New safety rule proposal for NFL RBs. Emmitt Smith says NFL has lost its mind

[Deberg_1990]

http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2013/03/14/e...lost-its-mind/



The NFL is changing its rules to prevent ball-carriers from initiating contact with the crown of the helmet.

It’s an attempt to make the game safer – but the league’s all-time leading rusher, Emmitt Smith, thinks the NFL should have its own head examined.

“If I’m a running back and I’m running into a linebacker, you’re telling me I have to keep my head up so he can take my chin off?’’ Smith said Thursday in an exclusive interview with Dallas radio station 105.3 The Fan. “You’ve absolutely lost your mind.’’

The NFL’s rules-making competition committee will propose this change to NFL owners at league meetings next week. At least 24 votes from 32 owners are required for passage.

“As a running back, it’s almost impossible (to not lower your head),’’ said the Dallas Cowboys legend. “The first thing you do is get behind your shoulder pads. That means you’re leaning forward and the first part of contact that’s going to take place is your head, regardless.

“I disagree with the rule altogether. It doesn’t make any sense for that position. It sounds like it’s been made up by people who have never played the game of football.’’

It is the league’s view that the crown of the helmet is dangerous for both the defender (who isn’t allowed to use the technique against ball-carriers) and the player with the ball. The competition committee is clearly seeking extra protection for defenders.

“That’s part of the game,’’ Smith said of “the violent part of the game … I don’t know how you’re going to be able to enforce that rule without really jeopardizing the integrity of the game itself. ‘’

Smith, who helped the Cowboys to three Super Bowl titles and in his 15 NFL seasons amassed a record 18,355 rushing yards, believes the league’s effort “makes the ref’s job, that’s already hard, even tougher. There’s no way in the world a running back is not going to be able to avoid contact without leading with his head first. … If this is truly what the NFL is trying to get after and they’re calling that ‘defenseless’, it’s so subjective that it doesn’t make any sense. That’s one rule that absolutely does not make sense. ‘’

[Sweet Daddy Hate]

Oklahoma Drill. Got paired up with a fast little goddamned midget who caught me at the knees and took me down. I just couldn't get low enough on the ****er. Little bastard. He did however possess the stupidity to get in my face in the locker room after practice and say something derogatory about my father. Mmm...I wonder how HIS father felt, coming to pick him up from practice, and having to work with Coach to pry his little ass out said lockers? Good times....
Posted via Mobile Device

[jAZ]

Originally Posted by Brock

what a pussy.

Yes, that's exactly it.

[jAZ]

Originally Posted by Brock

what a pussy.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/02/04...ion/index.html

[ghak99]

Originally Posted by jAZ

I remember doing a drill in 7th Grade where each player stood in the center of a circle of other players and the coach would call out a player number who would rush in and try to level the person at the middle. That person would get slammed good each time often without having any idea where the hit was coming from. I guess the point was to develop improved awareness and to learn to take hits.

In the end, it played a role in my choosing not to keep playing football in HS. It also seems like, looking back, exactly the kind of drill the may have left kids with concussions that we never knew about.

If this is the drill that pushed you out of football, it's a damn good thing your vagina never saw the field in an actual tough physical game.

[jAZ]

Originally Posted by ghak99

If this is the drill that pushed you out of football, it's a damn good thing your vagina never saw the field in an actual tough physical game.

Some of you people are exactly the problem.

http://web.archive.org/web/201008071...icle/6418/6533

Dear Coach,
Our son's coach was trying to do a bullring drill last night. I have heard nothing positive about this drill, plus have heard a lot of associations have banned or just stopped using it. What are your feelings on this drill?

Thank you,

Concerned parent

Hi Parent,

This is a drill that was in fashion a long time ago and one you do not see used as much today. The premise of the drill is that it will develop toughness in the individual players.

A Bull in the Ring drill is where a group of players form a circle with one player in the center. One at a time, the players in the ring attack the player in the center by charging at him. The player must adjust his position and try to neutralize the attack, then reset and prepare for another player. The drill continues until the coach calls an end and puts another player in the center.

My feeling as a coach has always been to use my valuable practice time conducting drills that teach a technique or skill that the player can and should use when playing the game. I never felt that this drill served that purpose.

Often when we as coaches use a drill of this nature, it has the opposite result. The players may go through with the drill, but in the end it often is cause for them to no longer have the desire to continue to play football. Developing this desire to play is something every coach should try to promote.

Every practice drill should be built on teaching, repetition and understanding by the player and designed to increase the opportunity for the player to enjoy success on the playing field and not to have needless contact.

