Let’s stop the whining and crying about how the National Football League is being to comforting of injured players, and too strict on head hunters. Yes, this goes out to Troy Polamalu, James Harrison and countless others.
Dirty players should get smacked with heavy fines. PERIOD. No further discussion needed. A helmet hit is not needed to perform the abilities as a defender. Every player, in the NFL especially, should know how to hit the correct way (with their shoulder pads).
Its not impossible to see when a player is aiming to “down” a guy by using their helmet as a weapon. The NFL is not targeting players simply due to their popularity. Defenders are being punished the same, whether a rookie or a veteran.
Most flak from the side of defenders has been from the Steelers.
Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison has been the most vocal about the new “strict” rules. Harrison even contemplated retirement. Give us a break Mr. Harrison. Most fans in the league don’t like you or your tendencies. Not every fan is one of your fans or that of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Retire and rid every the NFL of your mouth.
This year, NFL viewers have seen talented players floored by irreprehensible, skull-crushing helmet hits. The Philadelphia Eagles are thanking the heavens for having Jeremy Maclin, after losing DeSean Jackson to a hit by Atlanta Falcons cornerback Dunta Robinson. Jackson says the hit he sustained ”felt like a car accident.”
The Baltimore Ravens star tight end Todd Heap was lucky to continue playing a week after New England Patriots safety Brandon Meriweather blasted him. And Cleveland Browns second-year wide receiver Mohamed Massaquoi was one of James Harrison’s biggest victims.
The injuries sustained in each case stemmed from the dirty play of “tough” defenders.
Head Hunting does not make you tough. Some of the best defensive players in National Football League history did not make names for themselves as unsportsmanlike head hunters. Legends like Reggie White, Lester Hayes, Paul Krause, Rod Woodson, Deion Sanders, Jack Tatum, Derrick Thomas, Lawrence Taylor, Steve Atwater, and many other current and future Hall of Famers.
Receivers are defenseless to the mack truck they are hit with. The excruciatingly painful, bell-rocking hits many times come out of nowhere. A player cannot protect their head from these shots, and it is not their responsibility to do so. This is why the NFL has taken the appropriate action to lower the amount of injuries sustained by unnecessary hits.
Injuries happen all the time in the National Football League, but the injuries should not be added to by the unethical play of some.
Careers can be ended on any given play, and everybody should take this fact seriously. Fans do not enjoy the sight of a player limping , dazed and confused off the field; or even worse being carted off the field on a stretcher.
Fines for helmet hits are not near enough to put a dent in a player’s wallet. Thousands of dollars have very little impact on a player pulling in millions.
Receivers like DeSean Jackson and Todd Heap are lifelines for their franchise and the loss of them hurts their respective team tremendously. But the star status of the injured player is not the most important thing to look at.
Players are people. Each athlete is a human being who deserves respect and fair play. Nothing warrants the blatant outlandish play highlighted by helmet-to-helmet hits. These victims are fathers, husbands, brothers; they are living, breathing creations.
Defenders need to check themselves before walking on to the field. Play the right way, or don’t play at all.
Unlike the injured players, the dirty players will not be missed.
Keywords: National Football League
