundings. And maybe quarterbacks shouldn't throw the ball to people in the middle of 3 guys.
But then again, maybe there should be no more QB sacks... or QB's shouldn't be allowed to run the ball (that's why Vick is still out). And receivers who are only focused on catching the ball should be allowed to catch the ball, turn and run upfield, and the guy running right at him to make a tackle while the ball is in the air should have to stop, wait for the receiver to get situated and have a good official catch before hitting him and possibly making him drop the catch.

These guys know what they signed up for... it's FOOTBALL. I don't want to see injuries, but I don't want to watch MILLIONAIRES running around like pansies when they are only getting MILLIONS OF DOLLARS to get hit!

[richyrich8478]

the only hit worth a fine was the hit on Todd Heap

totally agree. and i am bias cuz i am a huge pats fan. but the hit on heap was the only one that should of had a fine.. the others were just great hits

[bruceBRUCEbruce]

Safeties have turned into missiles. Old school football is the tackle, the hands bring receiver down.

Wrong. We've (society) have turned into pussies.

Guys like Ronnie Lot and Chuck Cecil were dishing out hits like this 25 years ago on a regular basis. Too many others to mention as well.

IMO, on the majority of plays, hitting someone "high" is not as dirty as going "low" at the knees.

[smitch124]

There would be more scoring, that's for sure.

Pavy knows what he's talking about. He played Linebacker for 5 years in college, including grad school

[darrell74]

Goodell is a crap commissioner.

Goodell should be impeached. He's the guy gaying up the sport.

[pavyracer]

what if they put a cushion layer on outside of helmet, does it help to reduce injuries?

No they need to put an air bag under the pads of the receiver. So if the hit by the defender is too hard it automatically inflates.