NFL Considering Major Rule Change; Needs to Quit Messing With The Game!

Oh the never ending drama that is the NFL! It seems like right when we think that the ridiculousness over one thing or another is going to die down and we can just concentrate on playing and watching the great game of football something else has to happen.

Or in this case be talked about.

Roger Goodell was featured in a recent Time magazine article where he discussed a proposed rule change. Instead of having kickoffs, the 'kicking' team will get the ball on the 30-yard line where they will have one down that will be treated like a 4th and 15. 

If they want to go for it they can. Should they miss it the opposition will have a pretty short field to go for a touchdown and could very well already be in field goal position. Now if they don't want to go for it they can punt, and the play will be treated just like any other punt.

Much of time when I write posts like this I prefer to remain fairly objective with my rambling; at the worst maybe slightly biased. I don't prefer to take too strong a stance one way or the other unless there is a good joke to be made and I can make  folks laugh.

However, on occasion there will be someone in charge that will do something incredibly stupid. It will be so dumb that there will be no way I can realistically be objective. Whatever the issue is deserves a good ole fashioned rant.

This is one of those times.

This idea is one of the dumbest things I think I have ever heard of (and I pulled my college room mate up a flag pole for a spirit mission once so I know dumb ideas). It was bad enough when the league moved the kick off up in order to encourage more touch backs and reduce the number of returns. Getting rid of them all together and doing this is just a bad idea.

I get the point behind the change. Kick offs are pretty intense and the chance of injury is pretty high. According to numbers the NFL has put out in the past there were I think 40 percent fewer returns last season and roughly 40 percent fewer concussions on kick offs as well.

Concussions are bad news. The affects can be pretty harsh and long lasting; definitely something the game and the players can do without.

However, if doing so means that the game has to be drastically altered like this--well, its not that getting rid of them is not a good idea, but the only way we can actually get rid of them is to get rid of the contact. So after we get rid of the contact in kick offs what will be next?

Are we going to ditch punting and just have the QB throw the ball as far as he can and that's where the other team will get it? What about blocking? Is that going to become a non-contact thing where the blockers can only get in the way of defenders? What about the rushers? Will they be forced to only go around guys?

I've had a couple in my own playing days; I know first hand that they suck. Just like I chose to play when I did (and as long as I did) so do these guys. If we really want to take the contact out how about we teach guys to quit leading with their heads and actually wrapping up when they tackle rather than throw their bodies at defenders legs?

You'd be amazed how much better technique could reduce injuries.