WHAT THE PEOPLE WANTED: CLASH OF THE TITANS!

AN OFFER THEY CAN'T REFUSE

The Seattle Seahawks have accomplished all of their goals for the 2013 regular season. They won the division, they earned the number one seed giving them home-field advantage throughout the playoffs and a first-round bye and they did it by recovering from various different sources of hardship and adversity. The Seahawks play in the most competitive division in the NFL and still managed to lose just three games this season. What's even better is that Pete Carroll has successfully instilled a sense of teamwork that transcends personal achievement in terms of individual statistics and benchmarks often used for a player to negotiate a more lucrative contract at the season's end. The Seahawks sent six players to the Pro bowl, yet if you examine the top categories in terms of the most important categories for team success, you won't see a Seahawk player on the lists for the most recognized individual awards.


Marshawn Lynch had a very successful 2013 campaign running the football, yet he ranks just sixth in the NFL with 1,257 yards. The Seahawks most prolific pass receiver was Golden Tate, ranking 46 in receptions with just 64 and 898 yards. Perhaps the most misleading statistics in Seattle's success this season was at the team’s most important position, quarterback. Russell Wilson matched his rookie season with 26 touchdowns (10th) and 3357 yards (16th), but only nine interceptions. Wilson played mistake free football for most of the season keeping the Seahawks in games late and allowing the defense to finish games. This has become the hallmark of Pete Carroll's football team and the main reason for its success at home 7-1 and on the road, 6-2. This has been a team that has traveled well and taking care of business at home in front of the legendary 12th man at CenturyLink Field in Seattle.


The teamwork mantra of Pete Carroll didn't stop with their offensive competitive climate in terms of individual statistics, or lack thereof. The Seahawks defense rated number one in the NFL throughout the season, surrendering a league-leading 14.4 points per game to their opponent and scoring enough per game (26.7 points) to give Seattle a 417-231 for a league-leading differential of 186 points. Seattle logged 44 team sacks this season, good enough for 10th in the league (tied with two other teams) and an improvement over the previous season by just five sacks. However, the amount of pressure on opposing quarterbacks was palpable during the season as newcomers, Cliff Avril and Michael Bennett, bolstered an already effective defensive line for the Seahawks that were number one in the league last season in scoring defense as well, 15.7 PPG. The leading defensive player in sacks this season was Michael Bennett with 8.5 sacks with Cliff Avril not far behind with 8.0. Though the strength of Seattle's defense is not its pass rush, but instead, it's pass defense in the secondary and Seattle has the best defensive secondary in football. The Seahawks front 7 and its secondary have a symbiotic relationship in terms of dealing with both the pass and the rushing game of their opponents. As the linebackers and defensive line pressure the quarterback, the secondary is able to play a physical brand of press man-to-man coverage that cannot work without a steady level of pressure on the quarterback. At the same time, the play of Seattle's secondary at the line of scrimmage disrupts the receivers ability to run their routes on time, giving the defensive linemen an extra edge and extra second or two for the pass rush to get to the quarterback and caused him to hurry his passes or for the lineman to bat balls down just after they leave the quarterbacks hand. Seattle's linebackers have a special blend of size and speed, giving them the ability to stuff a run heavy offense at the point of attack and to fall into pass coverage on play action or straight up empty backfield designed to move the ball through the air. Because of Seattle's defense and its ability to keep scores low for their opponent, Russell Wilson has been asked to play a different style of play than he's used to playing in college at SC State or Wisconsin. The Seahawks average a league low 25 pass attempts per game and feature a run heavy offense relying primarily on the physical punishing brand of football that money back Marshawn Lynch brings to every carry in every game of the season. Lynch might be the most difficult running back to bring down one-on-one in the game right now. Arm tackles and grabbing at the man they call "Beast Mode" is a strategy that has proved to be ineffective against the 6-year Pro out of the University of California. Lynch is a human piston engine, reliable and sturdy, often taking handoffs through a play action system or read option strategy that gives him the ability to weave his way through a zone blocking scheme in the offensive line, a signature system of offensive line coach, Tom Cable. Marshawn is the beast and always seems to take a play with no hope and turn it into 8 yards carrying defenders down the field like a Metro bus. He is the cornerstone of the Seahawks offensive strategy and is the player who sets the tone for each game and chews-up valuable play clock as the ball hawking Seahawks defense tightens the noose around opposing offenses giving them little hope of catching up if they fall behind early in games. This is Pete Carroll's strategy for the season and it is unlikely to change and the Seahawks trudge into the playoffs with the weight of the 12th man behind them willing them on a collision course with the AFC champion (Denver or New England) in the New Jersey Meadowlands; MetLife Stadium in Super Bowl XLVIII February 2.


