WHEN PRO FOOTBALL WAS JUST A GAME

I feel trapped between the present and when football players did it just for the love the game –

The NFL has painted itself into a corner by making a very public pledge to reduce player injuries, especially the number of head concussions in 2013– and going forward.  After a reported 4000+ former NFL players collectively filed an enormous lawsuit against the National Football League, The 32 team owners and Commissioner Roger Goodell et al. had no choice but to listen.  After several studies on various issues related to player injuries and whether or not the league’s; physicians, trainers, coaches or equipment providers had any negligence, a class-action lawsuit resulted in a settlement for the players.  The settlement appeared, at first, to be large in the amount of $763 million, however after examining the dollar amount in relation to the number of filing litigants, each player received a settlement figure of approximately; $190,750 over the next 20 years.  That figure comes to $9537.50 per year and $794.79 per month.  I’m not certain of the state and federal tax laws, but I imagine the state tax laws would vary for each player receiving settlement funds.

It’s difficult to form an opinion about the case that was prepared and ultimately settled out of court by the Council representing the former players.  Without all the various study results and any other evidence used during the preparation for this case, but I was never in support of former NFL players receiving a settlement or any other reparations because of concussions or any other football related injuries.  Although, as you start to do the arithmetic necessary to determine each players settlement award, it doesn’t seem that they can claim victory.  Would you trade your mental and physical health, for headaches, depression, insomnia, photosensitivity, nerve disorders, memory loss (short and long term), ability to concentrate, inability to form thought or calculate numbers and a variety of other disorders; for a settlement that would pay you less than $800 per month for 20 years?

The game of tackle football is a violent sport and it was intended to be.  The men, who play this game, play it with both a conscious and subconscious mental objective of crashing into the opposing player as hard as is humanly possible, but at the same time it’s also enigmatic; players will honestly claim that they intend to hit their opponent hard enough to incapacitate them, but not to intentionally injure or permanently disable.  The goal of the tackler is to strike a blocker or tackle a ball-carrier with such violent velocity and force as to upend him, or at a minimum, enough colliding force to separate him from the football.  The blocking players often stand as high as 6’8” and sometimes weigh in excess of 350 lbs. and have a specific job of battering ram to provide a wall of humanity to keep a defensive team from attacking their quarterback on passing plays and the force and mass to plow defensive lines, creating runways for ball-carriers behind them.

Some observers of football have called it a “Contact Sport” but as the late, great, Hall of Fame coach, Vince Lombardi, once stated, “Football is Not a contact sport-- Dancing is a contact sport-- Football is a collision sport.”  Coach Lombardi made many profound and original statements about the game of football, but perhaps this was his most poignant.  His influence and effect on “the manner in which the game is played” is legendary, and no one encouraged more toughness in his players than the man whose namesake is engraved on the game’s championship trophy.  Lombardi is considered by many to be the godfather of rough and tough tackle football.

Coach Lombardi is also credited for drawing the parallels between the ancient sport of Roman Gladiators and American football.  Even the equipment (or armor) of football has its likenesses to the suits worn, protecting gladiators long ago.  Football equipment has continued to evolve with the evolution of the football player through the years.  Since the days of leather helmets, no facemasks and even earlier when no headgear was worn at all, athletic manufacturing companies have continued to test and evaluate equipment to be safer for the player.  The helmets are now lighter and custom fitting, with a reinforced and patted chin straps that fasten to the helmet shell with two straps and buttons and the facemasks more resemble the grill of a muscle car to protect the nose, chin, jaw and the forehead.  The shoulder pads are scientifically designed to defuse and distribute the force of shock in a way that lessons the PSI (pounds per square inch) of impact on the athlete’s shoulders, solar plexus and scapula.  Silicone mouthpieces have been technologically improved to protect the mouth and are molded to custom fit a player’s dental structure.  America’s favorite sport has spawned several improvements in nutrition, equipment and training sophistication to develop a faster, stronger and more efficiently destructive athlete. The result is a simple matter of pre-Newtonian concept, in particular Aristotle’s theory of force: F= M x V (force-mass-velocity).  The stronger the athletes become, the more they increase their body mass.  That mass becomes heavier and denser because muscle tissue weighs more than fat tissue.  And the more acutely trained they become, using improved mechanics and technique, their speed increases.  It simply more mass and velocity and therefore the collisions become more violent and destructive on both the player that initiates contact and the player that absorbs the majority of the collision.  In the 2012 NFL Scouting Combine, held in Indianapolis, Indiana each April, a mountain of a man from (U of Memphis) name Dontari Poe, ran the 40 yard dash in 4.84 seconds.  This was after bench pressing 225 lbs. 44 times.  All on their own merit, these tangible player statistics are impressive, but to make this graphic even more impressive, Poe is a defensive nose tackle who weighed 340 lbs. at the time.  After being drafted in the first round, the 11^th selection overall, Dontari Poe now plays for the NFL Kansas City Chiefs football team.  This is only to illustrate the evolution of the Y2K athlete and just how physical and demanding the game has become.  Given the fact that the players are getting bigger, stronger and faster, the possibility of defraying a lot of gametime and practice session injuries seems more and more unlikely as the years progress in pro sports.

