The NFL now says that you are not allowed to hit a player too hard or else you will be fined.
The NFL has cracked down on devastating hits, especially after Eagles’ Pro Bowl wide receiver DeSean Jackson went down after a hit from Atlanta’s Dunta Robinson a few weeks ago.
Jackson lay motionless on the ground after the hit as the crowd stood in silence.
Jackson later got up, but the NFL handed Robinson a steep fine of $50,000 for the hit. Jackson later told the media that he did not remember the hit, as he suffered short-term memory loss. That week alone, the NFL fined $175,000 for hard hits.
So, let’s get this straight; players are getting fined for doing their jobs? The NFL is looking to enforce safe play while at the same time promoting a rough sport. Does that make sense to you?
There are players in the NFL that thrive off the sport’s roughness. Players lay the big hit on a player, which allows a defense to gain an edge over its competitors. Now you are telling players, such as Baltimore’s Ray Lewis, if they lay a hit out, they might be docked a paycheck?
Big hits are part of the culture of the game now. A player lays down a devastating hit so that a defender does not come up the middle during the next play. A defender lays down a hit so that the quarterback thinks twice before leaving the pocket. A defender lays down a draw-dropping hit because, let’s face it, it’s their job. You are taught when a ball-carrier comes your way to take them down any way possible.
Arizona Cardinal’s safety Adrian Wilson, who has been fined numerous times in the past, believes that there often isn’t enough time to react.
“It’s really hard, because you only have that split-second to determine what to do,” Wilson told SI.com. “It’s crazy. I try my best to use clear judgment and make clear decisions, but a lot of those collisions are unavoidable.”
What happens to a player’s morale when he has to think twice before he hits another player? A player can either get hurt by stretching a muscle in an attempt to stop himself or the opposing team scores because he decided he shouldn’t stop the opponent.
A team loses a game, a playoff birth or a Super Bowl. Everyone is happy right?
Fans will be disappointed if their beloved sports team gives up a score because a player was afraid of hitting their opponent. The excitement of the game is taken away once you take on the simplest components out: tackling.
The NFL has added extra padding in helmets that players will be wearing for the rest of the season. This will be a huge preventative against injuries. If a player takes a hard hit and gets right back up, everyone is happy. The biggest problem with these hits is the damage that is done to the players in the long run. No more damage, no more problems.
I don’t think sending fines to these players will stop any of these hits from occurring again.
Here is a note to the NFL if they really want to crack down on hits: If you want these players to stop, send a suspension to them in the mail. Aiming at their pockets won’t get the job done, but sitting out of games will.