“More Illegal Contact” Calls On The Way
July 31st, 2014
Joe confesses he dry heaved a little this morning after hearing longtime BSPN NFL insider John Clayton, “The Professor,” talk about how the NFL is informing teams of the latest “emphasis” of game officials.
Don’t think it’s a quarterback-driven league? Don’t think you need a stud quarterback to thrive and reach the promised land? Well, the NFL seems to disagree.
The guys who run America’s game want offense, offense, offense. Speaking on the Ron and Ian show on WDAE-AM 620, Clayton said teams have gotten their warnings.
“Rule emphasis that’s now going around. Just about every team is getting it either yesterday or today, that they are going to call more illegal contact, more defensive holding penalties, maybe even more interference,” Clayton said.
Hmm, well, Dashon Goldson might not be a great credit risk right now.
Look, Joe’s not surprised. This is the way the NFL is going. Flag football is good for fantasy players, which is good for TV ratings, which is good for not getting stuck with lawsuits and injury settlements.
Before you know it, players will be fined in practice with the NFL reviewing practice film.
If you want to hear The Professor’s full chat, click below to listen via 620wdae.com.
July 31st, 2014 at 12:57 pm
The Bucs seem to agree based on their draft. Makes a person wonder how a QB can still be a screw up if they have a halfway competent coaching staff and decent personnel around them.
July 31st, 2014 at 1:21 pm
“Hmm, well, Dashon Goldson might not be a great credit risk right now.”
–lol
July 31st, 2014 at 1:22 pm
All the more need for weight loss….speed….
July 31st, 2014 at 1:25 pm
The NFL is shooting itself in the foot. Most avid fantasy football players I know do not even watch football. They spend all day Sunday glued to their computer or phone screen getting the latest updates on their players. I cannot stand to be around them during a game on tv because they do nothing but talk about their players score and distract from the game.
The lawsuits are typical lawyer mumbo jumbo. Having read the suit and its grievances, I can honestly say that it is complete BS. Typical lawyers making stuff up to try and get a pay day, which they did. And Goodell is using it as an excuse to ramp up offensive scoring. Everyone has an agenda which is doing nothing but robbing the fans of good entertainment. If Goodell had wanted to fight that lawsuit he would have won hands down. But he chose instead to use the lawsuit to push his own agenda of making the NFL a high scoring circus.
I have been a fan of the NFL for 40 years but my patience is starting to wear thin. I can see myself not watching football anymore if the games are continually decided by the refs, the focus is more on getting female viewers than keeping male viewers, and the defense is relegated further to being nothing but a doormat for the offense. It bothers me that they have removed all references to “big hits” and focus solely on scoring. It is now more important for a player to be of good moral character than to be a good football player. When we care more about what they do off the field than what they do on the field then that should be an ominous warning. I feel the NFL fan-base is being culled directly from the Oprah studio audience.
If they keep it up, I will move on to another sport. NASCAR did this exact same thing and is practically dead in the water as a sport. I stopped watching them about a decade ago. And I am not the only one. They cannot sell out a single race and viewership has tanked. All because they took out the things that made the sport what it was and started focusing on attracting the female audience, driver safety, and making it family friendly. All the things that made NASCAR a fun sport to watch are gone. The same thing is happening to the NFL and I would assume the same results will be accomplished.
July 31st, 2014 at 1:26 pm
Joe
If these are the new rules, how is any DB/LB going to stop the forest of Buc receivers? This rule works both ways.
July 31st, 2014 at 1:27 pm
If they honestly move the league to a flag football league people will not watch it. It won’t be worth it. You take contact out and people will not watch the game. However, you have Seattle who does what they want and the refs don’t call it. So do you just do it anyways until the refs stop calling things or do you adhere to the rule and pull the flag?
July 31st, 2014 at 1:28 pm
Sheesh, Joe!
I was read up to date when I went to beg last night. You’ve been a busy beaver today!
July 31st, 2014 at 1:31 pm
oh boy, how much longer will it be wachable?
Do they (the owner) want a fan-shift into soccer?
Same to the “experiment” with the extra point; the kick-off change etc
AmericanFootball has changed and it looks to become worse and worse, like they don´t care (have enough money anyway). I mean, okay, its just sports and life will go on, but they are realy on course to ruin it. Whats left to say is C’MON MAN!
July 31st, 2014 at 1:43 pm
Clayborn’s perfectly legal hit on Brees last year that drew the game-changing 15-yard penalty and a $21,000 fine literally made me sick to my stomach. It seems like anytime anybody touches that guy, we see yellow laundry flying. And only weeks later did the NFL determine Clayborn’s hit wasn’t worth the fine
Hopefully this doesn’t curb the great pass rushers and defensive backs in this league, but somehow I have the feeling that defenses will be little more than stationary obstacles for offenses to move the ball around
July 31st, 2014 at 1:46 pm
Fans love good defense. I agree the NFL is wrong in this.
Sure, good offense is great, but so is good defense. It’s like they are determined to remove defense from the game.
Next thing you know, all tackling will be removed for fear of “lawsuits”.
Still, I am a huge Bucs fan, so I’m not going anywhere.
