NFL Season 2010

[XXXIV]

You cant change the way a player has been taught to play from pop warner through college...but they were NEVER taught to use their helmets as weapons or to launch themselves as missiles.
Once again, it is a fine line, and Im sure there will be a few "non deserved" casualties along the way. I dont think they need new rules. They just need to enforce the ones on the books. By that, I dont mean call every phantom roughing the passer call like they seem to have been doing more and more each season.

Like I said before I wish the NHL was being as aggresive as they seem to consider dirty hits to be a good thing.

The NFL is a marketing winner yet again. Every one is talking NFL this week. No pub is bad pub.

[pk500]

I dare not tread on the hits issue as it reminds me of 'pansification' complaints in the NHL, but why in the world would anyone take that moron Harrison seriously?

This is how I feel -- if you want to see the Pittsburgh Steelers, invite us when we don't win the Super Bowl. As far as I'm concerned, he [Obama] would've invited Arizona if they had won.

This guy being on my side in any argument would make me second-guess my position.

Ha! I was waiting for someone to bring that up. Well done!

[XXXIV]

Jack-diggity! Love the pic. Hell, Dom even looks like Mike Hart with his eyes looking all over for holes and his free arm cocked high.

Very cool Jack. Dom looks like a bad man.

[wco81]

Ward's quotes reflect the machismo some players have. That's why most of them won't wear helmets which offer more protection, because their peers would call them out for being less than manly.

But when was the last time active players had a say in the rules of the game or the enforcement? This is a touchy issue so it probably helps to have some distance to make decisions on such matters.

Players could say well you have to play the game to know what it's about and make informed decisions. But plenty of former coaches and players support more stringent enforcement.

Look at the way QBs are protected by the rules and how teams protect them during practice. A lot of money is invested and the popularity of the game depends on the success of QBs. People grumbled about those rules but as a practical matter, if you had franchise players with $100 million contracts going down, the level of play in the game is going to suffer -- scoring would be way down and there would be fewer highlight players. It's analogous to how HR sluggers are prized in baseball, how key HRs are to the popularity of that sport.

So people have come to accept those rules for protecting QB, for pragmatic reasons. Likewise, having a lot of other star players lose playing time hurts teams and decreases the level of play. If DeSean Jackson is out for an extended period of time due to concussions, the Eagles' offensive production will probably be impacted. Or they don't run crossing routes for him any more and that reduces his effectiveness and his team's effectiveness.

Now some may say maybe there isn't a place in the game for players who aren't fearless (though just about every star WR has alligator-armed a pass at one point or another in their careers). But then you take out a lot of explosiveness in the game when you say players like Jackson isn't tough enough to play the game.

[Brando70]

Love the picture of Dom, he looks badass!

Reggie Bush had an interesting take on this. He said he'd much rather have a player hit him high than low, because the low hit has a greater likelihood of causing a season- or career-ending injury.

I think all they really need to do is crack down on the head-first rocket launch hits. Dunta Robinson's head hunt on DeSean Jackson is a perfect example -- he could have easily made a hard, clean tackle that would have broken up the play without having to go helmet-to-helmet.

[pk500]

I think all they really need to do is crack down on the head-first rocket launch hits. Dunta Robinson's head hunt on DeSean Jackson is a perfect example -- he could have easily made a hard, clean tackle that would have broken up the play without having to go helmet-to-helmet.

I think that's all the NFL is trying to do. But the ESPN-led media is fomenting unwarranted hysteria.

[ScoopBrady]

I think all they really need to do is crack down on the head-first rocket launch hits. Dunta Robinson's head hunt on DeSean Jackson is a perfect example -- he could have easily made a hard, clean tackle that would have broken up the play without having to go helmet-to-helmet.

I think that's all the NFL is trying to do. But the ESPN-led media is fomenting unwarranted hysteria.

Precisely. I've watched football my whole life and I've seen plenty of situations like that where a jump-out-of-your-seat hit was delivered that wasn't a cheap shot. That's what I want from football. I don't think I contradict myself by saying I like big hits that are clean but don't like big hits that are cheapshots.

