NFL's new safety policy

[yourchoice]

Just sayin'.

Originally Posted by Parshooter

What needs to happen is for these defensive players to get rid of the "thug mentality" and get back to basic tackling, with arms and shoulder pads, to the torso. Look back during the days of Butkus and Singletary. Those guys hit just as hard but did it the correct way.
Steelergar, glad you're not looking at this through black/gold colored glasses

Read the whole thing, and have one specific comment on this all...
Look at the Vikings players, and specifically Antoine Winfield. He's widely considered to be the best tackling cornerback in the league. His technique is "perfect", and he routinely brings down players much bigger than he is on his own. The effort and technique that he uses seem to spread through the team (when they can actually tackle someone). I don't see a lot of head down, launching plays from them, though Ray Edwards has a penchant for trying to leap blockers to get to the QB. I think in general, they all use good technique, as to teams like the Ravens (from what I've seen). They hit hard, but cleanly, and with good technique (Ray Lewis).

Going in leading with your helmet and your head down is a good way for YOU to end up with a concussion, at the least, and potentially in a wheelchair (it has happened, and will continue to happen).

[gvarsity]

Originally Posted by Wanger

Read the whole thing, and have one specific comment on this all...
Look at the Vikings players, and specifically Antoine Winfield. He's widely considered to be the best tackling cornerback in the league. His technique is "perfect", and he routinely brings down players much bigger than he is on his own. The effort and technique that he uses seem to spread through the team (when they can actually tackle someone). I don't see a lot of head down, launching plays from them, though Ray Edwards has a penchant for trying to leap blockers to get to the QB. I think in general, they all use good technique, as to teams like the Ravens (from what I've seen). They hit hard, but cleanly, and with good technique (Ray Lewis).

Going in leading with your helmet and your head down is a good way for YOU to end up with a concussion, at the least, and potentially in a wheelchair (it has happened, and will continue to happen).

I would also suggest that nobody thinks that the Vikings defense is soft because the wrap tackle and bring players to the ground. Antoine Winfield is known both as a sure tackler but also a hard physical tackler.

Originally Posted by Parshooter

Originally Posted by Parshooter View Post
What needs to happen is for these defensive players to get rid of the "thug mentality" and get back to basic tackling, with arms and shoulder pads, to the torso. Look back during the days of Butkus and Singletary. Those guys hit just as hard but did it the correct way.
Steelergar, glad you're not looking at this through black/gold colored glasses

Singletary maybe as he was a pretty stand up guy and hard player but Butkus was dirty as hell and that is what made him a star. In that period they were all dirty. He had a head slap and a clothesline and spear in his arsenal as much or more than anyone of his generation that's why people were scared of him. Going back in NFL history we are looking at significantly more violent, reckless and dangerous play rather than basic fundamental tackling.

[Mikey202]

If I was Harrison I would put back $1 million for fines, and just go play. As a fan of the game, I have no problem with the hits. These guys are so much faster and stronger than years ago. I don't want anyone to get crippled or killed. These guys are paid Millions to play, and I think it's more about liability, rather than a safety issue, as far as the NFL is concerned.

I mean these guys are told to jack people up coming across the middle of the field, and have the attitude of punishing someone, from day 1. Look at Ed McCaffrey who used to play for Denver. That's what he was known for, he got jacked-up all the time, he broke his leg once. ESPN rated him as the player most likely to take a bad hit on the field.

I hope it doesn't get to the point of people tackling like Dion Sanders,(ESPN rated him as the person most likely NOT to take or put a hit on someone.)
It's football , it's a violent sport. I'm glad I have Harrison playing for my Steelers.

[forgop]

I just heard Kyle Turley on Jim Rome. He expressed how po'd he is at the league and the union over this. He mentioned how players are consistently denied disability from former players complaining of injuries stemming from hits to the head. Like he said, the NFL wants to crack down on these hits while collecting fines, but then deny every claim possible.

Originally Posted by yourchoice

Just sayin'.

Originally Posted by Steelergar

What buisness does the US goverment have with how football is played. I guarantee you they put pressure on League headquarters. Whats next? Boxing, MMA, Hockey, Nascar. We got a major problem now!

I really hope you were joking. If you weren't I wouldn't even know where to begin to try to explain it to you.

[Slow Triathlete]

I think that it is turning into a league of nannies!!

That's why I switched to rugby.

Originally Posted by Resipsa

I really hope you were joking. If you weren't I wouldn't even know where to begin to try to explain it to you.

