I don’t think we can overstate how big a deal concussions are in the NFL. Brain trauma suffered during violent tackles in professional football can have lasting adverse effects on a player’s live even after his career ends. You know, unlike all of those other injuries. The italics were for sarcasm, people.
So now the NFL is trumpeting out a new policy which will allow the league to suspend players for…well, that’s not exactly clear.
The NFL will announce by Wednesday that, effective this weekend, even first-time offenders face suspension for “devastating hits” and “head shots,” according to Ray Anderson, the league’s executive vice president of football operations.
“We can’t and won’t tolerate what we saw Sunday,” Anderson said Monday. “We’ve got to get the message to players that these devastating hits and head shots will be met with a very necessary higher standard of accountability. We have to dispel the notion that you get one free pass in these egregious or flagrant shots.” More from ESPN.com here, including an exchange between Matt Millen and Steve Young that will make your head hurt more than any concussion ever could.
I think we all know what a head shot is, and we can agree that we could do without those. But “devestating hits”? Lemme get this straight: the NFL is going to fine players for hitting too hard? This is a joke, right? Are you videotaping me? Is that a hidden camera? You can’t be serious.
This isn’t going to work. The NFL is the last big league left where everyone still plays hard, because its players have to play hard. These suspensions won’t be enough to change the behavior of a player that’s fighting week after week to keep his job. Think about it: If it comes to sitting out a week for mashing a dude’s skull inside out or cleaning out your locker after getting cut for pulling up on what might be a touchdown-saving tackle, which would you choose?
The biggest hit of Sunday’s action, and probably the catalyst for this whole discussion, was Patriots defensive back Brandon Meriweather doing his best Rodney Harrison impression and trying to behead Ravens “tight end” Todd Heap.
And then there was the ATL’s Dunta Robinson, who put this hit on Eagles receiver DeSean Jackson, which might have knocked both parties out of next week, and possibly longer. Also woozy: the guy operating this camera. Jesus, dude. Buy a tripod already.
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It is clear. Tom Brady’s hair is behing this “rule’.
I wanted Matt Millen to give Steve Young a concussion last night.
Head shots are the most preventable hit in football. Special teamers like the guys trying to stay employed, have almost no chance of delivering a hit like this to a QB or receiver who are concentrating on the ball. The problem are headhunter DBs and DEs who tee up on a player who has no chance to block it.
One thing this 8 billion dollar entertainment business does not want is a star investment riding pine or a corpse on the field. Cracking down on headhunting is the smart thing to do for everyone involved. They can start with suspensions that equal or exceed the time the victim is out injured.
Devastating hits are why a lot of people watch football. What are players supposed to do, where the HANS device like NASCAR?
*wear, what the fuck was I thinking
I couldn’t help but giggle when Merrill Hoge said that he had to re-learn how to read after so many concussions.
just devastate below the neck. If you want headshots, go watch MMA, where owners don’t pay $100 million contracts. People don’t watch football to see their QB or WR out 6 weeks during a playoff run, and it only a matter of time before someone else’s neck gets broken. The $8 billion NFL with a worldwide audience frowns on that.
Maybe these morons can focus on tackling guys more than hits. For every “devastating hit” there like 10 more mis-tackles.
here’s an idea dont send your recievers over the middle unprotected, jackass.
or your ‘receivers’, even…
Please update this to show James Harrison taking out 2 players within minutes. However, ESPN was commenting that Harrison’s hits were for the most part legal. It’s a good instance where they were still ‘devastating’ hits but totally legal.
finlayj with a point.
Here’s what you do NFL – stop having players wear these stupid helmets designed for that purpose. There is no reason for a hard outer shell on a football helmet – that allows a greater transference of energy. Coat the helmets with a thin layer of lightweight synthetic rubber. It will reduce the amount of energy transfered by helmet to helmet contact.
Also, there’s a big difference between hitting a receiver going up for a catch, and hitting a player carrying the ball. That’s why Harrison’s hit Cribbs was legal.
last but not least – these guys knew the risk when they signed their contract, and they’d all do it again.
You just got “Lightly Grazed!”
question: ever play tackle football in the backyard?
another question: ever try to hit your brother/father/friend Harrison style with your head?
Okay then
@sayhursaydur: If Matt Millen tried to give Steve Young a concussion last night, somehow he would have ended up drafting Joey Harrington again.
If anyone needs to be hit “Harrison style,” it’s someone who compares the NFL to backyard pickup football.
eat, pray, helmet-to-helmet
and anyone who thinks that playing with 100% effort is the same as trying to debilitate people, should try it first. Meriweather tried to kill Heap twice, the first time Heap was being tackled so he hit meri’s knee with his head. The second time, Meri wasn’t trying to play the ball. He just wanted to hit him with his helmet. I’m not okay with that
Existing rule 12, 2, 7g bans “using any part of a player’s helmet (including the top/crown and forehead/hairline parts) or facemask to butt, spear, or ram an opponent violently or unnecessarily,” and also states, “violent or unnecessary use of the helmet is impermissible against any opponent.” Any opponent, including the ballcarrier. So it’s not legal to ram your helmet into the ballcarrier’s helmet.
So Harrison’s hits were both technically illegal and should have been flagged. These players keep doing it because they keep getting away with it.
“The NFL is the last big league left where everyone still plays hard, because its players have to play hard.”
False. Sure, NBA players are pussies. And MLB is full of fat guys. But you can’t tell me players in the NHL don’t play hard. And with less padding. And you can skate faster than you can run. NFL is full of pussies and badasses, but in hockey everyone is hard.
Oh, there it is… I was waiting for the random NHL fan to voice his dumb opinion.
I think I can clear this up though, “the last BIG league”. There we go.
completely agree with 2 snaps
completely agree with 2 snaps as well
I much prefer watching the early-1980s Bears footage to watching 2000′s Colts footage (and I’m a Colts fan). Does that make me a backward football fan?