The NFL has changed tackle football forever this year

[Hennessy_King]

I live in Texas and love the Horns...My teenage son has been concussed twice in back to back years playing football. The first concussion lasted about 1 week...that 2nd one lasted almost 2 months ! My wife and I let him decide if he wants to play again. He decided not to. We agree,but it doesn't change my stance on the sport. Got to teach better technique early to avoid those concussions. Its a gladiator sport,period...its dangerous. Proud of our son for making the decision he did not to play again. He played it since pee wee league..and never an issue..so you just never know. Sometimes its a fluke play. Those parents ,I commend them.

Kudos to you and the wife. My son is still too young and hasn't had a concussion yet. He loves football now, but if those injuries happen we would have to weigh the options. He's 12 going on 13 he's 5'5" 155 lbs.

 

[Rayman70]

That's a shame my son is 12. And he plays football. There were enough kids this past year to create 2 teams. It builds character to play on the best team sport in the country and the discipline that comes along with it. I will say my son is big and pretty athletic so makes sense for him and us as parents that he most likely wont get hurt too bad. I think another also stated more affluent areas might have less representation. If their high school offers lacrosse as a sport it's an affluent area.

Kudos to you and the wife. My son is still too young and hasn't had a concussion yet. He loves football now, but if those injuries happen we would have to weigh the options. He's 12 going on 13 he's 5'5" 155 lbs.

lol..hes a big dude! My son was almost the same exact size at 13,except he was fat lol...THEN when he hit 14..he sprouted like a weed!! He's now almost 17 and he towers over me(I'm 5 8). Big ole Paul Bunyan lol. He lost all that fat and just grew fast. So yes...its a tough decision as a parent..but it was easy after watching him suffer for nearly 2 months with headaches..mood changes etc..it was awful. The doc said that next one could damage him permanently. We made an executive decision. lol. He's fine now and enlisting into the military..straight A student and wants to get into west point. Great kid he is. Your kid will be a beast it sounds like. I bet he shoots up pretty fast too.

 

[Hennessy_King]

lol..hes a big dude! My son was almost the same exact size at 13,except he was fat lol...THEN when he hit 14..he sprouted like a weed!! He's now almost 17 and he towers over me(I'm 5 8). Big ole Paul Bunyan lol. He lost all that fat and just grew fast. So yes...its a tough decision as a parent..but it was easy after watching him suffer for nearly 2 months with headaches..mood changes etc..it was awful. The doc said that next one could damage him permanently. We made an executive decision. lol. He's fine now and enlisting into the military..straight A student and wants to get into west point. Great kid he is. Your kid will be a beast it sounds like. I bet he shoots up pretty fast too.

Yeh he's big but I'm 5'11" and have to man handle him around the house to let him know whats up lol. Military is a great move good luck to him. Sounds like a good kid that has his **** together which is more than I could say at 17.

 

[Rayman70]

Yeh he's big but I'm 5'11" and have to man handle him around the house to let him know whats up lol. Military is a great move good luck to him. Sounds like a good kid that has his **** together which is more than I could say at 17.

I hear that.

 

[OmerV]

The catch rule change is getting all the attention, but this next rule change will be more destructive to the NFL than the Blandino debacle.

Pssst. You're hearing this from me, someone who has argued the catch rule for months at a time!!!

Running backs and blockers and tackler can no longer lower their head to initiate contact. The NFL is changed forever if this is upheld. Tackle football might as well be flag football now. Get these clowns out of the NFL rule makers circle!

The NFL will be unwatchable as this goes forward, and Directv will feel the financial pain.

I don't know that this is as devastating to the game as you think. Nobody teaches players to tackle and block leading with the crown of their helmet anyway, and a lot of very hard hits occur without leading with the crown of the helmet.

I think the bigger problem is with RB's who are trying to squeeze through holes, and lower their heads to try and avoid contact rather than initiate it. The other problem is one we sometimes see with players contacting a QB in the pocket, and that's in making a judgment on when a player leads with the helmet and when there is incidental contact with the helmet. Unless they go to instant replay every time there is a question this is going to be a problem sometimes. I don't mind some instant replay, but they will hurt the game if instant replay becomes too prevalent. Nobody wants to sit and watch games where play after play after play is reviewed.

In any case, I'll reserve judgment until I see the rule in practice.

 

[CanadianCowboysFan]

The sneak. You watch lol..Tom Brady or Dak will get flagged.

Well Dak will at least,,,,

 

[Wizarus]

Honestly it was inevitable. The sport has been getting bad publicity for years now, and parents are slowly pulling their kids from the sport with these head injury studies coming up.

 

[Doc50]

And that's why its a dying down sport. This only hurts the product. The NFL is ran by Goodell...a lawyer...hence...THE BIGGER ISSUE is GODELL. The NFL will be circling the drain in 5 years if this keeps up.

Goodell has no law degree.

His degree is in economics, from Washington & Jefferson College.

 

[Cowboy-33]

It’s going to be very hard to call. There are so many variables. I agree with the launching rule because that is obvious but this will be very hard.

As far as concussions and spinal injuries go - many times guys hit their heads on a players moving knee or hit their heads on the ground. It’s a very violent game and nfl players are compensated well for a game they choose to play.

