NFL to start suspending players for violent hits

[TheOldProgrammer]

Should be interesting to see how this plays out this weekend...

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=ap-helmet-to-helmethits

:smoke

[cnjbond]

I think it's time to take off the pads and start playing flag football. Now I agree that some of the hits are overboard but good grief, if you breathe on the QB 1 mil-sec after he throws the ball, it's a penalty, you can't hit a defenseless receiver, and now you're flagged & suspended for an excessively violent hit...are you kidding me, this is the NFL! Why don't they make the defense play with both arms tied behind their backs? This is just stupid!

And while I'm at it, why is the league wanting to go to 18 games if they are so concerned with the players health? It's all about protecting their investments, nothing to do with concern for the players, what a bunch of fake A&% hypocrites!!!!

[TheOldProgrammer]

But it gets better...

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=ap-helmet-to-helmethits

:smoke

[cityboy]

I think it's stupid. It's football, and it can be dangerous. Deliberate shots to the head should be outlawed, but hits that are too violent? You're supposed to tackle hard. Earl Campbell could have been flagged for running too violently, for Achmed's sakes ...

[CenTexDave]

Ridiculous. I realize the game is much faster than it was back in the 1960's, but if you ever wanted to see a collision you should have seen Jim Brown run into Giants' linebacker Sam Huff, or vice versa.

[cityboy]

I agree with cnjbond -- they need to just start playing flag football. Problem is, nobody will watch it. I'll start watching the lingerie football league ...

[Rick]

The problem with rules like this is that they are so subjective. I do think leading with the helmet is going too far. I don't think the only way to tackle someone is to paralyze them.

I also agree with Ray Lewis from Baltimore about the over-protection of the quarterbacks.

[CenTexDave]

I'm sure many recall Jack Tatum's hit on Daryl Stingley, WR for the Patriots, which paralyzed him. It was a perfectly legal hit. Unfortunately, the man was paralyzed. Tatum had to live with this the rest of his life. Both are gone now, Stingley dying a few years ago and Tatum a couple of months ago.
But it is football. It is a dangerous game. People get hurt.

[cityboy]

If you tackle someone and their knee blows out, then I guess you should get fined or suspended?

[Night Owl]

Need to start calling the NFL the powder puff league (PPL).