Has The NFL Become Totally Sissy?

[GroobyKrissy]

So, I'm editing pictures for my site and have had the Colts / Texans game on in the background. I play Madden pretty religiously but rarely watch actual games on the TV, but I like watching some of the playoff games.

Anyway, this play comes up and a penalty flag is thrown. It is for "Defenseless Attacking" or something like that, against the Texans, a 15 yard penalty (the Colts scored). I watched the replay and everything seemed totally kosher... the SS did his job and tried to tackle the Colts player who had caught the ball in the End Zone.

And yet the penalty was thrown. Not a late hit or anything as far as I was concerned and it seemed by what the announcer was saying that it was because the player was in the end zone and [about to] catching a ball that he was basically "untouchable" because of that?

WTF? Can someone who knows something about football and saw this play tell me what happened?

Madden 13 has this announcer line in it that is something like "Yeah, everyone wants to be WR's these days because you catch the ball, score touchdowns, and you can never get touched". Which I think is kind of funny for Madden to take a poke at the NFL like that. But really, how true is that?

I mean, it seems like here, in this play, just because you're about to catch a ball, that makes it a penalty to touch you? I thought the whole point of football (defense) was to make the other person drop the ball... kind of hard to do if you can't touch them?

Has the NFL ruined football with the rules or made it safer for the players?

Anyone?

[TSCURIOUS]

I'm not sure it's any safer. But - I have to agree with the concern over the "head spear" hits to players though. (Had to use that term here!) They have messed a few players-
I loved LT's quote that he knew he got a good hit if he saw the "snot came out of their nose"

[Dino Velvet]

Nothing says victory like snot bubbles.

[TSCURIOUS]

^ Remember when he said that!
Classic LT!

[Rusty Eldora]

But - I have to agree with the concern over the "head spear" hits to players though. (Had to use that term here!)

Maybe they need bigger helmets

[TSCURIOUS]

A Quote by Jack Tatum: "I like to believe that my best hits border on felonious assault."
Now THAT'S FOOTBALL!

[flabbybody]

A 15 yard personal foul penalty is called when a defender hits a defenseless receiver. A defenseless player is defined by the NFL as such:

"Receiver attempting to catch a pass or one who has not completed a catch and hasn’t had time to protect himself or hasn’t clearly become a runner. If the receiver/runner is capable of avoiding or warding off the impending contact of an opponent, he is no longer a defenseless player."

The league had to come to terms with the issue of concussion and head injuries. Players today have size, strength and speed like never before. What makes the sport an amazing display of athleticism can prove deadly to the players. I don't think the rule change is a perfect fix but if makes football safer then I can live with it.

[TSCURIOUS]

I agree. That's a good rule.

[ed_jaxon]

The NFL has a major problem with concussions and there is actually an ad running now pretty much admitting that and acknowledging that they are trying to make the game safer.

In '86 Refrigerator Perry was over 300 pounds and considered a giant. Now players are routinely over 300 and even close to 350 and much faster. Qb's and Wr's are most often the recipients of the show hits that end up on ESPN and while entertaining, they can be dangerous.

The days Tatum, Plank and other secondary hitters are over and its probably going to be that way for a while.

[GroobyKrissy]

A 15 yard personal foul penalty is called when a defender hits a defenseless receiver. A defenseless player is defined by the NFL as such:

"Receiver attempting to catch a pass or one who has not completed a catch and hasn’t had time to protect himself or hasn’t clearly become a runner. If the receiver/runner is capable of avoiding or warding off the impending contact of an opponent, he is no longer a defenseless player."

The league had to come to terms with the issue of concussion and head injuries. Players today have size, strength and speed like never before. What makes the sport an amazing display of athleticism can prove deadly to the players. I don't think the rule change is a perfect fix but if makes football safer then I can live with it.

Thanks!

It just seems a little unfair to the defense then if they cannot touch a player even attempting to catch a pass. In this case, it seemed that they player had already caught the pass and wasn't in the air and the defender was already in the motion to tackle but received the penalty anyway. So I guess what made him defenseless in this case is that both of his hands were occupied...? Tough to call that I guess.

[GroobyKrissy]

The NFL has a major problem with concussions and there is actually an ad running now pretty much admitting that and acknowledging that they are trying to make the game safer.

In '86 Refrigerator Perry was over 300 pounds and considered a giant. Now players are routinely over 300 and even close to 350 and much faster. Qb's and Wr's are most often the recipients of the show hits that end up on ESPN and while entertaining, they can be dangerous.