After playing San Francisco twice the season already, the Seahawks are no strangers to the 49ers brand of smash mouth football, nor are they to Seattle's ball hawking, face slapping style of intimidation and supreme confidence in their abilities to function like a well-oiled machine in front of their 68,000+ strong, screaming and yelling 12 man. So what will be the strategies for these teams who mirror one another and have a special familiarity so much that surprises are unlikely and head-to-head toughness and execution are more likely to be the determining factors in this "loser go home" "winner Super Bowl bound" contest that will answer all the questions that these 2 great teams have for one another going into this gargantuan game of Titan vs. Titan.


Before the 2013 season, the 49ers and Seahawks began an arms race that continued until the very last contest of the regular-season in December. The Seahawks made the first significant move of the NFL off-season, signing superstar WR Percy Harvin in a blockbuster trade with the Minnesota Vikings. The 49ers answered just days after Seattle's big move, signing veteran WR Anquan Boldin, of the training Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens. Then, the Seahawks made another move to improve their football team by signing free-agent defensive end Cliff Avril of the Detroit Lions. Frisco answers again, signing Glenn Dorsey, a free-agent defensive end from the Kansas City Chiefs. In another move for Seattle, they signed veteran corner, Antoine Winfield, a free-agent from Minnesota. Again, not to be outdone, the 49ers immediately signed Nnamdi Asomugha, a veteran DB from Philadelphia. This chess match of personnel continued throughout the season involving players who would even play for both teams at one point or another during the season. As recently as week 16 and 17 of the regular-season, defensive back Parrish Cox play for both the Seahawks and the 49ers a veritable yo-yo of West Coast trips to the airport for Cox. Pete Carroll made moves to choose players off the 49ers practice squad, and in a seemingly personal response, Jim Harbaugh would snatch players from the Seahawks practice squad, if only to carry them on their active roster for a couple of days. Whether or not this was a personal war of personnel, nobody really knows, but it does seem somewhat ironic that these 2 teams have been in a constant battle of weapons and nothing is too sacred for these 2 calculating coaches as long as it gives them an edge in the very competitive division of the NFC West.


Now, the smoke has cleared and both Seattle and San Francisco have settled their rosters for the clash in Seattle and the right to claim a trip to New Jersey and the opportunity to represent the national football conference in Super Bowl XLVIII. As different as the personalities of each teams head coach are, it's ironic how alike both teams are on the field. Seattle has a bruising rushing attack featuring Marshawn "Beast Mode" Lynch who crushed the 49ers in Seattle with 98 yards rushing and a couple of touchdowns. The 49ers feature a hard running; resilient and tough back "Frank Gore" the man who was the Achilles' heel for Seattle when they visited Candlestick Park for the last time. Gore ripped off a cutback off tackle play for 51 yards setting up the 49ers for the game-winning field goal in Seattle 19-17 and evening the regular-season and 1-1. Seattle and San Francisco both feature young and athletic quarterbacks who are as likely to be a team with their legs as they are with their arms. Colin Kaepernick is a long and lanky QB with the galloping running style that can rip off huge chunks of yardage if left in space and when plays break down. He has a very strong arm and can accurately throw the deep ball of wide receivers gain separation on their defender. Russell Wilson is quick and Wiley in the pocket and has a great sense of pressure and went to run and went to continue looking downfield and throws on the run better than perhaps any quarterbacks in the game today. Both quarterbacks are smart and confident and can take over a game if the defense gives them any space on the field. Kaepernick has perhaps a better supporting cast for receivers and has a game breaking tight end in Vernon Davis. Wilson has a great blocking tight end in Zach Miller, who is dangerous especially in the red zone, and several slot receivers who have good hands and excel blocking down field in support of the running game. The Seahawks have the edge in the running game, while the 49ers can hurt you from the various pass catching receivers downfield. Both teams play very hard and tough on special teams and have very accurate and capable placekicker's and in and game that has a high emphasis on tough defenses, the kicking game might be the balance in which the NFC championship game is decided.


