Bad sports, good sports: NFL = National Flagfootball League?

Posted on October 5th, 2009 by Alan Spoll

Over the past few years, the NFL has made a lot of rules aimed at protecting quarterbacks. A quick look around the league shows that there really aren’t enough good quarterbacks to go around, and so protecting them does make some sense. Late hits and helmet-to-helmet hits rapidly draw penalties and fines, these days, as they should. However, I believe the NFL has gone too far in its attempts to protect its players. This is still football. Tackle football. Unless they are going to start putting flags in players’ back pockets, they need to ease up on the ridiculous penalties being called in games this season.

A rule change made for this season penalizes hits to a quarterback’s knees or below. Known as the Brady Rule, this came about after Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was knocked out for the season in week one of the 2008 season. On the heels of the rules about hits to the head area, the amount of space in which you are actually allowed to hit the quarterback has been dramatically reduced. I am okay with protecting them, but we can not make the defenders play so tentatively that it changes the game, and that’s where we are headed. It goes beyond quarterbacks too. On Sunday, I was watching the Giants-Chiefs game. Eli Manning threw a pass over the middle to Steve Smith. The play was beautifully broken up with a well-timed hit by Jarrad Page, separating Smith from the ball. The officials, however, threw a flag on the play, calling a personal foul on Page for what they called a helmet-to-helmet hit. Even at regular speed, I was certain that this was a legal hit that did not involve either players’ helmet. Replays confirmed that Page put his shoulder to Smith’s chest. This is exactly how a defensive back is taught to play, from the time he learns to play. Now, however, the refs are so jumpy and quick with the flag that the defensive player can’t possibly play instinctively. The Giants took the fifteen-yard penalty and scored on the very next play.

Protecting players is one thing. Studies show concussions are incredibly damaging, and the league wants to avoid them as much as possible. I get it. You can’t keep the players from hitting, though. Flag football would have much lower ratings, I would expect. Let them play football.

Bad sports, continued:

2) USC running back Stafon Johnson was seriously injured this week when he dropped a bar on his neck while weightlifting. He appears to be recovering well, but it was pretty touchy there for a while. Scary.

3) Early last week, Michael “Dogkiller” Vick’s representatives announced that he had signed a new agreement with Nike, a company with whom he had a significant sponsorship deal before going to jail on dogfighting charges. My immediate reaction was negative, of course. It seemed that Nike didn’t need any actual evidence before deciding that Vick was reformed and remorseful enough to get his face back out there as a product endorser. In the end, it turns out that no such agreement was reached, according to Nike.

OK, I’m just going to continue with all football, all Bad Sports. It’s just been one of those weeks.

4) Fantastic end to a game. Jericho Mount Mansfield, a Vermont high school team was lined up to kick a game-winning field goal. The kicker missed it, which should have ended the game. The other team, Otter Valley, however, had placed players under the goal posts. One of those players caught the ball, as it fell short on the 46-yard attempt, and spiked it in celebration. Of course, the ball was live. The kicking team pounced on the ball in the endzone for the winning score. Wow, is that bad coaching.

5) On the subject of horrible rules, the opportunity to win was taken away from the Georgia Bulldogs by a terrible call in their game against the LSU Tigers on Saturday . Georgia scored a touchdown with just over a minute remaining in the game to take a 13-12 lead. The receiver, excited over the huge play in a big game, threw his hands in the air and was mobbed my his teammates. The officials, realizing that no one is supposed to have fun in football, threw an Excessive Celebration flag, costing Georgia 15 yards on the kickoff. With an extremely short field in front of them, courtesy of the penalty, LSU was able to score and win the game. Are college kids really not supposed to celebrate after scoring a huge touchdown? This wasn’t taunting…it was just celebrating. Ridiculous.

6) The Detroit Lions can’t catch a break. After becoming the first 0-16 team in NFL history in 2008, the Lions started the 2009 season with two more losses before finally breaking through and beating the Washington Redskins in week three. The football gods must not have been pleased, however, as the Lions lost their rookie, first-pick-in-the-draft quarterback Matthew Stafford to a knee injury during this week’s loss to the Chicago Bears. Not sure how serious it is, yet.

Bad Sports, Good Sports appears every Monday

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Alan Spoll

Alan Spoll is a software quality assurance director from the suburbs of Philadelphia where he lives with his wonderful wife and children. He has spent his entire life as a passionate fan of the Eagles, Phillies, Sixers, Flyers, and Penn State. Recent Phillies success aside, you will understand his natural negativity. Follow me on Twitter - @DocAlan02