[GTHobbes]

Finally, nice try at a veiled open question, GT. I'm not vain, but I'm clever enough to know that I'm the biggest pimp of boxing at DSP and one of the biggest pimps of auto racing. So the next time you have a direct question for me to address my apparent contradictions, just ask me straight to my face. I can take it -- really.

Honestly, PK, I had no idea you were a big pimp of boxing. The thought just crossed my mind that, why would anybody be concerned about an NFL player's safety when they'll cheer Mike Tyson (or whoever) on in knocking somebody's brains out. All anybody has to do is look at some of the oldtime boxers to know that sport's far more dangerous to someone's long term health than football ever will be. And I'm not a racing fan at all, but I've seen enough fatal crashes in the news to know the dangers of that "sport." Just seemed hypocritical to me, but I really didn't have you (or anyone else here at DSP) in mind when I threw that out there. Haven't I ever asked you something straight to your face before? Could've sworn I had.

[pk500]

How many times did Dick Butkus go helmet-to-helmet in this video? Hardly any. God, he was such a p*ssy:



Another non-billy goating weasel, Lawrence Taylor:



And Mike Singletary? Useless. Used his legs, arms and shoulders as weapons:



God, those old-timers were such fairies, nothing like the REAL MEN who play the game today.

[pk500]

Finally, nice try at a veiled open question, GT. I'm not vain, but I'm clever enough to know that I'm the biggest pimp of boxing at DSP and one of the biggest pimps of auto racing. So the next time you have a direct question for me to address my apparent contradictions, just ask me straight to my face. I can take it -- really.

Honestly, PK, I had no idea you were a big pimp of boxing. The thought just crossed my mind that, why would anybody be concerned about an NFL player's safety when they'll cheer Mike Tyson (or whoever) on in knocking somebody's brains out. All anybody has to do is look at some of the oldtime boxers to know that sport's far more dangerous to someone's long term health than football ever will be. And I'm not a racing fan at all, but I've seen enough fatal crashes in the news to know the dangers of that "sport." Just seemed hypocritical to me, but I really didn't have you (or anyone else here at DSP) in mind when I threw that out there. Haven't I ever asked you something straight to your face before? Could've sworn I had.

Fair enough, man.

But I think I illustrated the difference between boxing and football. If you remove punches to the head, boxing no longer is boxing. If you remove blatant helmet-to-helmet hits, football is still football.

It's really that simple.

[Jackdog]

Jack-diggity! Love the pic. Hell, Dom even looks like Mike Hart with his eyes looking all over for holes and his free arm cocked high.

You were playing football 10 years ago, brother? In the service? For a semi-pro team?

Service ball. I loved it. Played for a few different teams in Germany. I had to give it up at 38. ACL.

Marcellus Wiley sang the praises of this helmet at ESPN.com:

http://www.xenith.com/

Looks like a pretty cool concept to me, especially how the inner plastic webbing is connected to the chin strap holder. The shock absorbers also are pretty novel.

Thanks for the link brother. I passed that on to our AD. We are in the market for a lighter safer helmet.

[Jackdog]

I think all they really need to do is crack down on the head-first rocket launch hits. Dunta Robinson's head hunt on DeSean Jackson is a perfect example -- he could have easily made a hard, clean tackle that would have broken up the play without having to go helmet-to-helmet.

I think that's all the NFL is trying to do. But the ESPN-led media is fomenting unwarranted hysteria.

Precisely. I've watched football my whole life and I've seen plenty of situations like that where a jump-out-of-your-seat hit was delivered that wasn't a cheap shot. That's what I want from football. I don't think I contradict myself by saying I like big hits that are clean but don't like big hits that are cheapshots.

Agreed. It's great to see the guys deliver clean hard hits in the video's PK posted.

[Rodster]

"Roses are Red, Violets are Blue, if you have any sense you keep Butkus away from you" - Deacon Jones

[Danimal]

I was at Samurai's last game, watching that video reminded me of how cold it was. I think that was the coldest I have ever been at a game.