As tough as both Seattle and San Francisco are on both sides of the ball, there are some drawbacks to both football teams and they reside on the same side of the football and at the same position. Colin Kaepernick and Russell Wilson are both great leaders and play a similar style of read and react in terms of throwing the ball downfield or tucking it and making plays with their legs. What separates the 2 young quarterbacks is largely based on stylistic differences. Kaepernick is much more flamboyant runner, galloping with wagging arms as he sprints down the field, while Wilson is far more compact runner and seems to glide across the field like he's on wheels. Many so-called pundits of football point to Kaepernick's superior straight-line speed, but in reality, both athletes possess similar speed. Wilson is a legitimate 4.55 runner and showed his speed at the combine in Indianapolis in 2012. Kaepernick ran just slightly faster at 4.53, but with a 6 foot five frame and mostly legs, the San Francisco signal caller can Gallup down the field and out run many of the linebackers at the second level of the defense in a longer race downfield. Wilson has the advantage in small spaces and with his first step is lightning quick. He also seems to have an intangible that his counterpart hasn't seemed to develop as well. It's an unteachable internal sensation that a quarterback gets when the passing pocket begins to break down. Each passing play a potential 360°° circle of attack begins around the quarterback, shortly after the ball is snapped. The goal of the quarterback is to keep his eyes downfield going through his progression of checking down from primary to secondary targets searching for an open downfield receiver. He must also be able to feel the pressure around him with an internal clock that tells him when to give up on the pass opportunity and hopefully exit the pocket and look for openings to run for positive yardage. Remarkably, Wilson entered the NFL with an extraordinary high level of pocket awareness and at such a primary level of the game. His propensity to avoid high pressure blitzing attacks from the defense sparked many to compare him to, Harry Houdini, the early 1900s Hungarian-American illusionist and stunt performer, noted for his sensational escape acts. Kaepernick is more suited to make people miss in space, and once he reaches the secondary would be tackler's, he's a very difficult runner to catch or tackle. On the other hand, Wilson is more likely to keep his head up looking downfield for open receivers while he runs. He runs to pass rather than Kaepernick who passes, then looks to run and once he puts the ball up under his arm, he commits completely to the run. Both quarterbacks have a bright future, but seemed to get great results, but in very different ways. They also rely heavily on their fantastic defenses that put them in advantageous situations to succeed. Rarely do either quarterbacks find themselves with long fields in front of them, giving them multiple opportunities in enemy territory and optimum scoring opportunities in the red zone.


This NFC championship game has been met with all the hype you would expect from the two best football teams in the NFL about to go to war for all the marbles and another chance for a Super Bowl trophy. The Seahawks missed their chance in 2005 losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers highly controversial game where the officiating was more than just a little suspect. The 49ers missed a golden opportunity to go to the Super Bowl II years ago on a muffed punt, then just last year San Francisco lost on heartbreak opportunity in the waning seconds of regulation when Kaepernick overthrew Michael Crabtree in the corner of the end zone. The Baltimore Ravens prevailed 42-37 leaving the 49ers defeated and heading home again without a trophy. Both the Seahawks and the 49ers are incredibly hungry for another chance and this game carries all the significance you can imagine for two division rivals who have everything to lose and everything to gain and, as Richard Sherman stated during a pregame press conference, neither of team has any love "lost or found" for one another.


The weather at CenturyLink field in Seattle is forecasted to be clear and dry which provides a perfect landscape for this football game to be decided by the best team, not the team that suffers from poor field conditions as we have seen this season in other games played in severe conditions. When two highly talented football teams come together for a significant game like this, you want to have the game decided by the players, not the officials and certainly not the weather conditions. The Seahawks 12th man is primed and ready to make things as difficult on the 49ers as humanly possible, and the stadium will be bursting at the seams. The stadium doesn't even offer standing room only tickets, much like each home game for the Seahawks throughout the regular-season. This town is ready for something special and the Seahawks have the players to make it happen. However, the 49ers have made a difficult journey to get to this game. First, being a wild card team, Jim Harbaugh and his Niners had to fly to Green Bay Wisconsin to play against the Packers on the hallowed frozen tundra of Lambeau Field with temperatures plummeting far below zero. San Francisco proved worthy to the task and beat Aaron Rodgers and the Packers and earning the right to play a divisional playoff game on the road again, this time on the East Coast field of Charlotte Carolina against the Panthers. It was a hard-fought and physically punishing football game, but again the Packers prevailed and now face perhaps the best football team in the NFL here in Seattle. The Seahawks are the number one seed and cruised to a 13-3 regular season schedule and then dispatched quarterback Drew breeze and the New Orleans Saints. The Seahawks didn't play their best, but they did enough and the 12th man helped lift them to a victory setting up the ultimate match up with the 49ers at the place the Seahawks and their fans call the "C'Link.” The crowd has already broken to world records for crowd noise and set the mark at a resounding 137.7 dB, the same level of noise you would hear at Ground Zero in front of giant amplifiers and speakers at a rock concert or standing on the tarmac next to a jet airplane. The 12th man has truly created a horrible place for a visitor to have to play football and the stakes don't get much higher than this game for the NFC championship and the right to play in Super Bowl XLVIII.


