Football is a tough sport. It’s the only one of the four major sports where physical abuse on another opponent is actually accepted. You hit, push, pull, punch, kick, shove, grab, jump into, run into, and fall on top of your opponents. Even everything from under the pile eye gouging to pile driving quarterbacks is given just a wave of the yellow laundry.
Recently the NFL doesn’t seem to be happy with the physical contact that players are exerting on each other. These flagrant hits and head to head contacts are giving the league reasons to fine and even suspend certain players depending on the severity of the hit.
Some are arguing that these new rules will soften the play of football or that hitting hard is simply “football” so it comes with the job title. While I do agree that the league is moving into a direction of more flags/less contact, it is hits like the one by Brandon Meriweather that need to be eliminated from the sport.
Flagrant hitting and trying to intentionally injure someone should not be tolerated in any sport. Some will say that what he did wasn’t intentional. Intentional or not, he attempted to “tackle” Todd Heap twice, once sending Heap to the bench.
This quote was said by Meriweather on Monday on WEEI, “I'm going to be aggressive, point blank… I won't change my game, period. I'm sorry it happened.”
The man is opening admitting to everyone that he knows what he did is wrong and doesn’t plan to change, until…
A reason behind adding these fines and suspensions is to scare these player straight. Here is what Meriweather said after being fined, “I’m going to try my best to play within the rules, like my coach had always taught us.” (Looks like the league’s officials are on to something). Meriweather lost half of a week’s pay because of 1 hit. (Yes sadly he makes about 100K per regular season week.) And on a side note, you’re damn right you will listen to your coach. Belichick knew it was intentional; he sat him for the rest of the quarter after the second hit.
Every sport has its own protocol for weaning out the overall aggressive. The NBA gives out technical fouls and ejects players, who could be fined and suspended for their actions. The MLB gives out warnings and does the same with post game decisions. Some people will argue that the NHL welcomes fighting. That’s not true. While fighting is as much part of hockey as acting is in soccer, intentionally hurting someone in hockey is frowned upon. One man is currently suspended indefinitely because of an elbow to the face that caused a man to seizure.
Up until earlier this week, Football was the only major sport that quietly turned the other cheek when intentional injuries arose. Sure there were flags thrown and whistles blown, but nothing like fining 3 separate players in three different games.
These hits have no business being in the game. In fact, every time I see a hit like that, I cringe. Most people do. I’d rather see a hard clean shoulder pad hit any day. That way at least you know it was intentionally clean, and by the book (of football ethics.)
There are also ways to hit someone without your shoulder pads, like using your arms to extend forward.
Those two hits are fun to watch. I love to get excited about these hits. The two defenders are PLAYING the game. Following a code of ethics and giving a little extra in a positive way.
When a person lowers their head with intent to injure it really shows what kind of person they really are; thugs, punks, and just play DBs (and no not Defensive Backs.) The game of football doesn’t need players like this. I am completely on board with these possible suspensions and fines. It ruins the game when you have players doing things like this. A perfect example of this is Ray Lewis who always plays with an extreme level of intensity. While his passion is all that is right in the world, his style of play is the hard hitting football that needs to be taken down a notch. Sometimes I question is game play, because he always hits at 110% as if he really is trying to injure someone on every play.
While I’m all for the phrase, “using your head” it’s time for these players to keep their chins up and shoulders down. Either hit right or go home, and if you do choose to go home, make sure the door DOES hit you on the way out.
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