NFL - NEWS & NOTES

They probably will... I really don't know what the hell is going on.

 

Goodell Sucks!

Under his watch the game of NFL football is getting completely over-hauled all in the name of safety and it is wrong, period.

I'm not happy.

Where's the union? Where are the old-school GM's and owners? WTF!

No 3-point stance...
No helmet collisions...
No kickoffs eventually...
No clarity on what a catch is... and their just getting started, I'll bet.

When will it end ?!? Probably with everybody putting on a dress and playing 2-handed tap!

(that's my editorial)

 

The game that you, any virtually everyone else, knew ended with litigation lawyers.

 

My question for everyone is this:

Do you like the caliber of athlete that is playing today's brand of football. What is his shelf life currently, the good ones that is, not the washouts? 8-12 years ave?

Specifically you ask, "Where's the union?" I am asking for a little clarification here, I'm not sure if you are asking about the uniting of like minded people throughout the NFL, or the actual NFLPA Union? If it's the latter, they are at the forefront of the change. They are protecting the players futures, past football.

Many bloggers, posters, etc... are calling for the NFL to play the game the way it has ALWAYS been played and simply have the players sign a waiver that they understand the risks involved.

Let me as another question:

If you went to several interviews, sat down with an employer who has decided to offer you the job, then asked you to go through some pretty major enlightenment into what your future health may be if you take the job, then ask you to sign a waiver that you understand you may have permanent damage that could directly lead to an early death, not from a single incident, but from prolonged exposure to KNOWN criteria to cause this. The studies show that 1) 40% of all living employees suffer life changing injuries 2) 99% of post-mortem examination of employees showed that activities directly involved in the job caused significant damage that led to an altered way of life as early as their 30's.

We will pay you a premium...BUT, you may only get to enjoy that for a few years...

Would you sign it? Would your family/friends tell you it's a good idea?

The players with 15-20 year careers are going to become a thing of the past if safety isn't brought into the picture, then you will have a league full of watered down talent. I'm not sure that is what anyone wants. A top shelf athlete will start taking their $20M rookie deals, then retire to take some of the risk out of their future health. It won't be immediate, the athletes today have a tendency to spend quicker than they receive, but the health education will begin shaping minds at the high school level, then the college level, etc. 10 years from now, if nothing were done, I would expect a "GOOD" athlete's average career to be shortened to around 8 years and 20 years from now. Good athletes careers 4 years, the washouts that are averaging 3 years of professional play, extended to that 10 year range.

Getting back to the "play the game the way it has always been played". Let's go back to the beginning, no helmets, leather helmets, plastic helmets, synthetic hard shell helmets.

Look at the game the way it was invented and played. It doesn't resemble modern day football at all. They got black eyes and lost teeth because they didn't have face masks, but they weren't ramming their heads into one another as hard as possible. They weren't lower their head and aiming for the other guys head and legs to inflict pain. Watch the old school football...

The NEW game has evolved into what the crowd demands, violence. Although I personally love to see a great hard hit, I won't stop watching a game that at it's core is about running, throwing and catching an oblong ball, with opposition trying to stop them from crossing a line.


That's my rebuttal, sorry it was so long....

 

I enjoyed your rebuttal, it was interesting to read. I may not fully agree with a couple things you said, but I respect you and your opinions... thanks.

 

The offensive and defensive lines were the change that actually needed to happen, if they wanted to do away with concussions. Every play there's helmet contact, there. If they're actually going to get rid of helmet contact in the trenches, then they'll finally be doing more than lip service to the issue of reducing concussions. The problem? They'll also be fundamentally changing the game of football.

If the trenches can't operate in a manner that's conducive to physical football, then we can wave goodbye to physical football. It's time for flag football. 7 on 7's it is.

 

Todays athletes are far superior to what they once were. They are evolved and 'state of the art' machines. I believe their 'shelf life' can be even longer than in the past, but there are risks as you pointed out.

