Helmet Contact

Whether you realize it or not all of football is caught between the devil and the deep blue sea based on the NFL's latest response to helmet-to-helmet contact. If the NFL wants to change its mind on the ferocity of the game that will be tolerated then it must be done at all levels of the game. Taking that as a starting point youth football should not "require" a change in this area. There already should be a ban on H-T-H contact at those ages. In fact, I feel kids should not play contact football at all until high school. I didn't and I also played in college.

Football basically exposes players to as many as 60 "car crashes" per game. It is insane to put kids younger than 16 at risk to this. With what research is finding out about concussions, if a young player is so injured, he should stop playing with one. A concussion at that age is much worse than one at 25 and, so it is concluded, and no one should have more than 3 in an entire lifetime or risk permanent brain injury. So if a player starts with a concussion at 10 it would be most prudent to then stop playing contact sports altogether.

For the NFL, they have advertised for decades on the basis of hard hits. Watch the highlight reels; you don't see anyone playing patty-cakes. So, now, how do they step back from that position without looking hypocritical? More realistically, how do you enforce such a ban? Are defensive players only subject to fines/suspensions. Running backs and pulling guards put a real hurt on DBs at times. Having played I know it's possible to tackle without using the helmet. Jack Ham, a Hall-of-Famer, probably didn't make a helmet tackle in his entire career and he didn't miss many tackles without doing so. I really have to see where this all lines-out but it's going to be a holy mess for some time regardless of the outcome.

Harrison v. World

From the National Football Post (10/18/10) -

Pittsburgh Steelers fearsome outside linebacker James Harrison makes no apologies for his concussion-inducing hits on Cleveland Browns wide receivers Josh Cribbs and Mohamed Massaquoi.

''I don't want to injure anybody,'' Harrison said. ''There's a big difference between being hurt and being injured. You get hurt, you shake it off and come back the next series or the next game. I try to hurt people.''

Harrison is one of the most intimidating players in the league.

He's also under scrutiny for his hits against the Browns' wideouts.

He wasn't penalized, but the league is looking into the hit on Massaquoi.

The NFL has determined that the hit on Cribbs was legal.

Browns tight end Ben Watson thinks that Harrison should be punished.

''I hope the NFL does the max, whatever the max is, I hope they give it to him,'' Watson said.

Harrison's zeal for contact is high-intensity, all the time.

''I thought Cribbs was asleep,'' Harrison said. ''A hit like that geeks you up, especially when you find out the guy is not really hurt, he's just sleeping. He's knocked out but he's going to be OK.''

Politics I

Hi. I thought I'd start this blog off right: Holy crap! I just saw a political commercial during the Penguins-Senators game (so it pertains to a PA race) concerning a, you got it, Republican running for Congress who wants to institute a flat tax. And the usual liberal arguments against flat taxes commence: Paris Hilton's taxes are cut, Jane Doe's taxes go up; Ray Lewis's (at least they didn't say Ben Roethlisbereger's) taxes are cut, Joe Schmoe's taxes go up. What could be more "fair" (liberal definition used here) than a flat tax? Huh? Everybody pays the SAME rate. But, since some "rich" guy's taxes will be cut (which would probably include Pelosi's, Obama's, Kennedy's (oh shit, he's dead), Biden's, et al, (obviously not mentioned) we must protest! Evil, evil, rich, Republican white male(s) be damned! It doesn't matter that their wealth may pay other's salaries, they must be punished with the tax code. How dare they... blah, blah, blah, blah... Just mail it in I've heard it all before.


 Tell 'em 'bout it Ray.