NFL cracks down on "devastating" hits...

they know what they sign up for. if you cant handle the intensity... dont play. its as simple as that

 

Not to compare it to another sport but:

If you did that in rugby you would be out for at least the game- hitting the above the shoulders is always an attempt to injure the other player. Then again its stupid to take a catch like that; in rugby its called a hospital pass...

 

in rugby you dont wear pads and concussion preventing helmets. you also "scrum".....

 

Helmets have nothing to do with concussion prevention. Concussions don't work that way. That's why concussions are still rampant in pro-football despite helmet use.

Helmets prevent BLUNT TRAUMA. And that's about it.

 

Check this video out. It's an official NFL video that outlines illegal and legal hits. There are some vicious hits in this video.

http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-videos/09000d5d81b80962/Player-safety

 

I agree with the other floppy wristed, pencil necked, huggy baby, mother hens in this thread that these rules are good and there should be fines for malicious hits. I also think we need to make a push for suspensions of any boxer or MMA fighter who maliciously strikes another athlete in the head because it can hurt them and cause concusions!

You see WE know what is best for THEM! They have no idea what they are getting themselves into in the NFL. They may have played in college ball but we were in the band in high school! We know what is best and should NOT call for a poll of players. I mean, who cares what they think about things that effect them and their health and lively hoods? We also want what is best for the owners and dont care what the players go through... Any rule that takes money from players and gives it back to owners and the NFL is a good thing. I mean they were the stupid jocks in highschool right? We were in the chess club and obviously have superior intellect when it comes to these things. We are democrats, we are gay, we know what is best for other peole, how it should be enforced and we are proud... nuff said.

Now that we have eliminated hits to the head in football who will join my rainbow coallition to ban strikes to the head in boxing and MMA?

 

that is a good video. there are some vicious hits for sure. the mayweather hit on heap was cheap, desean jackson getting laid out is bad too. however, they showed a video of ray lewis legally laying out a guy, the commentator says ray did not launch himself but if you watch the replay again he clearly launches himself at the guy just shoulder first.

i agree that the blows to the head, and launching head first needs to stop. but growing up playing pee wee ball and in high school, i was taught to "hit em under the chin". guess theyll have to change that motto now. i definitely see more missed tackles, WR's getting their legs taken out, or worse because players have to think twice how to tackle.

like one guy said, you have guys who have never played ball trying to dictate those who do play ball

 

Just glue 6 inches of closed cell foam to the the helmet. Problem solved!

 

I see your point about more technique in tackling, but humans are slow to change, we would have deaths on the field if leather was brought back. I love a good hit & watching the Colts with my daughter Peyton, probably wouldn't watch with her if people were dying on the field of play though.

 

Not really, as stated before its the rapid decleration of the skull along with the fact the brain keeps moving until crashing into the the skull that does the damage. Now if you can find a way to inject the space between the skull & brain with some sort of foam you may be onto something.

 

Let'em play football. TOO hard to let up and know what the other player is going to do. Part of the game.

Get rid if the facemasks and guys will not use the helmets as much.

 

what no more hitting????
its now flag football????

 

You can point out assumed risk all you want, but the fact of the matter is that most of these players have absolutely NO IDEA what they are subjecting themselves to.

Furthermore, it's not like they really have an option.

Players going into the NFL are given the option of making more money in one season than they probably ever could in an outside job. For many guys, it's the only way to escape bad neighborhoods and a culture of crime, gangs, drugs, etc. If someone told you that you could make more money this year than the next 20 years combined, pay for your kids' school, erase your debts, buy your parents a house, never have to worry about a place to live, enjoy fame and adoration, all in exchange for being in 800+ small-to-medium car accidents over the next 8 months -- I have a hard time believing anyone on here wouldn't take it. And when you're faced with that sort of payday, turning it down isn't an option.

I played 4 years of high school ball, 4 years of NAIA ball, 2 years of semi-pro and took some good whacks as a practice squad member for an AF2 team one year. Torrance Marshall hit me so hard once I got up with my helmet on sideways and my teammates wondered how I didn't die. Apart from 2 months on the practice squad, I never got paid a dime to play football. After reading that article, I can assume I took somewhere between 8000 and 10,000 hits TO MY HEAD over that period of time.

Only now are people discovering what that sort of repetitive trauma does to the brain.

Players are still going to take money. Fans are still going to cheer for big hits. At some point, the NFL has to 1.) Protect its investment in its players, and 2.) Accept responsibility for the inherent damage it causes to them as a part of playing the sport, as well as the influence it passes along to the lower levels.

 

x2


I mean I don't wish harm on the guys but injuries come with the territory...if you don't like it...don't play

 

Dont know what theyre getting into... The money...
Alright, lets look at it this way.The average Army private is what, 18-19 years old. Finished HS, went to basic and AIT and then gets shipped off to war with a high probability of receiving some sort of physical or mental disability and a smaller chance at dieing all for the same pay someone at McDonalds earns.

The average NFL player is 22-24, has a college education (how good it was we will never know since schools cater to their players - i know, I passed general psych because I was on the squad), and has the opportunity to earn in 1 month what a soldier takes a year or more to make.

We all make our personal decisions on what we want to do with our future. This idea that they dont know what theyre getting into is rediculous.

Bottom line: ITS ABOUT THE MONEY!!!!! The NFL doesnt want to support retired players with chronic conditions and the owners/coaches dont want to support multi-millionaires that sit on the bench. If they were THAT worried about hits they would force offensive players to stop chop blocking and running with their head down. An injured defensive player is nowhere near as big a hit to ticket sales as an injured offensive player!

 

...but hockey goes unchecked!?
go figure.

 

You obviously don't follow hockey .