Defensive players whining about a less violent NFL...

[Kontradiction]

Come on, you added but nothing but cliches with no content or argument. You gotta call the rules as they are written - if the refs didn't do that, we don't make it to the AFCCG in 2001.

You can still lay out a hard hit without going for the knees or the head. Of all people, Brian Billick was on NFLN defending the rules, citing all the problems players are having in their retirement now with dementia, brain problems, etc. There's nothing macho about being an invalid for the rest of your life.

The call on Ngata was RIDICULOUS. He slapped Brady's helmet and got a 15 yard penalty for it. Here are the body parts on the quarterback I think should be protected with a 15 yard penalty, and the body parts that should not be protected with one:

1. Knees: These can end seasons as well as careers. However, I'm all for the knees being protected from a dirty hit. If the QB moves outside of the pocket and the defender only has the knees to grasp at in order to make the tackle, that should be legal.

2. Head: This is only in the event of a hard helmet to helmet hit in which the defender launches himself at the QB. If the arm or shoulder pad hits the helmet (in the case of Ngata, the arm), there should not be a 15 yard penalty assessed UNLESS the quarterback has gotten rid of the ball for two or more seconds and it becomes a LATE hit.

3. Chest: Open season as long as the hit is not coming in late and/or the QB still has the ball in his hands.

4. Back: Open season as long as the hit is not coming in late and/or the QB still has the ball in his hands.

5. Midsection: Open season as long as the hit is not coming in late and/or the QB still has the ball in his hands.

That's what I think. On top of that, I think WRs should be allowed to get obliterated if the ball is in their hands (which wasn't the case of Welker last year) and as long as the hit isn't made with the crown of the helmet to the head of the receiver. Calling 15 yard unnecessary roughness penalties for a big hit is flat out ridiculous. Same thing with defenders and crackback blocks as long as, again, the knees and head aren't aimed for. But then again, I'm a fan of old school (a.k.a. real) football. If the NFL keeps tinkering with the rules to take big hits out of the equation, they are going to lose tons of their viewership.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

The call on Ngata was RIDICULOUS. He slapped Brady's helmet and got a 15 yard penalty for it. Here are the body parts on the quarterback I think should be protected with a 15 yard penalty, and the body parts that should not be protected with one:

1. Knees: These can end seasons as well as careers. However, I'm all for the knees being protected from a dirty hit. If the QB moves outside of the pocket and the defender only has the knees to grasp at in order to make the tackle, that should be legal.

2. Head: This is only in the event of a hard helmet to helmet hit in which the defender launches himself at the QB. If the arm or shoulder pad hits the helmet (in the case of Ngata, the arm), there should not be a 15 yard penalty assessed UNLESS the quarterback has gotten rid of the ball for two or more seconds and it becomes a LATE hit.

3. Chest: Open season as long as the hit is not coming in late and/or the QB still has the ball in his hands.

4. Back: Open season as long as the hit is not coming in late and/or the QB still has the ball in his hands.

5. Midsection: Open season as long as the hit is not coming in late and/or the QB still has the ball in his hands.

That's what I think. On top of that, I think WRs should be allowed to get obliterated if the ball is coming their way (which wasn't the case of Welker last year) as long as the hit isn't made with the crown of the helmet to the head of the receiver. Calling 15 yard unnecessary roughness penalties for a big hit is flat out ridiculous. Same thing with defenders and crackback blocks as long as, again, the knees and head aren't aimed for. But then again, I'm a fan of old school (a.k.a. real) football. If the NFL keeps tinkering with the rules to take big hits out of the equation, they are going to lose tons of their viewership.

I think they are more worried at this moment about losing tons of their participants to career ending and even more insidious life altering (brain) injuries. Youngsters who are really too young to apprecaite old school football because they only see it in grainy hightlights from NFL films, seldom appreciate long range consequences. Defenders today are a LOT bigger, stronger, faster than they were back in the day when QB's didn't wear skirts or pass the ball all day...and even from that era the tragic casualties are piling up at an alarming rate.

 

[Kontradiction]

I think they are more worried at this moment about losing tons of their participants to career ending and even more insidious life altering (brain) injuries. Youngsters who are really too young to apprecaite old school football because they only see it in grainy hightlights from NFL films, seldom appreciate long range consequences. Defenders today are a LOT bigger, stronger, faster than they were back in the day when QB's didn't wear skirts or pass the ball all day...and even from that era the tragic casualties are piling up at an alarming rate.

It's football. The tragic casualties are going to pile up no matter what you do. Someone is always going to get hit hard in every game no matter if a 15 yard penalty is thrown or not. Guys know what they're getting into when they play the game. Hell, I can remember knowing what I was getting into when I was in peewee football.

Like I said, I'm all for protecting a guy's head and knees. I know the consequences. But I'm for doing it only in the situations in which I gave. If we go as all out as the refs did in this past week's game against the Ravens, then there really isn't any point to playing defense unless you're going to sit back in a soft Cover-2 all day long.

 

[mayoclinic]

CNNSI has a column by Pittsburgh OLB LaMarr Woodley out today, with more whining about how the rules favor the offense:

NFL overprotects offensive players - LaMarr Woodley - SI.com