Comments on: Vote coming soon on helmet rule

By: kingfish2013

kingfish2013 — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 18:27:57 +0000

You wait.when its a goal line stand at the end of a important game and the td is over turned because of this rule.All hell will break loose.

By: cliffordc05

cliffordc05 — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 17:24:24 +0000

A couple of problems with this rule but the primary difficulty will be its enforcement by the referees. The interpretation of whether a running back is initiating contact or lowering his head to protect himself is going ot lead to a lot of noisy stadiums this year. Nobody is going to be happy.

I still have not seen a definitive study of which position players suffer the highest incidence of long term brain injuries from football. Is it the interior linemen who suffer repeated impacts throughout the game or the more spectacular hits suffered by ball carriers. If linemen suffer the highest incidence of brain trauma it will be interesting to see how the league reacts.

By: bobby2478

bobby2478 — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 17:03:40 +0000

I think the coaches are reading too much into this. As I understand it, the proposed rule change is that players can’t use the crown of their helmet in the open field, regardless of whether it is an offensive or defensive player. So you can’t use the crown of your helmet as a weapon.

It doesn’t say you can’t lower your shoulder, or lower your head. It says you can’t initiate contact with the crown of your helmet, which would mean you were trying to “spear” an opponent, which is obviously something it is good to get rid of.

By: ronp407

ronp407 — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 16:52:59 +0000

CROWN of the helmet. Not the whole helmet. CROWN of the helmet. Players will still be able to lower their heads just not in the way EVERYONE was taught not to since they were 7 years old.

By: maximusprime107

maximusprime107 — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 16:50:46 +0000

Put in every contract that an NFL player signs that you can’t sue the league and all of this would go away

By: filthymcnasty1

filthymcnasty1 — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 16:48:00 +0000

What use is Adrian Peterson’s grey matter if he is forbidden from using it as a blunt instrument?

By: diabetic1010

diabetic1010 — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 16:46:32 +0000

Cue James Harrison chiming in and threatening to retire, as if anyone wants him around…

By: sdb0ltz

sdb0ltz — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 16:44:46 +0000

Roger Goodell needs to stop this madness.

It’s all because of a liability issue.

You want to protect yourself from lawsuits?? Have the players sign waivers for crying out loud, call it a day and stop ruining our great game!!

By: scrp2

scrp2 — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 16:43:51 +0000

In this photo, Denzel Washington’s reaction to the suggestion that the Vikes will get to the playoffs without Percy Harvin.

By: arcaero

arcaero — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 16:36:33 +0000

Feel free to omit the “L” in flag.

By: gordoom

gordoom — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 16:35:53 +0000

Its a open field rule. Rarely do runners in the open field use there helmets as battering rams anymore. Its not in the tackle box. It is open-field.

Also if you feel yourself getting angry at the NFL. Stop. Think smarter. This is only happening because of the millions of dollars in lawsuits EX players are demanding for the nfl not protecting them.

Its not goodells* fault. If you want to blame someone look to the heroes you grew up watching, they are destroying what they helped build.

By: blacknole08

blacknole08 — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 16:34:53 +0000

It’s a dumb rule proposition because RBs can’t lower their shoulders without lowering their heads. I’ve seen WRs do this as well.

How else will they brace for impact? Finish off runs and potentially pick up extra yards — especially in situations near the goal-line or for a game-sealing first down?

By: yooperman

yooperman — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 16:34:29 +0000

Mike take a break, go golf the Adobe course. The news can wait til the vote happens.

By: arcaero

arcaero — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 16:34:15 +0000

The players are getting paid huge sums of money because there is risk, and that brings eyeballs, which brings money.

DUH. All of these lawyers have never heard of a liability waiver? Who writes the contracts??

Take the helmets away and give them flags and yoga pants to wear. Change the name to NFFL.

National Flag Football League.

By: gumbogumbo

gumbogumbo — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 16:32:15 +0000

Players are coached to keep their heads up when lowering for a hit. When you shy away from contact is when you get hurt.

By: chezdecko

chezdecko — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 16:31:52 +0000

at age 10, I was taught by my football coach that at contact, “the lowest man wins”. Players are literally programmed to get low to tackle/break a tackle as children. They are not taught to launch their bodies at defenseless receivers, they are taught to get low and form tackle. shoulderpads in the numbers, and drive. Lowering the boom on a defender is why football is beautiful, and it’s a fundamental of the game. I just don’t understand this rule.

By: pj1983a

pj1983a — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 16:31:46 +0000

“With the NFL concerned about future litigation from present players, it doesn’t help to talk openly about a proposed safety chance and then to not implement it.”

I had just begun to consider that angle too. They probably would have been better off keeping the whole thing quiet until it was fully researched (both for safety and popularity). Then, if they chose to delay/reject it, they could at least claim plausible deniability. At this point, they’re screwed either way.

By: benroethlisberger7

benroethlisberger7 — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 16:31:09 +0000

NFL fans, prepare to protest. The league always seems to disregard public opinion and we must make it clear that we will not stand for this disgraceful manipulation of a beautiful game.

By: gumbogumbo

gumbogumbo — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 16:30:08 +0000

At no point during my 13 years of playing football was I ever coached to lower my helmet.

By: slemmebo

slemmebo — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 16:28:02 +0000

Worst idea in a long time. Rule can not be inforced.

By: flavordave

flavordave — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 16:24:45 +0000

Its a terrible idea and puts the low man winning concept at a loss. More players will get their clocks cleaned by staying high on tackles. This just doesnt make sense. The lawyer commish is killing football.