2010 NFL Concussions Collisions; Goodell Looking To Fine Or Suspend Players

Huge hits where emphatic shouts of “whoa” and “oh my god” from fans are played out every Sunday in the NFL. The quarterback throws a pass, the receiver turns to catch it, and subsequently, in a classic move as subtle as a human missile, the safety blows up the field and nails the wide receiver’s head. Sometimes the player holds the ball and makes a great play, or the player doesn’t get up and is carted off the field. The shock and awe is what gets those plays replayed over and over on Sportscenter, Youtube, and NFL Films.

   During the older era of football, players fundamentally had the green light to damage a player any way that was deemed the most effective. From neck drags, forearms to the head, clotheslines, horse-collar tackles, clipping the legs, and helmet collisions were considered par for the course. Through the years, rules have been implemented to modify how the defensive player can make a stop. The NFL has also invested millions in an effort to research and study what long-term damage a player can have during and after his career from these collisions. Technology has also been developed to heighten safety for the players. The new and improved helmets, which are to protect the player, are also now pretty much a weapon.

   Due to the recent array of helmet-to-helmet injuries witnessed week 6 of the NFL season, Roger Goodell and league officials are trying to determine just what is considered a finable or a suspension worthy hit. Many former players are looking for the league to further sanction rules that will protect the offensive side of the ball even more than they are presently. Others argue that this league protects the offensive side sufficiently already.

   The NFL has become a pass heavy league where the quarterback throws 40 plus times. This alone can be one of the reasons for these types of high-impact collisions. Defensive schemes are much more sophisticated today using exotic sets and blitzes that have revolutionized how safeties and linebackers are used. When the field is so open and a receiver tries to catch a pass in the middle, the safeties and linebackers are getting a running start at the player, ready to put a massive hit on an unsuspecting receiver. When a 170-pound player is crushed by a 265-pound linebacker who runs a 4.3 forty, devastating hits are bound to happen and the collisions are very violent. When players suffer injury, they do so in collisions at relative speeds between 17 mph and 25 mph; the player being hit is enduring impacts averaging 98 times the force of gravity!

   How can the philosophies of the defensive side of ball change? Having this type of mentality just taken out the game will not happen due in part to players early in their football career having been coached and instructed to “bust-up” a play in any way possible. It basically comes down to the player’s instincts in those milliseconds when a defender has to make a play. Obviously, players go out on Sundays with bad intentions. In this sport, a player builds his rep by huge hits that cause bodily harm. It is like trying to take a certain trait from a purebred animal when that trait has been passed down for so many generations.

   The NFL is a modern Spartan sport and the truest essence of the sport is looking to be domesticated even more. These athletes do a job that requires a great deal of heart, size, speed, and skill. Like a Hollywood stuntman, the job has a high threat for injury, but they know what they are getting themselves into before their career starts. Players are aware of the risks and rewards of playing in the NFL. This is a sport played by men who have the job to stop each other aggressively by any means necessary. If a receiver wants to go over the middle to make a big play, he can expect a defensive player out in space running at him full speed to squash him at the point of impact. Every job has hazards and usually the pay shows how many high-risk hazards an employee will face.

   More news about how the league will handle this situation will come sooner than later. Roger Goodell has cared more about the welfare of the players more than any other commissioner in NFL history, but sometimes too many changes can ruin the product on the field. I’m not saying that these plays shouldn’t be scrutinized, but this is the NFL and hits like this should be expected and fans have come to love the collisions. What will the league do next; have a strike zone stitched on their uniforms? A firefighter knows he might have to walk in a blazing inferno and an NFL receiver knows he might take a hit that could force him to retire. The debate will rage on between players, coaches, and fans.