[Freelancer]

Today, James Harrison of the Pittsburgh Steelers was fined yet again for another hard hit. His fines this year have added up to $100,000. Now I'm a bit biased here because I'm a Steelers fan, but i think this is total bs. Two of his fines weren't even called penalties during the games. Its not just Harrison either, it seems like Goddell is on a roll here.

Now I understand that they don't want anybody injured, but this is professional football. Hitting is part of the game. What does everybody think of this?

 

[Rush]

you get fined for hitting hard? the fuck? they wear a ridiculous amount of padding anyway, why not just have them cuddle instead.

 

[MrMister]

NFL players are the hardest hitters in the world. We've been through this though. It's not because NFL players are superior necessarily, it's that the game is designed to have big collisions.

Hard hits aren't being fined. That's not understanding the issue. Hits to the head are what are being fined. There's no reason to take a deliberate shot to the head anyway.

Hard hits are perfectly acceptable and a part of the game. You just can't go to the head anymore. The amount of concussions is staggering and we're just now learning what the effect of multiple concussions have on a person's mental state later in life.

 

[Freelancer]

NFL players are the hardest hitters in the world. We've been through this though. It's not because NFL players are superior necessarily, it's that the game is designed to have big collisions.

Hard hits aren't being fined. That's not understanding the issue. Hits to the head are what are being fined. There's no reason to take a deliberate shot to the head anyway.

Hard hits are perfectly acceptable and a part of the game. You just can't go to the head anymore. The amount of concussions is staggering and we're just now learning what the effect of multiple concussions have on a person's mental state later in life.

I agree with you about the head shots. I don't want to see head shots either. But Harrisons last fine was a "late hit" on Drew Brees. There was no head shot. I just don't know how Goddell expects 250+ pound players running at full speed to magically stop on a dime or somehow change the direction they're moving in mid air. As a football fan, I want to see my defenders giving it 100% to try to get the ball off of the QB. They might as well just put the red jerseys on the QB's.

I just think Goddell doesn't want the golden boy Tom Brady to get hurt and miss an entire season again. Brady is like Jeff Jarrett, the NFL and ESPN can shove him down our throats all they want, but outside of Boston nobody gives a shit about the pats.

 

[Jobbed_Out]

It's all the research the league has done on concussions, they don't want the risk of having somebody permanently disabled due to a hit suffered on the field.

 

[MrMister]

I agree with you about the head shots. I don't want to see head shots either. But Harrisons last fine was a "late hit" on Drew Brees. There was no head shot. I just don't know how Goddell expects 250+ pound players running at full speed to magically stop on a dime or somehow change the direction they're moving in mid air. As a football fan, I want to see my defenders giving it 100% to try to get the ball off of the QB. They might as well just put the red jerseys on the QB's.

I just think Goddell doesn't want the golden boy Tom Brady to get hurt and miss an entire season again. Brady is like Jeff Jarrett, the NFL and ESPN can shove him down our throats all they want, but outside of Boston nobody gives a shit about the pats.

Well protecting the QB is nothing new; it's unrelated to this new initiative that went down a few weeks ago.

I see where you're coming from more clearly now though. I think the QB needs to be protected to a certain extent, but in recent years the NFL often goes overboard to protect them. Late hits are often fined though even when against non QBs.

Keep in mind though, Harrison could be getting the business from the NFL because of how he spoke out when the new ruling on hits was issued.

Otherwise, I mostly agree where you're coming from. The game is already very much in the offense's favor from a rules standpoint.

 

[Freelancer]

The whole late hit thing is what gets me. I could understand fining someone for an obvious late hit. But, if a player is already going for the qb then the ball is released, how is that the defensive players fault? He's just doing his job. Isn't that what they're paying him millions of dollars for?

Harrison is more than likely being the nfl's whipping boy here. It just sucks for Steelers fans like me. You got a team that prides themselves on defense, playing in a league that only cares about the offense. I'm glad that alot of players are speaking out against this .

 

[MrMister]

I haven't seen this hit. I don't remember anything egregious in that Steelers/Saints game so I'm gonna have to agree here.

Yeah Harrison is most likely being singled out for his outspokeness. I remember rules being put into place because Erik Williams, the incredibly mean Right Tackle of the Dallas Cowboys in the 90s. Hands to face was originally the Erik Williams rule. Looking back much further, the head slap was the Deacon Jones rule. There have always been players that the NFL makes an example of, it's not new really.

Still, I'm with ya. A defender can't stop himself once he's committed the act of hitting. Defenders do need to be aware of when the ball is out though since there is such a hardline stance on protecting the QB.

 

[Rush]

NFL players are the hardest hitters in the world. We've been through this though. It's not because NFL players are superior necessarily, it's that the game is designed to have big collisions.

Hard hits aren't being fined. That's not understanding the issue. Hits to the head are what are being fined. There's no reason to take a deliberate shot to the head anyway.

Hard hits are perfectly acceptable and a part of the game. You just can't go to the head anymore. The amount of concussions is staggering and we're just now learning what the effect of multiple concussions have on a person's mental state later in life.

we've been through this before and thats sports show research was incrediably flawed

bolded bit makes much more sense.

 

[Bogey]

Scroll down this page a little and watch the video. Hits like that are what's being discussed

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/10/18/desean-jackson-brutal-hit-knocked-out-video_n_766225.html

 

[Arya Dark]

Meh, these are tax write-offs for the players anyway.

 

[MrMister]

we've been through this before and thats sports show research was incrediably flawed

bolded bit makes much more sense.

Yeah you caught me. Just talking shit. We agree the sports science bit was flawed.

4800 lbs of force though...:side:

 

[Rush]

Yeah you caught me. Just talking shit. We agree the sports science bit was flawed.

4800 lbs of force though...:side:

i know, can't let it slide though

don't know how it is in NFL but in rugby league the players cop suspensions for high tackles. Depending on the severity they can get banned for a fair few games. There is also loading for repeat offenders. Basically 100 points = a 1 match ban. High shots are put on report, the review commitee looks at them, grades them and basically assigns a point value. Loading adds to the point value so they're suspended for longer.

 

[MrMister]

They actually just implemented a head shot suspension (which is probably three or four years too late really). A player has yet to be suspended for it though. The week after the NFL told players they'd be suspended everyone started aiming lower and tackling with better form.

We'll see how long it lasts.

That system seems like a pretty good idea in rugby.

 

[Charmqn]

Head to Head shots should be taken serious. I know its football, but still its dangerous. I remember Todd Heap got clocked in a head to head hit in the Patriots game. Then the week after, when the Ravens went against the Bills, he just fainted/fell to the ground; without being touched.

 

[Von Doom]

NFL has always been trigger happy with its fines, I remember a Jacksonville receiver caught a touchdown, ran to the goal posts and pretended they were an ATM, next day he was getting fined for it :S

Head to head shots are serious though, I remember Trent Green was out for a season (roughly) with concussion after getting kneed in the head, if a knee can do that, imagine what a head on tackle can do.

 

[MrMister]

Trent Green's career was ended by concussions. Troy Aikman, Roger Staubach, Steve Young, Jaws, Merril Hoge are just some of the more famous players whose careers ended sooner than they should have because of concussions. These men all seem fine now, but had they played longer who knows what would have happened.

None of these men are in what I consider "old age" yet, though Staubach is the closest. Regardless, there are other men not so famous that have exhibited dementia and other mental illnesses.