The NFL has rolled out a new rule that creates extreme penalties for helmet to helmet contact while tackling. This rule has created a lot of controversy within the NFL community. It is vital for every sports fan to examine the rule and form an opinion about what competitive and physical actions are acceptable in sports, and to what extent certain aspects of effort should be frowned upon.
On the surface, I completely understand the reasoning behind the rule. In the wake of, among other incidents, the horrific injury to Rutgers player Eric LaGrand, who ended up being paralyzed on a helmet to helmet collision that he himself instigated, the governing bodies of football thought it was time to send a clear message of "safety first". By leveling harsh fines and suspensions, the NFL hopes to eradicate the overly aggressive tackles, but most people have begun to realize that these new rules are just as likely to eradicate the entertainment value and spirit of football as well.
The problem of players tackling dangerously and incorrectly is rampant in football at all levels, and certainly it is understandable to attack the problem starting at the highest level. If the players on TV quit tackling in reckless ways, young football players will quit trying to imitate them. This is a noble goal, but the repercussions of trying to soften up a sport that is valued for it's violence and intensity could be very harmful. Not quite as harmful as spinal cord injuries, but harmful nonetheless.
For one thing, this new rule on tackling shows how out of touch the NFL governing body is with it's audience and it's reason for existing. There is no doubt that tackling can be dangerous in football, and that tackles can lead to injuries, but that is just a necessary evil for football. Whether football is a healthy sport to play is one debate, but violence and it's related repercussions just come with the territory. Football players are paid millions of dollars in the NFL, and part of the justification for this high paying job is the risk of debilitating injury that such a career carries. The fans, the people who's money and interest are the only reason such high salaries exist, don't watch football games to see timid defensive players gently wrap up slow moving running backs. Athletes pushing their bodies to the breaking point and fighting for ground is what makes football so popular, and rules that contradict the very reasons for watching cannot be healthy.
The NFL has to realize why it exists. The NFL only manages to make ridiculous amounts of money for players and owners because they are entertaining to watch. Lots of dangerous things are allowed to exist because of their entertainment value, and football's violent hits are certainly entertaining. Although every story about a career-ending and life-changing injury is sad and regrettable, football players know and inherit these risks, and are paid handsomely for them. There are plenty of jobs out there that can be hazardous to a persons health, and few of those careers pay as well as being a professional athlete. This rule wasn't created with fans in mind, but for owners to protect their investments in certain players. Defensive players are certainly upset at the tackling rules, but above all NFL fans should be the most upset. This is the NFL forgetting who gives them all that money to play around with. We, the fans, are not just witnesses to their football games, we are the only reason they make so much money. If there is anyone who football rules should cater to, it should be us.
is a member of the 
Be the first to comment on this article!