Ya, that was worded dumbly on my part. The NFLPA is mostly behind this and the problem lies with the change of the game not really being of concern because the players of said game still are on pace to become rich. The bottom line might be the fans that take a beating here, which ought to have a direct effect on the NFL and their ability to make bread n butter.

I think, hell yes, players will play no matter the consequences. May not be the wisest of decision making , but millions of dollars get people to do certain things.

Look at it in real/common life... people after being warned, still smoke ciggs, drink, take drugs... It all boils down to what your 'willing' to risk for enjoyment or a standard of life.

This is interesting. As you stated the game was prehistoric at one time and then technological advanced came in and the game evolved into a #1 form of sports entertainment. Do you look at this new direction the NFL is taking as a advancement or a digression? I personally think the game was reaching a pinnacle of greatness, now they want to go backwards.

 

I'm sorry, I might not have explained myself. I didn't mean they were going to breakdown faster. I meant that through education, they are going to make a conscious decision to not play any longer than needed to get one payday from football. The rookie wage scale has taken negotiation out of the picture, but first round athletes are still getting on average. $16M, just to be drafted. They will quickly realize they can live a long prosperous life using that as their investment income.

Again, I think they will just become smarter. They won't come to the league to party away their first several million, rather come to the league as a spring board. Obviously you will have those who never learn and stay for the money. But, the education of the severity is already being felt. There are players now, fringe players at best I realize, but are deciding to not even take that first $600k payday to experiment in the NFL. It will be a trickle down, to where the Robert Smith's of the world are more common than the Junior Seau's.

Personally, I think we are in the infant stages of a major advancement. With the materials available today, I am actually shocked we have gone this long without any major breakthroughs in equipment. The NFL didn't demand it, so who was going to spend the R&D on it? Well, the new light has brought that reason. With changes to equipment (remember we are probably talking a minimum of ten years for development), I expect the game to take on a different light as those advancements are realized.

You are only looking at a small picture, the reason for changes being needed to the game our generation grew to love. Well, the generations before also loved the game enough to make those other advancements. It's hard to see a long term picture, when an adjustment becomes justified to take a step backwards...In the end, it will be the reason that it takes 5 steps forward into the future...imo.

 

the best summary of the Eagles QB situation ! Well done Mike Silver !

 

Browns fans should love the new helmet rules. Last time they won a championship nobody used their head as a weapon.

 

Welcome to the pass only league now. No way running will be effective with your head up. The first thing that they teach you as a lineman in football ( defense or offense) is to get your head lower. You are too easy to push around with your head up. The first thing defensive and offensive linemen do on every running play is bump heads which will be illegal now. You can’t run inside the tackle without someone breaking the lowering your helmet rules.

 

RBs may become extinct. Teams better cut their FBs now. FBs only job is to lower their heads and crash into somebody. This rule may really result in an unwatchable game for us long time fans.

 

What about players like LeVeon Bell? These guys might have zero value in a pass only league. Teams should just play five WRs, forget the TE too.

 

I have a hard time believing that the difference between the NFL with incessant concussions and the NFL without is a helmet made of different materials. Physics says that you can make the helmet out of whatever you want - the impact to the head has to go away entirely to remove concussions. And unless you legislate that contact out of the game, it'll always be there. So, in this case, it seems like that's finally what they're willing to do. And, as such, football as we know it will disappear.

 

Materials + Better Atheletes (stronger/faster) seems to add up to where we are in regards to concussions. I’m not opposed to the NFL going sans helmet/pads. Make it like rugby or Aussie-ball but with American football alignments, plays and rules. It would resemble “yard ball”. I’m in!

 

New rule...
Thou must stand for the National Anthem.

If you don't want to then you must stay in the locker room.

 

Now the vets will be insulted by the lack of tough play in our league.

 

At least with the new anthem rule it should eliminate any confusion and controversy. Well hell, on second thought, someone will find something to bitch about.

Personally I like the ruling and a mess of GM's/owners do to.

 

https://www.cbssports.com/mma/news/...rains-for-ufc-opportunity-he-may-not-deserve/

Greg Hardy training for a UFC fight....?