July 31st, 2014 at 1:51 pm
Just curious: Is it possible for you to comment about football without somehow invoking European economics and/or politics into the post? What NFL rules have to do with states rights in Europe, Joe has no clue. — Joe
July 31st, 2014 at 1:57 pm
@Ralph Phillips
Love your passion. I too love the fact that football is a contact sport but I lost a very close friend due to a brain aneurysm. Kid was a super hard hitter(lb). He complained about headaches for weeks prior to passing but he was expected to be a tough guy being team captain and all. Back in those days (early 90s) it was unacceptable to sit out or say you were hurt. You were expected to play unless you couldn’t walk. My point is everything is good in moderation. Sure keep the contact but also respect a players decision to sit out if they feel they can’t go. RIP James “fatman” Arline and Juniour Saeu
I’ve been watching a lot more rugby to get my “hard hitting” fix. Sad but true.
July 31st, 2014 at 3:30 pm
If the league curbs the defense any further real football fans will find something else to do. I thouroughly enjoy a defensive battle, but it seems that high scores are more important. Whatever the reasons are, as many have suggested, it sucks from my view. I guess the Bucs will be drafting all offense again next year.
July 31st, 2014 at 4:10 pm
Not that big a deal… corners can still jam receivers at the line. I’ve always agreed with the illegal contact rule and have often thought that it wasn’t correctly or consistently enforced (remember Mike Williams for the tie against the Saints). The helmet to helmet thing is also understandable. These guys are pros and should be able to play the way the game is taught, and had always been taught… With your HEAD UP!
I don’t agree with the whole flag football fear… The game is faster and more physical than it has EVER been, and us fans are at risk of losing the sport if people start dying on football fields on national television.
what needs to happen is a more efficient referee system. More creative ways to help these guys catch up to the speed of things on the field so they don’t continue making calls just to cover their own arses (like the hit on Brees someone mentioned earlier.). I rarely have problems with the rules, only the ability of the refs to properly enforce them.
July 31st, 2014 at 4:22 pm
@joe: ?European economics? Just as my post before shows – yes
but here you get some explenation
@all: Just like Ralph said, the owners may shoot themselves in the foot by trying to milk too much out of their money machine (trying every way possible to make profit; even if the core game, which realy makes it so fun to watch and what realy keeps the brand NFL up, suffers. But without its core, there wouldn’t be no Fantasy league and stuff)
Too much “european economic” Joe? đ
Funny that Rugby has no Problem of Players suing the league (despite lacking armor and still hitting and hitting hard).
Guess it makes an difference if a player does it, because they got an JOB to do, or because their hobby turned being their Job.
Why there is no “I am aware of the risks of AmericanFootball”-type-of-contract isn´t done is beyond me.
Then again there is the Problem DB55 responded to….
Players (and their familys) need to be secured from a possible Carrer ending – if not worse – type of injury.
Problem is (same as in economy):
Some Players are waaaay overpaid (Revis) but because a team can only spend so much, other players (with same/less injury risk) get waaaaay to less money.
Possibility: Owners pay into a certain amount of cash a year into a pot; players union also. If a guy is shorthanded for life time, he will get some from this debosit.
NFL could even make sth. happen with some kind of insurance company.
Just like in real world as in the NFL Dreamland, there is a ton of cash that could be divided to please a whole lot more of people, if not everyone.
But just a small group of people have the large amount of cash: Elite Players especially QB´s, and the Elite of the league: Owners..
Think about it…
July 31st, 2014 at 4:40 pm
There would be even more “economics” into the whole thing, but not European, so youre part right Joe:
Many of the NFL-players and would-be players,do it all for the money reason only. Of course there are also the ones who do love the game of football (McCoy).
Despite that: The ones who do it for money only reasons, would also sue the league.
Some of them, are only physically blessed – meaning if they are about to loose their NFL job – what would they do? how would they try to provide for their family?
Look at Americans Economy Joe.
The truth being: not every NFL player can be a 7Eleven worker later on.
I know you are an Media outlet, but you can´t hide the truth and the Rule Changes and stuff + Economy ARE going hand in hand; even if there are some other Hands in between them, they are in the same line.
there is some sports played on the field in the NFL – but 1st and foremost: its a business!
July 31st, 2014 at 4:44 pm
@louden
I’m not suggesting you are right or wrong (mainly because I didn’t read everything you said), but I wonder how much you know about the rules of Rugby and other foreign sports?
There are probably rules in place to protect players there as well.
July 31st, 2014 at 5:02 pm
@Bonzai:
Guess you´re right. And still: Like someone said, we got to deal with the Clayborn-On-Brees-Hit, Remember Mason Fosters´perfectly hit against Chad OchoCinco Johnson?
NFL could also have someone in the booth who does an quick review and he could talk to the White Head Ref through his headset right in time if the flag should be picked up or not.
As soon as the ball is spotted the Head Ref would know: if or not. Very simple.
Instead they want to ruin the game. Like and Extreme sport that it once was (Freestyle BMX or sth.) Football lives and dies with the Danger (of being hit) and Adrenalin (going one on one against another).
They just placing too much “power” into the hands of the Zebras instead of trying to make a fair competition between men.
Ultimate Teamsport is being made into a Circus SHOW like some stated.
Not even Circus Sports.. thats boring, and when they start loosing money, they will listen.
July 31st, 2014 at 8:13 pm
If Goodell turns the NFL into a high-score/high-penalty game, like the NBA, then I can see myself just tuning in for the 4th quarter.