When it comes to kids playing it’s a decision parents have to make with their kids like Rayman70 talked about. I played from peewee football in the early 70s all the way through high school and had several injuries and a few concussions .... but I loved every minute and would have hated if my parents had made me stop.

 

[lockster]

The catch rule change is getting all the attention, but this next rule change will be more destructive to the NFL than the Blandino debacle.

Pssst. You're hearing this from me, someone who has argued the catch rule for months at a time!!!

Running backs and blockers and tackler can no longer lower their head to initiate contact. The NFL is changed forever if this is upheld. Tackle football might as well be flag football now. Get these clowns out of the NFL rule makers circle!

The NFL will be unwatchable as this goes forward, and Directv will feel the financial pain.

this head rule is ridiculous. These guys definitely haven't ever spent time tackling ppl in a football field. I'm doing all I can to hang onto the last vestiges of nfl football, but they have just about destroyed the game.

 

[jwooten15]

And now they're contemplating removing the kickoff from the game.

The NFL will be unrecognizable in 10-15 years.

Thank God for Youtube where you're able to see real football from the past, when men were men.

 

[gmoney112]

And now they're contemplating removing the kickoff from the game.

The NFL will be unrecognizable in 10-15 years.

Thank God for Youtube where you're able to see real football from the past, when men were men.

I'm hoping material research and tech innovation help alleviate the problem before it reaches critical mass.

I'd sacrifice some speed and explosion if it meant keeping the game. It'd have to be a league wide thing because no team is going to put themselves at a competitive disadvantage

 

[jwooten15]

I'm hoping material research and tech innovation help alleviate the problem before it reaches critical mass.

I'd sacrifice some speed and explosion if it meant keeping the game. It'd have to be a league wide thing because no team is going to put themselves at a competitive disadvantage

Regarding equipment, I'm not sure they can't do much more to protect the players though. At some point, there has to be the realization/acceptance that football is inherently a violent sport.

At every position, guys have 30-40 more lbs of lean muscle than players of previous generations - and they are tremendously faster and more athletic. Short of putting them in bubble wrap, there may not be a way to reduce injury to an "acceptable level".

I do know though, that if they keep tweaking the rules, the game will lose its mass appeal in the not too distant future.

 

[Bleedblue1111]

Next rule on the menu...no taking players to the ground, because the ground causes concussions?
Flag Football?

Is boxing, kick boxing and hockey next to get watered down, or eliminated?

 

[jwooten15]

Next rule on the menu...no taking players to the ground, because the ground causes concussions?
Flag Football?

Boxing, kick boxing and hockey next to get watered down, or eliminated?

If people are so bothered by injuries or concussions, they should just turn their TVs off.

It's as if the think the players are indentured servants, being forced to play without pay for the viewer's pleasure.

The average NFL players makes close to $3million/year - 100X America's median income.

If I was athletic and they'd accept me, I'd sign up tomorrow to take some hits and make $3million.

 

[Rayman70]

Honestly it was inevitable. The sport has been getting bad publicity for years now, and parents are slowly pulling their kids from the sport with these head injury studies coming up.

Well..my son is a case and point. When he was concussed this second time...he was devastated. He LOVES his team mates and loves the game. Its a great outlet for him. He has always been on a team. But when he came to us and said he chose not to try out his senior year for football,we supported that 100%. HE JOIINED track and throws discuss etc..and is happy. On the way to the military as well. You will never hear me..and read something on here bashing/judging parents for pulling kids from contact sports. That's a very personal choice. Everyones sitch is different. That doesn't mean I like the new rule though. I understand the reasoning,but its overkill.

 

[Rayman70]

Concussions DO cause wild mood changes..WE KNOW..we saw it first hand. No 2 concussions are the same. When the doc said no more contact sports..my kid was devastated..but we all understood. Its the risk that you take when you sign up. Nothing is promised. I fully support whatever a parent does when it comes to making these choices.

 

[Rayman70]

And now they're contemplating removing the kickoff from the game.

The NFL will be unrecognizable in 10-15 years.

Thank God for Youtube where you're able to see real football from the past, when men were men.

Before THAT..more like 5 years from now. Can you imagine?

 

[CouchCoach]

Mind you..my son is 6ft 3....and about 250...and STILL got concussed. The rate of speed of even highschool players..and the size of todays player does make a difference.I admit that.

And the tricky part of that is that they do not have enough information yet on CTE as to why some move on to that and others don't.

 

[erod]

Well..my son is a case and point. When he was concussed this second time...he was devastated. He LOVES his team mates and loves the game. Its a great outlet for him. He has always been on a team. But when he came to us and said he chose not to try out his senior year for football,we supported that 100%. HE JOIINED track and throws discuss etc..and is happy. On the way to the military as well. You will never hear me..and read something on here bashing/judging parents for pulling kids from contact sports. That's a very personal choice. Everyones sitch is different. That doesn't mean I like the new rule though. I understand the reasoning,but its overkill.

Some people are more prone to concussions. We see it in soccer, too, with our kids. The shape of the skull and the position of the brain within it varies from person to person.

Some boxers are said to have a "glass jaw" or they can "take a punch". That is mostly just genetics and the way their brain moves within their skull with a punch.

Society is trying to emasculate men on every front, and academic America really wants to take athletes down a few notches on the societal scale.

Lawsuits loom. I don't see high schools carrying the sport for much longer. Then what are the colleges going to recruit from?

Drip, drip, drip.