The days Tatum, Plank and other secondary hitters are over and its probably going to be that way for a while.

I guess I have been living under a rock and just too busy PLAYING Madden instead of watching it on TV. Didn't realize the concussion thing was such a big deal although I had heard of multi-million(?) dollar lawsuit a bunch of older players were going for regarding that. Don't really know the details though.

[ed_jaxon]

Several player have committed suicide by shooting themselves in the chest rather than the head so their brains can be studied post mortem.

Junior Seau and Dave Duerson come readily to mind.

[GroobyKrissy]

Several player have committed suicide by shooting themselves in the chest rather than the head so their brains can be studied post mortem.

Junior Seau and Dave Duerson come readily to mind.

WOW... that is terrible. I am going to start studying up on this. Now my original post seems terribly cold and silly :(

[Quiet Reflections]

I think the defenseless receiver rule was a good one, I just hope they don't get rid of kickoffs like they have been talking about.

[GroobyKrissy]

I think the defenseless receiver rule was a good one, I just hope they don't get rid of kickoffs like they have been talking about.

This also is news to me.

What could possibly be the reason for that? Are there a lot of injuries happening at kickoffs?

[flabbybody]

Several player have committed suicide by shooting themselves in the chest rather than the head so their brains can be studied post mortem.

Junior Seau and Dave Duerson come readily to mind.
Yup.
You tear up your knee, it gets surgically repaired and its fixed. But the brain never fully recovers from repeated concussion. So many retired NFL'ers have chronic headaches and blackouts. horrible to think of those guys driven to suicide

[Quiet Reflections]

there are enough injuries on kickoff that a few careers might be saved but not enough(imo) to warrant a change. The NFL say that Kickoffs are reckless and put players in needless jeopardy. I read in one article that they would replace them with a punt play..........which is strange because there really isn't much difference between the two.

[flabbybody]

we'll have to continue this later.
Pack-Vikings. do or die for Vikings to make playoffs. whata game

[kukm4]

This also is news to me.

What could possibly be the reason for that? Are there a lot of injuries happening at kickoffs?

Not many but know to happen.

Kicker Cheap Shot - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuI6ORUCrzc)

fast foward to 1:05 mark or link below.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=BuI6ORUCrzc#t=65s

[Quiet Reflections]

Not many but know to happen.

Kicker Cheap Shot - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuI6ORUCrzc)

fast foward to 1:05 mark or link below.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=BuI6ORUCrzc#t=65s
Yeah but he wasn't hurt, Sav is a tough sob. to bad he went to the Skins

[BBaggins06]

WOW... that is terrible. I am going to start studying up on this. Now my original post seems terribly cold and silly :(

It's called Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE).

But the funny thing is that defensive players are going start tackling and diving at knees/ankles and we'll see alot more lower leg injuries some of which could be career ending ...

[Cuchulain]

I grew up loving the big hits in the NFL. One of the greatest (it was before my time, lol) was the one the Eagle's Chuck Bednarik (Concrete Charlie) put on Frank Gifford. He knocked Gifford out of football for a year.
Chuk BEDNARIK plaquage Frank Grifford - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wD3fJuVQ-Qk)

In the last ten years or so, it has become apparent that brain damage is an all too common occurrence in football. The NFL initially tried to downplay it. It was the plight of the legendary 'Iron Mike' Webster that brought things into the open. Webster was a Hall of Fame center for the Pittsburgh Steelers, a pioneer in NFL weight training and one of the strongest guys to ever play, despite the fact that he weighed only about 250lbs. ESPN did a heartbreaking report on Mike's final years. He was only 50 when he died.

'The powerfully proud former athlete, anguished and curled up in a fetal position for three or four days, puzzling over his life, contemplating suicide and, in later years, placing those sad, rambling calls, almost daily in the later years, to friends and family when he couldn't find his way home. "All I see is trees," he'd say apologetically, almost in a whisper.'
A tormented soul - NFL - ESPN (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=1972285)

Another example is Eagle's great Andre Waters, who committed suicide.

'In 2006, Former Eagles and Cardinals safety Former Eagles DB Andre Waters, 44, commits suicide - NFL - ESPN (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2669517) with a gunshot to the head and doctors found that his depression was a result of his history of concussions. Only 44, Waters’ brain had degenerated to that of an old man.'

I'll miss the big hits, but the NFL has to do something to protect the players. Nobody should end up like Webster, Waters and the others.

