NFL Needs to Stop Punishing Players For Violent Hits

NFL's punishment of violent hits has been a big story in the 2010 NFL season.  NFL is looking out for the safety of NFL players and have fined and threatened to suspend players that have made illegal hits. 

Pittsburgh Steelers' linebacker James Harrison has already been fined $125,000 this season.  NFL is wrong about this issue and needs to stop fining players and making it even more difficult for defensive players to play football.

NFL has already taken steps to make it easier for the offensive players to play football.  The quarterback is well protected as defenders can't hit the quarterback below the knee after Tom Brady was injured and missed the entire 2008 season in similar fashion. There are roughing the passer penalties that forbid the defender from hitting the quarterback in certain parts of the body.  In terms of receivers, defenders can't touch receivers after they get past five yards of scrimmage.  These measures have increased scoring and have made it difficult for the defense.

However, the NFL is not satisfied with these measures.  They have noticed that players like James Harrison destroy defenseless receivers.  Well, this is football, not ballet!  When an offensive player gets the ball, it is the defense's job to tackle him.  When a receiver catches the ball across the middle, he should know that he is going to pay the price.  The game is played at full speed and it is really difficult for a defender to make adjustments when he is running full speed to make a tackle. 

A huge problem of NFL's problem with protecting against violent hits is that the offensive players that are getting hit are on the side of the defenders that are tackling them.  In a November Green Bay Packers vs. Dallas Cowboys game, safety Nick Collins got fined $50,000 by the NFL for a helmet-to-helmet hit on Cowboys wide receiver Roy E Williams. 

Williams had this to say: "Commissioner Goodell, don't fine the guy. It wasn't that bad of a deal, he shouldn't get fined. It was a football play, a football player making a football play. No injury, no harm." 

When the offensive player is telling the NFL commissioner that there is nothing wrong with how he was tackled, then it is obvious that the NFL is wrong in punishing the defensive players for these hits.

Finally, NFL wants to expand the season by two games and have an 18 game season.  Let me get this straight.  They want to protect the safety of the players and then are asking them to play two more games!  Football is a violent game and players suffer from the beating they take after they retire.  However, tackling is part of the game and fans want to see it.  The offense has enough of an advantage, so let's give the defense a chance to play.