The NFL has always been a sport full of bone-crushing hits, a sport only the toughest men can endure. The physical nature of the football is a huge reason why so many fans are attracted to the sport—the entertainment value of players crushing each other in almost any way possible is too much to pass up for most American sports fans. Although baseball has always been known as America’s national pastime, I think it is safe to say that football really deserves the title—especially after the regular season game between the Tennessee Titans and Jacksonville Jaguars earned a better television rating than the postseason matchup between the New York Yankees and Texas Rangers on Monday night.
But last week, a spate of vicious hits served as a wake-up call to league officials. Although most of them were legal, some were cheap shots and some resulted in concussions, an injury that has attracted more and more attention in the last few years. All in all, they forced football Commissioner Roger Goodell to evaluate player safety and things that would help better protect them. Very quickly, they proposed stricter punishments for illegal helmet-to-helmet hits and hits on defenseless players. There would be no rule changes, just an increase in the punishments the referees can dole out. They now have the ability to eject or suspend players, instead of just giving their team a penalty or individual fines.
Some fans were outraged. They worried that the game would suffer if players weren’t allowed to tackle and hit without restrictions. Others were afraid the midseason adjustment would confuse players and unjustly affect game play moving forward. There is no uniformity among referees’ opinions, and their definition of what is an illegal hit can vary widely; even a slight difference in judgment could have a huge impact on a team.
Yes, football’s physical aspect is very important, but at what cost do fans want to insist players’ rights to pummel each other?
On Saturday, in a college football game between Rutgers and Army, Rutgers junior defensive tackle Eric LeGrand was paralyzed from the neck down after tackling a player head first. The hit wasn’t illegal according to NFL or college rules, but it serves as a reminder of what can happen in football. Illegal hits in the NFL increase the chances of a severe brain, neck, or spinal cord injury. These aren’t typical injuries that will keep a player on the sidelines for months—these are injuries that will affect them their entire lives.
The NFL is right to institute the new penalties for illegal hits. After watching some of the action this past weekend, it’s clear that penalties are simply not getting the players’ attention. Suspensions will make a bigger impact. Fines only hurt individual players, while suspensions will affect the entire team. The fact that the league will not give players warnings before suspensions will force players to be more conscious of their behavior, and will ensure that they will feel the effects of the new policy quickly.
Players have to be protected on the field, especially when they are defenseless. Defenders shouldn’t hit a player who is not part of the play, especially if they don’t see it coming. When a player is involved in a play, but can’t see a defender, the defender should be allowed to hit them with force, but not a helmet to helmet hit. That tactic is both unfair and extremely dangerous.
Unsurprisingly, players who rely on hitting hard as a way to intimidate opponents were outraged. Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison, who put a crushing blow on Cleveland Browns receiver Mohamed Massaquoi, threatened to retire after the league announced the new policy. But the policy is necessary to rid the league of dirty hits.
Protests over the new policy will only get worse when the first player receives his suspension, especially if it has a large effect on his team. But time will show that the changes will improve player safety without crippling the game.
