Venting Alert! Flag Football in the NFL

[IdaGriz01]

Okay. I'm going to use some of the slack I hope I've built up ... by staying away from the flame wars on here ... and vent a bit.

Watching the Oakland-Cowboys games. The poor damn defensive lineman makes a frantic grab -- low -- for the QB. Down Romo goes, but no big deal, right (?). Wrong. Penalty for "personal foul, knee hit" -- or some such crap. Just last week we saw a pretty decent hit -- high around the shoulders -- called against the D also for a QB "hit." :wtf:

Now, I'm a 49er fan, so the Raiders are "the enemy." Nor have I had any use for the Cowboy organization after the way they treated Tom Landry. So I really don't give a s*** about either team.

That being said: Why don't they just put a red jersey on the QB, like it was practice, and play flag football? Hell, it already is "flag" football -- "penalty flag" football. Yes, I know they are trying to prevent injuries, especially to those big-$$$ QB guys. But it has gotten totally ridiculous.

I propose a new rule, the "egg" rule ... based on treating the QB like an expensive egg :lol: . Define an egg-shaped "QB-safe zone" between the tackles and maybe 5-7 yards behind where the ball is centered. Within that zone, you cannot tackle the QB. Wave your arms in his face, maybe (dangerous!) knock the ball out of his hands ... but you cannot grab him.

But if he moves out of that zone, he's a running back ... and you cream his a**.

 

[GrizMusician]

Unfortunately it's only going to get worse. The pussification of American football has only begun...

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

 

[OldtiredGRiz]

That is among the many reasons why I rarely watch the NFL anymore. When I was a kid, I could tell you number by number, team by team, almost every player in the league. But I've just lost interest over the years. I am happy for the former Griz who play professionally, but that's about it. I mean come on, if a team scores and the play is reviewed...by the time the review is done, the extra point is kicked, a dozen commercials...then the kickoff, which is a touch back...then another dozen commercials...I would have time to mow the lawn, swing by the Red Cross and donate a pint of blood and stop off on the way home at the grocery store and still probably only miss a play or two.

I am currently happily watching Stillman vs. Alabama State on ESPNU....not a bad game at all.

 

[IdaGriz01]

... I am currently happily watching Stillman vs. Alabama State on ESPNU....not a bad game at all.

Yep. Us too.

Few, if any, of these players expect to play pro football .. they really do play "for the love of the game."

 

[kurtismichael]

I've lost most interest in the NFL as well for this reason. I get they are trying to prevent injuries, especially head injuries, but defensive players can't hardly breath on an offensive player anymore. How much of it is to prevent injuries and how much of it is the league trying to make the game more appealing to young viewers with more scoring?

At the same time I just watched Tony Dorsett interviewed on Dan Lebatard and it was pretty sad.

 

[Hammer]

There was also a horseshit call against Levy in the Lions fudgepackers game. Levy came in with his shoulder first and got flagged for "hitting a defenseless reciever in the head". WTF are these defenders supposed to do?? No shit it's gonna turn into flag football at some point.

 

[Bluenoser]

Unfortunately it's only going to get worse. The pussification of America has only begun...

FYP

 

[Mr. Greenjeans]

There was also a horseshit call against Levy in the Lions fudgepackers game. Levy came in with his shoulder first and got flagged for "hitting a defenseless reciever in the head". WTF are these defenders supposed to do?? No shit it's gonna turn into flag football at some point.

I think we are all missing the point but I have to laugh at a band member (you know who you are ) positing on pussification, if you are in the band you decided that getting your ass kicked was not something you wanted to , yet you post about toughness, you are a flipping idiot son.

Hammer, while I agree that these calls are arbitrary and subjective the NFL has to deal with the head injury issue or it has no future. (Cue bullshit detector when they play so many short rest Thursday games while Goodell espouses player safety and rumours say the NFL wants to double up on short rest games.

I've been a huge football fan for 50 years (since the Vikings came to Minnesota in '61 when I was in kindergarden).

The game is endangered, parents are increasingly not letting their kids play youth football and if that keeps up it doesn't bode well for the future of the sport. I don't have an answer but if you think society will support the status quo of permanently disabled workers (they are working for an employer) that in some cases kill themselves and post mortem have CTE and other brain issues, erring on the side of player safety is a small price to pay.

If that means less killer hits (which is one reason we like football, I'll admit it) it may help the sport survive. Ignore these facts and football has a very uncertain future, Troy Aikman said as much and I have no reason to doubt his take.