Welcome to the Powder Puff League Boys

[Boucher]

If they make it 2 hand touch i bet i could play in the nfl

[Warner2BruceTD]

I don't understand the hypocrisy argument some of you are making.

Let's say the NFL is being hypocritical. That makes it ok for scumbags like James Harrison to headhunt and play like a punk?

Not following the logic.

Get rid of these helmet to helmet hits, and do whatever it takes. There is no place for it.

[Warner2BruceTD]

I think you are overthinking this.

Players like Harrison & Merriweather are dirty players doing dirty things. If these types of hits were just a byproduct of a physical sport, you would see them far more frequently. You know why you don't? Because only a few guys are blatantly and intentionally trying to do these things. It's time to weed them out.

[NAHSTE]

I don't understand the hypocrisy argument some of you are making.

Let's say the NFL is being hypocritical. That makes it ok for scumbags like James Harrison to headhunt and play like a punk?

Not following the logic.

Get rid of these helmet to helmet hits, and do whatever it takes. There is no place for it.

Of course. I just think doing whatever it takes includes curtailing the glorification of the big hits in the press. A word from the commish would go along way with the subservient media.

[Warner2BruceTD]

Do you know who that person is? Might as well just call him the Nevada State Athletic Commission because he or it or they is what's going to have football back to our 3rd/4th favorite sport in the next 20-30 years.

Are you suggesting that the leagues popularity is tied to helmet to helmet hits?

I've never settled on my couch, bag of chips in hand, and said to myself, "man, I hope to see some helmet to helmet hits in this game. I'm really hoping for some excessive violence and dangerous injuries!".

I don't watch football for that, and neither does anyone else. This isnt NASCAR.

[Warner2BruceTD]

Ban shoulder pads...

You are completely missing the point.

You are right, it is a violent game played by large men, you will never eliminate serious injury. But there is no reason to tolerate intentional malice, especially of the helmet to helmet variety.

I think you are taking the phrase "devastating hits" too far. Clean, legal big hits will not be punished. It's the helmet to helmet to stuff, the borderline intentional and unnessacery stuff, that needs to go. Yes, I said borderline. When in doubt, punish these guys. It's the only way to make them think twice before they take a cheap shot or lay in with something extra when they don't have to. Anyone aside from Steeler or Patriot homers had to be disgusted watching those plays this weekend. Harrison is dispicable.

Another thing they need to look at, and i've been saying it for years, is the way defensive players salivate like animals when they have a chance at blindside "legal" hits on QB's, K's, and P's. You see it all the time, an INT, and the QB is 25 yards away trotting with a token effort, and some insecure with his manhood DL or LB fucking kills him from a blind angle, with far more aggression than they normally use on other players. Cowards. The hit on the Seattle P this past week on the Hester PR TD is the perfect example. Ryan was never making that play. Give him a shove, knock him down, move on. Do these guys have small dicks, or something? What's the point?

[wr50l]

I don't know how one can justify launching themselves head-first at a player, the mere fact that the defensive players risk themselves nevermind their opponents so willingly is unbelievable. The NFL clearly has a duty to protect the players from their reckless opponents, and in the case of narrow-minded fools like Harrison, themselves.

This sport is so fast and the guys are so big that there will always be opportunities for defensive players to deliver thunderous hits. I don't really believe knocking a guy out cold is a fair way of "separating the receiver from the ball" anyway. Removing helmet to helmet hits isn't going to make everyone run at half speed and wrap-up tackle all of a sudden.

[leaffan]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pN17DwChuQ

Look at how many times Butkus leads with his helmet in just that clip.. Also, look at how there's about :20 of the video showing them carting bodies off the field. Gotta love the kind and gentle NFL..

You need to rewatch those videos and see the clear difference in tackling form. How many Butkus tackles had him flying like a missle head first?

I was going to type a long winded response but when you got a canadian telling you to rewatch video's and look for proper tackling well thats good enough.

[Senser81]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pN17DwChuQ

Look at how many times Butkus leads with his helmet in just that clip.. Also, look at how there's about :20 of the video showing them carting bodies off the field. Gotta love the kind and gentle NFL..

There were only two instances that could even remotely be considered "leading with his helmet"...one was a hit on Charlie Sanders and the other was a hit on Jerry Hill....and both times the player ended up being hit by Butkus' shoulder.

If you actually watched Butkus, he never led with his helmet because he was always trying to strip the ball. He had a ton of forced fumbles by grabbing players with one arm and stripping them with the other. You can see it in that clip.

[jms493]

There were only two instances that could even remotely be considered "leading with his helmet"...one was a hit on Charlie Sanders and the other was a hit on Jerry Hill....and both times the player ended up being hit by Butkus' shoulder.

If you actually watched Butkus, he never led with his helmet because he was always trying to strip the ball. He had a ton of forced fumbles by grabbing players with one arm and stripping them with the other. You can see it in that clip.

yeah clip was filled with clean tackles. did you also notice that the Helmets looked WAY smaller than the ones today?

[RosettaStoned]

I think you are overthinking this.

Players like Harrison & Merriweather are dirty players doing dirty things. If these types of hits were just a byproduct of a physical sport, you would see them far more frequently. You know why you don't? Because only a few guys are blatantly and intentionally trying to do these things. It's time to weed them out.

I'm confused as to what makes Harrison a dirty player. The only helmet to helmet hit he made sunday was legal.

[Senser81]

It's an assumed risk of the job... People play this game for free with the same assumed risk, you're getting paid millions of dollars. SUCK IT UP!

By the same token, one can say to James Harrison "People play this game for free, you're getting paid millions of dollars. SUCK IT UP!" If a person such as Harrison would rather quit the sport and give up millions of dollars than adapt to league rules, then more power to him...but its his choice.

[ralaw]

LOL at Harrison....who does he think he's kidding.

As with all of the rule changes to protect QB's I'm not sure this rule will be as big of a deal as people are making it out to be. Guys are still going to make plays, have big hits and play football. This rule is more about the reckless guys who intentionally go out of their way to make the big dirty hit. Its not as if we see these plays weekly. They happen and the league is trying to do something about it. People complain now, but as with most situations it will all pass and things will be "normal".

[jms493]

There is a difference between trying to Kill someone and hitting someone hard. The problem is we are dealing with retarded athletes that are dumb as a skunk. You know difference of when you are trying to hit someone to almost kill them and and hit someone hard without trying to kill them.

The players are too dumb to distinguish this. I dont see much changing but goo defensive backs being suspended.

[NAHSTE]

As I'm typing this, Chris McKendry is reading a statement from the league on why certain photos will no longer run or be sold on NFL.com. Guess the commissioner does have power over his own league's website after all.




Oh, and James Harrison wants to retire. LOL.