[GTHobbes]

On its website today, SI had probably the most famous NFL photo of all time, i.e., the one where Chuck Bednarik was standing over a knocked out Frank Gifford. According to the story, Bednarik led with his shoulder on the tackle, so I guess that's not the end-all answer either.

"Several weeks after the Cleveland game, the Eagles were clinging to a 17-10 lead over the defending Eastern Conference champion New York Giants when Giants quarterback George Shaw hit Frank Gifford cutting across the middle. Bednarik was closing on Gifford, as was safety Don Burroughs. Gifford momentarily looked away from Bednarik.

Moving at full speed, Bednarik pummeled Gifford, catching him under the chin with his shoulder. Despite cries to the contrary, the hit was clean. Gifford fumbled, and as the Eagles' Chuck Weber recovered, Bednarik stood over Gifford's limp body and shouted, "The game's over. We got the ball."

Gifford was hospitalized with a concussion and did not play again until 1962."

[pk500]

There was absolutely nothing wrong with Bednarik's wipeout of Gifford. Those aren't the hits the NFL is trying to banish. These are:



What's the only part of Meriweather's body initially hitting Heap in that photo? His helmet. And its target is Heap's helmet.

How difficult is this concept to grasp?

[GTHobbes]

How difficult is this concept to grasp?

Dude, it's not difficult at all, and I'm not defending Merriweather's hit. Just saying that "clean" hits can also result in a guy getting knocked out, or worse. That's football. Like Hines Ward said, everyone who plays knows the dangers and assumes the risk.

[Jackdog]

There was absolutely nothing wrong with Bednarik's wipeout of Gifford. Those aren't the hits the NFL is trying to banish. These are:



What's the only part of Meriweather's body initially hitting Heap in that photo? His helmet. And its target is Heap's helmet.

How difficult is this concept to grasp?

Wow. Meriweather's lucky he didn't break his own neck. That kind of s*** has to stop.

[ScoopBrady]

"Honey, I think it's time we started a family. Let's try to have a baby."

"Well, let me check with Hines Ward first and get his thoughts. I'll get back to you."

[pk500]

How difficult is this concept to grasp?

Dude, it's not difficult at all, and I'm not defending Merriweather's hit. Just saying that "clean" hits can also result in a guy getting knocked out, or worse. That's football. Like Hines Ward said, everyone who plays knows the dangers and assumes the risk.

Agreed, man. It's not golf!

P.S.: Your man-crush on Hines Ward is more visible than the tattoo on the side of Mike Tyson's face.

[XXXIV]

I like Hines Ward too.

Right or wrong, and this time I DISAGREE with him, I have a feeling he may be a bit too manly for some some of the "its" out there.
The world does need more guys like him. Guys who tell it as they see it. Guys who lay it out there without fear of it or mob.

[Rodster]

Now it's the Defenses turn: Defenders want fines for illegal blocks

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=5715892

[JRod]

After watching the vids Paul posted. Does anyone else feel that there's something missing from today's NFL. Maybe it was just the size of the pads that made the defenders look like giants but while today's players are bigger and stronger, football looks "smaller". If that makes any sense.

I miss the days or torn up fields, huge pads, and players actually looking like they were in the "football" trenches over today's "pretty" game.

[XXXIV]

I miss the days or torn up fields, huge pads, and players actually looking like they were in the "football" trenches over today's "pretty" game.

I do too.

[pk500]

After watching the vids Paul posted. Does anyone else feel that there's something missing from today's NFL. Maybe it was just the size of the pads that made the defenders look like giants but while today's players are bigger and stronger, football looks "smaller". If that makes any sense.

I miss the days or torn up fields, huge pads, and players actually looking like they were in the "football" trenches over today's "pretty" game.

Very good observation, John. Back in the old days, everyone wore full leg pads -- girdle with hip and tailbone pads, full thigh and knee pads. Now hardly anyone wears them other than running backs. Linemen wore big shoulder pads and large arm and hand pads. Not so any more. You saw a lot of neck rolls, too. Now a few guys wear those high rise neck braces, but not many.

Everything is geared toward speed in today's game. And players think removing padding makes them faster, even if it sacrifices protection.

Good eye, JRod!