So you think its the job of the US federal goverement to tell the NFL how players should tackle? I hope your joking. However, I do know where to begin.

[forgop]

Originally Posted by Steelergar

So you think its the job of the US federal goverement to tell the NFL how players should tackle?

Why not? They're pretty much mandating what we can or can't do in every other aspect of our lives.

[Mikey202]

Cribbs ain't bitter about it.....

And although he was the victim of Harrison’s viciousness, Browns wide receiver Joshua Cribbs(notes) had a softer message for Pittsburgh’s enforcer: “Don’t change you.”

“You’re a player, so play,” Cribbs said he told Harrison, his former Kent State teammate and close friend. “Let refs ref. Let the NFL administration, let everyone do their jobs. If you get fined, just try to tailor yourself, but play the game. Don’t try to change who you are.”

The league said the shot was legal—a claim the Browns dispute—and Cribbs found it within reasonable limits as well.

“I had the ball and was going down and he came in to clean me up,” Cribbs said. “It’s his job to try to put me out of the game. If I was a linebacker, you try to knock guys out. That’s what linebackers try to do for the most part. You have to follow the rules, but that’s their job.”

If (Harrison) played for our team we’d be applauding his efforts,” Cribbs said. “I’m just trying to be honest. If he were on our team we’d be rallying behind him, just like his team is doing for him. He plays to knock people out. Wouldn’t you want a linebacker like that on your team?”

Originally Posted by Steelergar

So you think its the job of the US federal goverement to tell the NFL how players should tackle? I hope your joking. However, I do know where to begin.

Not really interested in debating this. The NFL is a business, and like any other business the gov. Has "the right" to regulate it. And with that, I'm done here

[Mikey202]

Originally Posted by Resipsa

Not really interested in debating this. The NFL is a business, and like any other business the gov. Has "the right" to regulate it. And with that, I'm done here

HEY!!! You have enough to worry about, keepin' your team healthy!! Colts boy!!! (said with luv).
Didn't Teddy Roosevelt think of banning football at one time due to people getting killed in games, back in his day? To bad we don't play Peyton and his boys this year, maybe in the AFC Playoffs?

[yachties23]

Wonder if anybody could say anything positive about James Harrison today....

[Blak Smyth]

My personal feelings are these guys are being paid millions of dollars to "play" a game. Let them hit and get hit. There are risks and they are fully aware of them. If they don't want to take the risks somebody else will. It is a sport and should not be compared to a job. I don't wish harm on anybody, but I do want to see hard hits.

[yachties23]

I was alluding to the his recent interview in Mens Journal....

[Sawyer]

Originally Posted by yachties23

Wonder if anybody could say anything positive about James Harrison today....

He speaks his mind and he tells it like he sees it. Most of what he said was true, but there are definitely plenty of things to criticize in what he said. Goodell is a horrible commissioner and Roethlisberger is no Peyton Manning.

Originally Posted by Sawyer

He speaks his mind and he tells it like he sees it. Most of what he said was true, but there are definitely plenty of things to criticize in what he said. Goodell is a horrible commissioner and Roethlisberger is no Peyton Manning.

right on

[shilala]

Originally Posted by Blak Smyth

My personal feelings are these guys are being paid millions of dollars to "play" a game. Let them hit and get hit. There are risks and they are fully aware of them. If they don't want to take the risks somebody else will. It is a sport and should not be compared to a job. I don't wish harm on anybody, but I do want to see hard hits.

The NFL is a 15 billion dollar a year business, it's far from a "game". Players are multi-million dollar entertainers. To not protect that investment to some degree would make no sense whatsoever.
Players, owners, and the NFL are all going to do anything they can to protect players, and rightfully so.
Can you expand on your comment "it is a sport and should not be compared to a job"? Those boys definitely work their asses off, and they have an extremely demanding job, both mentally and physically. One of the toughest in the world from a physical standpoint.
That said, I don't want to see the game changed, and I get a bug up my ass every time a new rule is instituted. I also don't want a guy to suffer a career ending open field hit that could be tuned down a bit, so it's tough to swallow new rules, especially when they're pointed straight at my Steelers.
The new contract cuts out a lot of non-gameday hitting, and that'll help with all the wear and tear on these guys that leads to injury. I'm hoping that translates to even more intensity at game time, and I think it will. It'll also help keep players playing rather than sitting on the bench, which is good for all us fans.

unfortunatly I predict it leads to less intensity at game time. We'll see what happens though. Just like if the steelers stop doin goal line drills for the sake of preventing hits, of course their goal line defense game time is going to suffer.