New NFL Rules

So this week the NFL has been stepping up its rules against helmet to helmet hits, in my opinion this should have been put in place when the NFL switched from leather helmets to their current helmets. Football is a violent sport and people are going to get hurt, but using a helmet to take someone out of a game is just dangerous and unnecessary. The scary part isn't just that these players are getting taken out of a game or two, its that most players suffer permanent brain damage. Most of these effects occur later in these players lives, well after they have retired. For a point of reference you can look at the lives of Terry Long and Mike Webster, both played for the Steelers, both are dead. Long committed suicide by drinking antifreeze. Doctors studied his brain and came to the conclusion that his depression, amnesia and other head related lead to his suicide. How did he get these head injuries? Concussions. Mike Webster, one of the best Centers to every play the game, lived a broken and homeless life after his football days. Doctors said that during his 25 year career in the NFL he had been suffered damage equal to 25,00 automobile crashes. Now granted the helmet has been re-designed and is a lot safer now, but still we have evidence that concussions kill and ruin lives.

I am feel pretty strong about this topic, simply because as much as I love the game, I don't want to see players get hurt, especially if it leads to life long damage that will ruin players lives. It makes me feel bad that I take part in seeing players mental health get destroyed.

This past Sunday there was a total of 7 players taken out with head injuries. Seven! When things get that bad, you have to make changes to the rules for the safety of the players and long term success of the NFL. Some of the hits clearly were intentional, not every helmet to helmet hit is intentional, at time it cannot be avoided because the game is so fast, but most of these hits could have been avoided. The one that scared me really bad was the hit that eagles WR DeSean Jackson took from Falcons CB Dunta Robinson. If you want to see this scary hit, just click here. I can't stand to watch it, I saw it live and I got a gross feeling in my stomach, hits like this are not suppose to happen, this is not what the NFL is about. Please don't tell me that you want to see hits like that every Sunday, I sure as hell don't.

In today's world of mass media, it's considered cool to 'lay out' an opposing layer if you are on defense. You don't get a chance to score points, so to make it on the highlights for SportsCenter you gotta be violent and be in a seek and destroy mentality. This is whats wrong with the NFL, it shouldn't be considered 'sexy' to lay a player out and hurt him. On ESPN's Monday Night Countdown, there is a segment called 'Jacked Up'. This segment shows all of the 'big' hits that happened the previous day. It gives glory and attention to big hits, this has made players want to make those big hit to get noticed. Sadly leading with your helmet is an easy way to get a big hit, it is also an easy way to give a player a concussion.

Another reason why I decided to blog about this is the statements that Steelers LB James Harrison has made since Sunday. In case you were not aware he was fined 75 grand for two hits that he had on two different players for the Cleveland Browns. Both players were taken out for the game with concussions. In both hits, Harrison lowered his helmet on the hits, something you CANNOT do in the NFL. If you want to see the two hits, and hear the helmet crack, click here. I didn't see either of these hits live, but watching them makes me feel bad, this isn't how football is suppose to be. What irritates me even more is Harrison's reaction to being fined. He is seriously considering retiring from the NFL. His reasons, its not fair to fine me for making legal hits. You know what Mr. Harrison? If you are reading this, please take my advice. Retire. The NFL was successful before you came into the NFL, and it will be more successful when you leave. You may be a great Linebacker, hell you were the Defensive Player of the Year a few seasons ago, but the NFL has no need for a dirty player, giving cheap shots and taking players out of the game.

You want to hear Harrison's logic? This is what he said.
"I don't want to see anyone injured," Harrison said, "but I'm not opposed to hurting anyone."

Wait...come again? That seems like somewhat of an oxymoron. He would explain himself a little better.

"There's a difference. When you're injured, you can't play. But when you're hurt, you can shake it off and come back, maybe a few plays later or the next game. I try to hurt people."

That last sentence is what is wrong with the NFL. If any player says he is out to hurt people, and then you see him leading with his helmet on hits, you know you have a problem. He is trying to act like he is the victim, but you know who the victims are? Joshua Cribbs and Mohamed Massaquoi. Those are the two players that suffered concussions on illegal hits, and how about their families?


Steelers head coach made a statement that really irked me. He said that James Harrison is a 'model' for young players to imitate...wait..did I read that right? You are saying that playing dirty, breaking rules and causing serious injuries to players is what young players need to do? Remember, Harrison also slammed Titans QB Vince Young to the ground, he was fined 5 grand for that as well as 5 grand for cheap shots to a Bengals player. What about the fact that he assaulted his girlfriend, has a charge against him for that and had to go to anger management classes. Sounds like a grade A kinda guy.

Please Harrison, leave. Make good on your threat and retire, the Steelers will still be a good team, and the NFL will only get better with you gone.

I am glad the NFL is taking action though. Some teams are getting really hurt by brain injuries. The Eagles now have 5 players that have been hurt by concussions. You still think its a good idea to add two games to the schedule? Go back and read my first article and you will see that I am right.

Honestly what I think made the NFL make these rule changes was not what happened on the field, but what was said on NBC's Sunday Night Football. Former NFL Safety Rodney Harrison and former head coach Tony Dungy revealed some ugly truths about the NFL in regards to helmet to helmet hits. Former coach Dungy said that he didn't care if his players got fined for an illegal hit. He did not lose one second of sleep over it, it did not bother him one tiny bit. But suspending a player for a hit would get his attention big time. So if the coaches don't care about big hits, does that mean they don't coach on hitting safely?


Then Rodney Harrison opened his mouth and said something that stunned me. He said he would put away 50 grand every year to go towards fines that he would receive. Why would he want to do this you ask? So that he could establish his reputation as a hard hitting safety. He didn't care about getting fined, in fact, he was anticipating it. He wanted to be known as a big and hard hitter. The money didn't matter. What did get his attention was suspensions. He was suspended one game in 2002 for a helmet to helmet hit against WR Jeery Rice. That suspension gave him a wake up call, because he was letting his teammates, coaches and fans down. It also cost him a game check. When Harrison admitted that on Sunday, you know the NFL was listening. That is why they are going to start to suspend players for those illegal hits. They want players to get the message that the NFL is trying to send. You cannot use your helmet as a weapon, concussions are a problem in the NFL and if players continue to lead with their helmet they will be suspended, and I am glad they are finally doing it.

Now please don't get me wrong, I don't want to see the NFL turn into flag football or two hand touch. And I don't think that every helmet to helmet hit should get suspensions. I think the NFL needs to be smart and look at each hit individually and see if there was any malicious intent on the part of the defender. The NFL is so fast and quick that not every helmet to helmet hit can be avoided. However when players start to launch themselves leading with their helmet, we then have a problem. NFL players are going to get hurt, its part of the game and the players know that. But we have to try and eliminate players that are looking to headhunt. So please NFL, don't suspend every player, just the ones that used their helmet on purpose.

We don't want to see careers cut short by concussions. We've already seen great players such as Johhny Unitas, Roger Staubach, Merril Hodge, and Steve Young(to name a few) forced into retirement. I want to see the NFL at its best. Players launching themselves at players like rockets, leading with their helmet is the NFL at its worst. Mr. Goodell, please PLEASE, make good on your threats to suspend players. The NFL needs to keep its players safe, we as fans don't want to see more DeSean Jackson-Dunta Robinson collisions ever again.