Now, considering what I attempted to illustrate in the previous paragraph; I wonder how it is that the National Football League Office intends to make professional tackle football safer, without destroying the object of the game, and the manner in which football was originally designed to be played.  Even the simple fact that the NFL has stated a vow, promising to make the game safer is almost laughable – – if I didn’t think they were going to be serious about it.  As it turned out, they were dead serious about it and since have made several changes to the game itself, its rules and the way those rules are interpreted by officiating crews.

I’m not opposed to making rule changes to remove a “distinct and ongoing collection” of “unnecessary injuries” from a game that contains “obvious, severe and inherent” risk of “unusual danger” to the players, including a clear link of “cause and effect” to danger.  However, once they extirpate the foundational building blocks of the game, (the aspects that made the game popular to spectators to begin with), then I wonder if it’s really worth continuing to play the game at all – – particularly when it begins driving the fans away.  Watering down a sport that that literally began its popularity on the simple and primal attraction to gladiator-like competition, seems (at best) a reach to continue the avalanche of monetary gluttony by the conglomerate of 32 NFL franchise owners without giving back what fans pay, specifically, to see.  I think it would begin a long, slow death for the National Football League if their continued goal is to change the brand and the structure of football that has been the hallmark of tackle football since nearly every young, proud and excited footballer put on a helmet and shoulder pads and growled into a full-length, hall mirror in his uniform.

Now, the NFL is in the midst of a mild revolt in the form of upset and confused football fans who are watching, the rough and tough, hard hitting game they grew up watching, turn into something more resembling “two hand touch” that used to be played at recess in grammar schools across the country.  Football fanatics and enthusiasts are watching the best players in the game being flagged for doing the things that used to get great football legends inducted into the Pro football Hall of Fame in Canton Ohio. The playing field is becoming so slanted that it seems almost impossible for defenders to do their jobs on the field.  Originally, penalties for “defensive pass interference” and “illegal face guarding” were implemented into the NFL officiating handbook to increase offensive scoring raising the point production for teams and making it more exciting for fans to watch. Historically, fans enjoy higher scoring contests more than defensive battles between teams allowing little scoring action or yards from one another.  However, in the last two years, there has been a drastic change in roles and more specifically, in rule interpretation by officiating crews throughout the NFL and to a lesser extent, college football.

The major issue causing the NFL and the NCAA to change rules surrounds the subject of acute player injuries, in specific; Head injuries causing skull fractures and the more common occurrence of concussions.

I learned long ago that the answer to nine out of every ten questions is; MONEY. When former pro football players began to seek counsel from personal injury attorneys, the NFL office began listening to what they were saying.  Former players were complaining of acute chronic cases of symptomatic disorders, including but not limited to; short and long-term memory loss, acute chronic depression, photosensitivity, severe headaches, chronic confusion, suicidal thoughts, nerve disorders, early Parkinson’s disease, balance and coordination loss, chronic nausea and a variety of psychosocial disorders relating to an extensive list of behavior transformations spanning from antisocial disorders, severe anxiety and chronic agoraphobia among others.  The players, with the support of their physicians and treatment specialists, believed that these symptoms were directly related to multiple instances of acute head trauma, specifically concussed brain tissue.  Not long after the subject was broached to the NFL, the former NFL players filed a lawsuit against the National Football League.  Their attorneys cited the NFL for their inability to seriously make an effort to avoid concussions in football and even more importantly, a failure to institute a serious protocol to evaluate players who have possibly sustained concussions and a systematic plan to prevent players from playing action until they were physically and mentally ready to join their teammates on the field again.

