NFL will institute a Flagrant foul penalty? (1 Viewer)

[Football Critic]

Goodell responded as if it this should not have been available to the media yet when asked about it during the press conf.

Fining TEAMS for player safety violations, and illegal hits?

Whats the impact of this to the game?

Now not just the players fined, the teams too?

I hope the owners will not want the players to play soft to save them money.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/2011-05-24-steelers-rule_N.htm

 

[GregR_2]

Goodell responded as if it this should not have been available to the media yet when asked about it during the press conf.Fining teams for player safety violations, and illegal hits?Whats the impact of this to the game? Now not just the players fined, the teams too? I hope the owners will not want the players to play soft to save them money.http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/2011-05-24-steelers-rule_N.htm

If this were about saving themselves money rather than being about reducing major injuries, including potential life threatening ones, they could have just not voted for the fine rather than voting unanimously for it as they did. They are the ones imposing the rule on themselves.The changes the NFL came up with are a Very Good Thing. The problem with how it's been until now is that you could have coaches who want to see their player out there delivering huge hits regardless of whether it's a dangerous one, while the league is fining and potentially suspending the player for doing so. It could have put the player in a situation of potentially losing their job if they fully abide by the NFL's rule. This was one of the few legitimate complaints players had about the previous rules on this topic.But now the team has some extra incentive to have their players not engage in unnecessarily dangerous hits. Most of the huge hits that are affected by this kind of rule are crappy tackling technique anyway. If I'd argue anything on that point, I'd argue that maybe the NFL should fine the team and the player both on every such dangerous hit, rather than only when a team has had a number of them occur.Incidentally, the final version also included changing it so that glancing blows to the passer's head won't be a penalty anymore. It has to be a forceful hit which is a very good change.Let me finish this up by quoting Warren Sapp on NFL Total Access... who was asked by Rich Eisen what he thought of comments by the Steelers Jerome Harrison ("I'm absolutely sure now after this last rule change that the people making the rules at the NFL are idiots") and LaMarr Woodley ("Thoughts on "the steelers rule"??? lol im sorry that im not sorry we hit 2 hard," and... "I think it's so stupid man. I mean, it's football. This is what you signed up for. You knew it would be an aggressive game. You knew there was a chance of you getting hurt and having serious injuries. But this is what you signed up for. I think having all the fines and penalties is taking away from the game.")Sapp said:"[Woodley's words] were a little misplaced. First of all, the one where you hit the QB's head inadvertent, glancing blow, that's a good change. Now, the actual launching and leaving your feet and doing what James Harrison did? The players in this game now, we must take care of each other. That's the biggest thing.""Whenever there is a rule, like when I first got in the league [offensive linemen] were chop blocking on the back of the leg. And then they made that rule [that such blocks have to be from the front], and then in the preseason they talked to the offensive linemen and they talked and said 'Our head has to be in the front'. We took care of each other. And this is what this is all about. Taking care of the game. Taking care of each other. And if James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley don't see this then maybe they need to leave the game. Because the game's gonna be here long after you, and it was here long before you. So either get on the train, or get off."

 

[treat88]

Chad Clifton says hi Warren ya gigantic hypocrite.

If the league mandates the latest technology in helmets and mouthguards then I will believe they are beginning to have the players best interests in mind.

As it stands, they are simply trying to protect jersey/ticket sales by delivering a more high scoring product to the mass market of the casual fan.