[GroobyKrissy]

So, I have read up on this now and it seems to me that it is really a question of the NFL not educating the players accurately about the risks... would y'all agree?

I do not mean to take away from the tragedy of these concussions and other brain / bodily injuries but if the NFL were to start educating players about the risks, and took steps to insure the equipment was top-notch, would that alleviate the need for more rules / regulations?

It seems to me if you're going to pick on a sport for concussions, you pick on boxing, no? Sheer numbers obviously will be in football because there are more players but boxers take repeated blows to the head all the time. I am no football expert or a boxing expert... just some thoughts as I was studying this football thing.

Also... just a question... So who here would play 4 years of professional football, knowing the risks, for the paycheck...? Just curious. Anyone? I would but I don't think they allow pink heels as footwear.

[ed_jaxon]

Heels would put you at a disadvantage but pink is just fine especially in October.

[GroobyKrissy]

Heels would put you at a disadvantage but pink is just fine especially in October.

I love how in Madden 13, suddenly all the players had pink gloves and pink cleats, and pink armbands :) At first I thought it was my TV color going out! Nice of them to do that though.

And full confession, I didn't even really figure it out until I finally noticed the big pink ribbon on the 50. Then it suddenly hit me what they were doing.

[Willie Escalade]

I love how in Madden 13, suddenly all the players had pink gloves and pink cleats, and pink armbands :) At first I thought it was my TV color going out! Nice of them to do that though.

And full confession, I didn't even really figure it out until I finally noticed the big pink ribbon on the 50. Then it suddenly hit me what they were doing.

I sported my pink Chargers cap all October...and will do so next year.

What I WON'T be doing in January is sporting REGULAR Chargers gear...a 7-9 record is the reason...

Krissy, what's your favorite team to play as on Madden? I'm guessing the 49ers...

[GroobyKrissy]

I sported my pink Chargers cap all October...and will do so next year.

What I WON'T be doing in January is sporting REGULAR Chargers gear...a 7-9 record is the reason...

Krissy, what's your favorite team to play as on Madden? I'm guessing the 49ers...

And you guessed 100% correct :) I considered making a change to the Seahawks on Madden 13 but I just couldn't bring myself to do it... plus Gore is such a hunk :) I've almost maxed out his stats so he is like a truck!

[Quiet Reflections]

I sported my pink Chargers cap all October...and will do so next year.

What I WON'T be doing in January is sporting REGULAR Chargers gear...a 7-9 record is the reason...

Krissy, what's your favorite team to play as on Madden? I'm guessing the 49ers...
Don't be fair weathered! Your team needs you the most when the chips are down. I stay wearing my 4-12 Eagles gear year around and make sure I rep even harder after a loss.

[Willie Escalade]

Don't be fair weathered! Your team needs you the most when the chips are down. I stay wearing my 4-12 Eagles gear year around and make sure I rep even harder after a loss.
I usually wear the gear of the season...meaning I'm wearing more Lakers gear than anything else. They have a 15-15 record (as I type this); many of my friends have jumped on the Clippers bandwagon but not me.

I'm barely wearing my Dodgers caps, which I have more of than anything...mainly because its not baseball season. I'm still a Bolts fan though...especially since there's going to be a changing of the guard!

[robertlouis]

To answer Krissy's original question, it always was sissy compared to rugby. Note the complete absence of protective armour.... :twisted::twisted::twisted::twisted::twisted:

http://http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Exd7nqV5-cE

[nysprod]

Washington/Dallas did an 18 share nationally, a phenomenal number, highest rating ever for a Sunday night game...on another note, given the popularity of football, maybe it's time for some bright producer to put a couple of big brothers in pads and jockstraps and then turn them loose on some tranny ass...lol

[flabbybody]

Lexi consoling Romo after not making playoffs

[nysprod]

Lexi consoling Romo after not making playoffs

Lollolol!!

[runround04]

With the money they make, there shouldnt be any rules. Id take a few mean hits for a few million a year.

[ed_jaxon]

does that dude even have a head???

[GroobyKrissy]

Lexi consoling Romo after not making playoffs

That is awesome. :Bowdown:

[Willie Escalade]

Lexi consoling Romo after not making playoffs
LOLOLOLOL :Bowdown:

[TSPornFan]

Football cannot be a safe sport. It doesn't matter what rules they are going to make. People will get hit and thrown no matter what.

[runround04]

does that dude even have a head???

Nope, It was intercepted too.