Where does money come into play?  The NFL was anticipating a gigantic monetary lawsuit from the former players and began action to develop some sort of history of handling possible concussed players with as much care and attention as possible.  The NFL lawyers needed to put up some sort of organized front to convince a jury that the NFL cared about its athletes and was committed to caring for their physical and mental needs for all football related injuries including any that may carry on into the player’s lives once their football careers were over.  This is when the NFL’s competition committee began implementing rule changes to protect players from concussions.  Among those rule changes that were implemented after the lawsuit was filed, include several “Unnecessary Roughness Fouls”;

I: a 15 yard penalty for helmet to helmet hits.

II: a 15 yard penalty for a hit on a defenseless player, including blindside blocking hits.

III: a 15 yard penalty for an offensive ball-carrier lowering for a helmet to helmet hit, enforced only if the ball-carrier is outside the tackle box.

IV: A change on the kickoff play where the ball would be originally placed and kicked from the (35 yard line), rather than the formally placed position (30 yard line) to lessen the number of kicks returned as most kickers can reach the ball deep into the end zone causing the kick returner to take a knee and thus create a touchback, bringing the ball to the 20 yard line.

V: An increased scope of protection for the quarterback, penalizing would be tackler’s for hitting the quarterback high around the head and neck area of the body, and a penalty against a defender, hitting a quarterback in and around the region of the knee.

As the media coverage concerning the lawsuit against the NFL began to grow, the number of litigants involved in the suit grew substantially.  By the time the case was formerly filed and presented to opposing counsel, more than 4000 litigants were included in the suit giving it “class-action” status.  The NFL’s own investigation team then offered a veritable “mea culpa” when they publicly reported the result of their study on the medical findings of the players they examined.  They found that (indeed) the football related head trauma among the players examined were directly the cause of many of the former players “physical, psychological and developmental disorders” they complained of after retiring from the game.  After that investigative “faux pas” was discovered, the NFL Players Association had a very convincing case.  The National Football League had no other choice but to come to a reasonable settlement with the former players on a financial settlement rather than going to court and risking a bigger award of damages.  Ultimately, the NFL and the former players agreed on a payment of nearly $1,000,000,000 ($1 billion) in damages.  As a part of the settlement, the NFL also agreed to make several rule changes designed to hopefully prevent, or at least mitigate, many of the brain trauma injuries occurring in ways that could possibly be avoided. 

Now, because of the major focus on these types of injuries, officials have been said to be hypersensitive to hits and tackles of a violent nature-- Even if they are technically within the guidelines of safe blocking and tackling.

As a result of all the attention given to head injuries and the real possibility of future legal action against the league by players suffering from ongoing symptoms of concussions, an echo response has affected not only the way the game is played, but how it is officiated.  Entire NFL officiating crews are now asked to interpret many “real time” penalties on blocking assignments, hits and tackles by players in real speed.  Former NFL coach and longtime CBS football analyst, John Madden, believes the NFL officials are being asked to do too much in terms of rule interpretation and the sheer number of scenarios that could draw a flag.  By adding several judgment type observations than an official is asked to do in each play from scrimmage as well as special teams plays, Madden believes that it is confusing and the interpretation, although comprehensive education has been provided, is still taking officials away from the ability to call a clean game and focus on the fundamental rules that have been part of football for scores of years.  With a number of penalty possibilities on each play, and while adding so many safety related penalties, it would literally be necessary to increase the number of officials in any crew by perhaps 4 to 6 field judges and/or linesman.  Obviously, safety is the number one issue right now in pro-football, and the competition committees would also like to see the officiating crews get the calls right.  Thusly, a review board for officiating was created long ago to evaluate the correct and the erroneous calls made in every NFL game throughout the preseason, regular season and postseason games.  The officiating crews that score the highest in the manner in which they monitor their seasons game calls are elevated to the playoffs and ultimately the Super Bowl crew.  So, safety first, but what this is doing to the games and therefore, to the fans that make this great sport possible, is not going in a positive direction.

In the last two years and since the latest collective bargaining agreement (CBA) was agreed on and signed between the NFL owners and the NFL players Association in 2011, it seems fans are growing weary of the officiating process and how much of the game is focused on the officiating crew and decided by the interpretation of a growing number of penalties in the National Football League Rule Book.

