NFL's Hard Hitters Are Hit Hard By Overprotective Rules

When you hear the following names, think of the pictures in your mind that are conjured up upon their memories:

Ronnie Lott, Steve Atwater, Lawrence Taylor, Mike Singletary, Troy Polamolu, Bob Sanders...

If you're like me, the picture that likely comes to mind for most of these guys is one of them putting the wood to whomever had the ball in their area. These are some of my most respected players when it comes to how they play(ed) the game.

Bob Sanders has long been arguably my favorite NFL player. Obviously, I'm an Iowa Hawkeye fan so that helps...But after a few years in the league, the thing that I was most impressed by is the fact that Sanders pursues intensely, and finishes by running through the player. 

Without this physical, near reckless abandon type of fearlessness, I wonder what the NFL would bring to the table for fans? I was imagining today a game where the players have to be given permission to tackle or hit an opposing player.

Perhaps wait for a green light to illuminate on the helmet of the ball carrier when officials determining he's ready to be contacted. Or maybe even worse, we'll have a professional flag-football league in the not so distant future...The ultimate in player protection!

In recent memory, I cannot remember a season with more postgame fines assessed for what I see as good old fashioned smash-mouth football. We're asking players to be judicious, while in motion and often carrying several hundred pounds at top speed. 

Even if a player could recognize in mid-flight that they cannot follow through with the hit, we're talking about physics here. We all know an object in motion can only be stopped by an opposing force. Brad Childress said, "Human beings are hard to stop on a dime."

Players get hurt. It sucks. Sometimes it's MVP-caliber players like a Tom Brady (who was hurt pretty much incidentally yet is out for the season). You can't have it both ways though. We can't script a game that involves "safe" hitting of the opponent where there is near no chance of injury...and still end up with a game worth watching. 

Wait...isn't that what they call Soccer?

Everyone who steps on that field should know that they are risking physical injury from whistle to whistle.  I get spearing, face mask, maybe even horse collaring... maybe.  But this "defenseless receivers" nonsense? 

If you're concentrating on catching a pass...yeah, you're body is engaged in an activity where it's a darn good bet that all of your parts are involved in making the catch.  Wait a minute...maybe we should train the receivers to catch the ball without looking so they can also defend themselves from a hit! 

I don't think those games would be fun to watch either... a lot of drops... but I'm just guessing here...

And what about "launching"? Since when was it NOT the goal for a defensive player to put as much force as possible into the offensive player in order to render them down by contact. Again...the flag football idea comes to mind. 

When a QB has the ball...hit him as hard as you can, without leading with the helmet, without chopping his knees out from under him...but by all means, tattoo him. 

If a receiver goes up for a pass...make him run into a brick wall at the exact instant his finger tips touch the ball.  Make him drop the pass...insn't that the idea of defending a pass?

When approached by the ball carrier...it's you or him, especially if you're a DB on an island after edge contain has been compromised.  Bring more momentum than the opponent if you want to win that battle.

If he's running fast... chances are there's going to be one hell of a collision.

This is a man's game, played by men, who understand the idea of injuries, hard hits, etc. Let them play the game they've been playing their whole life.