My hope would be that this coach would introduce his players to feeling comfortable with contact by teaching safe tackling and blocking techniques in supervised drills that carry over to actions in a game.

Coach Tom Bass

Coach Tom Bass, the technical writer and advisor for USA Football, is a 30-year NFL coach who has also authored several books, including "Play Football the NFL Way" - the first "how to" book ever authorized and published by the NFL. Coach Bass is happy to personally autograph his books to you. Book ordering information can be found at http://www.coachbass.com/.

[HMc]

Originally Posted by scott free

I bet if you polled all active players, this idea would die a miserable death.

To look at just one aspect of the game, imagine O lines vs D lines... it would look ridiculous, just a big, slow rugby scrum.

It would completely change the game I love most, and i'll never be sold on that idea.

The players are the last people you need to survey on matters of this nature. Many of them can barely spell.

[Molitoth]

So an 18 year old can join the army and put his life at risk while making next to nothing, and I'm supposed to worry about what could happen to a multi millionaire that plays a game for a living?

The rule changes are lame and that's that.

What's next? MMA fights without punching?

[jAZ]

Originally Posted by Molitoth

So an 18 year old can join the army and put his life at risk while making next to nothing, and I'm supposed to worry about what could happen to a multi millionaire that plays a game for a living?

The rule changes are lame and that's that.

What's next? MMA fights without punching?

You should worry more about when soldiers are forced into war and less about what the NFL does with it's rules.

[Crush]

Originally Posted by jAZ

You should worry more about when soldiers are forced into war and less about what the NFL does with it's rules.

Fans have every right to bitch about these rule changes. The violence is what makes the game great. Viewership will plummet and the sport will die if we continue to go down this path.

[Demonpenz]

There are tons of drills it seems for football that does nothing but promote huge hits that sound good, but don't actually help tackling.

[jAZ]

Originally Posted by Crush

Fans have every right to bitch about these rule changes. The violence is what makes the game great. Viewership will plummet and the sport will die if we continue to go down this path.

Talk to him about his soliders/war standards for his worry. Not me.

Our society, and humanity in general fears the unknown, and change brings unknown. History shows that most things work out. And when they don't, we change it again.

But reality is what's going to threaten football, not rule changes. Reality is that it's a sport that's been played in a way that has lead to brain damage and subsequent death for players. And the NFL sees the long term risks that many fans could care less about.

Change is rarely as traumatic as those who fear it predict. New rules will be tested, implemented and adjusted if it doesn't work.

[Crush]

Originally Posted by jAZ

I'm so sick of people bitching about rule changes.

Why? For the last fifteen years, the Competition Committee is doing its best to destroy the sport. Fans have every right to bitch.

Originally Posted by jAZ

The game is going to change because it's been revealed that it's really ****ing people up.

Not our problem. Those "people" should have known risks of partaking in the violent activity of football. They were financially compensated for their work.

Originally Posted by jAZ

And the league is on the hook financially for massive amounts of money because of that damage.

Why? The NFL didn't force them to participate and be compensated for their work.

Originally Posted by jAZ

I have no idea if this particular rule is going to help, and perhaps its going to end up not being approved or not working.

SPOILER ALERT: It won't and ball carriers will ignore it. You can't regulate natural instinct. This is just a knee-jerk reaction to pander to the pussies of this country.

Originally Posted by jAZ

But can we get over the bitching about the efforts to fix the game and complaining that it's changing.

**** you. The sport is not being "fixed." It is slowly being destroyed. If I wanted to watch soccer, I would watch soccer.

[Crush]

Originally Posted by jAZ

Talk to him about his soliders/war standards for his worry. Not me.

Our society, and humanity in general fears the unknown, and change brings unknown. History shows that most things work out. And when they don't, we change it again.

But reality is what's going to threaten football, not rule changes. Reality is that it's a sport that's been played in a way that has lead to brain damage and subsequent death for players. And the NFL sees the long term risks that many fans could care less about.

Change is rarely as traumatic as those who fear it predict. New rules will be tested, implemented and adjusted if it doesn't work.

As long as players understand the risks that are involved, who cares? What happened to personal responsibility? The fans' opinion does matter because the violence sells the sport. Without the violence, no one will watch.

[jAZ]

Originally Posted by Crush

Not our problem. Those "people" should have known risks of partaking in the violent activity of football. They were financially compensated for their work.

1) If they had known the risks, they would have had an opportunity to negotiate higher compensation to cover for the long term medical bills.

2) The league recognizes that the league is facing an existential threat. You don't see that and don't really care, which is odd given that you seem to care about being able to watch the NFL.

[Setsuna]

The world needs more soccer players and baseball players. At least Zoccer will agree with me.