Perhaps the most frustrating aspect of officiating in the NFL, for spectators of the sport, is the ubiquitous and high level of inconsistency from officiating crews and individual officials themselves. Football is not a simple sport to officiate the way that baseball can be and even basketball.  First, there are 22 players on the field at once in football and each of the players is critically involved in every play; not just the ball-carrier.  The rulebook is also specific to what certain positions can do and what they cannot.  For instance, on passing plays, only certain players are allowed to run or block past the imaginary transverse line a.k.a. “line of scrimmage.”  Tightends, wide receivers, running backs and an occasional “tackle eligible” (who must report as such to the referee) are allowed to cross the line of scrimmage.  On offense, only one man can be in motion at a time, before the snap, and only skilled positions (RB, WR, TE, QB).  These are just examples of the way officials must see the game before the snap of the football.  Each official has a certain set of responsibilities to monitor during the game and the number of possible penalties is staggering when you consider everything happens in a matter of 0-12 seconds on average.  Several of these penalty scenarios are objective in nature, but now that the league has instituted so many new and subjective penalty possibilities, it’s making it increasingly difficult for officials to call a clean game and it’s showing in an obvious way.

The axiomatic increase of subjective penalties called in today’s game, and the delay in the flow of the game has made football tedious and frustrating to watch, to be kind.  To be honest, it seems to be ruining team’s ability to create momentum, a flow, even if everything is going to particular team’s way.  Between the challenge flags, penalty calls, officials convening to interpret penalties, the delay in determining the spotting of the ball, official’s timeouts and commercial timeouts have degraded the game the way it was originally meant to be played.  Football might be one of the most heavily affected games controlled by momentum for one team or another.  When the officiating crews control the flow of the game, then it’s not the teams on the field determining ultimate success or failure.  Many teams play a rhythm offense that requires the chains to move and an accelerated speed of lining up from one play to the next.  It’s a specific strategy that works for some teams, and isn’t an important part of others.  The start and stop momentum killers are being determined by the men in black and white stripes.  However, it’s the inconsistencies of these officiating crews that seem to degrade the game.  On one play, a pass interference penalty could be called on a slight touch on the receivers arm, and on the next play, a defensive back practically tackles a wide receiver to the ground, and no flag is thrown.  It has been said by many officials, coaches, players and analysts that an offensive or defensive “holding penalty” could be called on each and every play.  So, one has to ask what it takes an official to throw a flag and what makes them keep the flag in their pocket?  When an official or officiating crew chooses not to make questionable holding calls to the offensive or defensive line, or decides to allow more aggressive play in the defensive secondary, but then late in the game when a penalty could determine the outcome of a game, they suddenly decide to blow the whistle and throw the flag.  How would a player ever know what it takes to play within the rules when the rules seem to be called differently at different portions of the same game? It begins to appear that the officiating crews want to become more part of the game.  It has been said for years that the sign of a good officiating crew is that they’re not a focal part of the contest, sort of like a lamp in a room.  It lights up the room, but it’s not something you constantly notice is there.  We shouldn’t know their names, we should know their opinions and we definitely shouldn’t be hearing stories about coaches working over the officials before the game.  Theoretically, every official is trained in the understanding of the playbook and the interpretation of each penalty, clock management, play interpretation and field conduct.  Therefore, why is it allowed that coaches constantly work over officials before and during games to affect the way calls should be noticed or interpreted?  It should be presumed that the officials know the rules before the game begins each week and in every contest.  In that light, what could an official learn from a coach that would improve his ability to manage a football game within the rules of the NFL?

Now, I consider myself more than just an NFL enthusiast or fanatic.  I have a love affair with the game and I live for the strategy and the personalities of the players and coaches who line up across the gridiron from one another each week, no matter the weather or playing conditions, to play the world most popular and ultimate version of “Full Body Slam Chess”.  For me the game is all about the personalities; the Rookie, the Journeymen, the Seasoned Veteran, the Superstar, the Comeback Player; the strategy between the gum chomping coaches, the offensive scheming coordinator in the booth and the Copenhagen chewing defensive coordinators, reading and reacting and predicting and guessing on every play to gain the advantage.

I love the game of American football and truly want to see the integrity preserved for generations to come.  I grew up on tough, viciously played football by players who played because they loved the game.  Players who would gladly had played for nothing if they knew their families would be provided for.  The rules that have been adopted to protect their health of the players have their merit, but tackle football was meant to be played hard and it was meant to be full of hard hits, hard tackles, vicious sacks, crushing blocks and game deciding bombs and last second Hail Marys.  I just hope that the NFL doesn’t take their golden egg and change the way it’s played to appease the malcontents who willingly walked onto a football field knowing that it was a battlefield and sometimes soldiers become casualties.  It’s a choice and they chose their vocation.  Many people blame NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell for all the problems occurring with the officiating and the new rules which have altered the way the game is played.

I want my NFL back again!