The Seahawks and 49ers know that they must control the line of scrimmage and develop a strong running game to have any chance of winning today. Both young quarterbacks are dynamic both running and throwing the ball, but it is expected that neither of them will put the ball in the air more than they keep the ball in the hands of the Seahawks Marshawn Lynch and the Niners Frank Gore, both punishing runners and extremely difficult to tackle. Russell Wilson's passing statistics have dipped over the last four or five games, but there might be more to that than meets the eye. Seattle's defense has been so dominant that once their offense manages 20 or more points, Pete Carroll and his coaching staff believe they will play enough quality defense to win the game. Thusly, Wilson is being asked to do less in the passing game and more in regard to protecting the football and not giving the opponent a chance to capitalize on costly turnovers and mental errors. Wilson only attempted 18 passes against the New Orleans Saints last week, but much of the reason could be attributed to the inclement weather conditions and the game plan put together by Pete Carroll and his assistant coaches. In the first half of the game, Drew Brees was held to 34 yards passing, the lowest total in his career. Because of the driving rain and the blowing wind, New Orleans adopted a dedication to the ground attack and for the most part, it was working against the Seahawks stingy rushing defense. It wasn't until the Saints fell behind that Brees fell back into his usual artistry of passing, tallying over 300 yards in the second half alone. Unfortunately, for Brees and the Saints, improved to not be enough as the Seahawks went on to win the game 23-15. Although the score was only a separation of eight points, the Seahawks dominated in the game and the 12th man in combination with Seattle's defense and Legion of boom, they tightened the noose around the Saints offense and squeezed the life out of them in the waning seconds of the contest.


Now, the Seahawks face the 49ers in the ultimate showdown between two young and dynamic quarterbacks with defenses that allow them to be aggressive and then sit on small leads until the clock ultimately expires. Because of the fact that both of these teams matchup against one another almost identically, Jim Harbaugh and Pete Carroll will likely need to get creative on offense as well as their defensive sets and reads. These teams know each other very well and know what to expect once they take the field. I look for Wilson to throw the ball more than he has in the last six games, but it's imperative that he avoids making mistakes and giving the 49ers more opportunity to move the ball on offense. Colin Kaepernick has not had success in Seattle, losing both games by large margins and looking very much the inexperienced signal caller, bothered by the crowd noise and the gravity of the team rivalries. Last time Kaepernick came to CenturyLink Field, he threw three costly interceptions as the Seahawks prevailed 29-3. The only real threat that the 49ers made in the red zone resulted in a Kaepernick interception to Earl Thomas on a tipped pass. From there on, not much went right for Harbaugh's 49ers. It was a total beat down as lightning and thunder filled the skies of Seattle as an ominous reminder of where these 49ers were playing and how dominant the Seattle Seahawks can be in their own house with their own family of 67,000 screaming and hollering fans…… The 12th man.


Now, San Francisco comes into Seattle believing they have a prescription to handle the crowd noise and the gravity of this most important game. Kaepernick even commented that CenturyLink field was perhaps a little louder than most stadiums. That might not have been the best way to taunt the people who cause the most trouble in a stadium than any other in the 32 cities of the NFL. The Seahawks and the Niners have managed to make it through the long 16 game season and into the third round of the playoffs with a primarily healthy roster of players. The Seahawks will be without the talents of their electrifying wide receiver, Percy Harvin, and the 49ers could possibly be without Carlos Rogers, the starting right corner. Harvin is listed as "out" and Rogers as "Questionable,” however whoever wins this game or loses will not be predicated on injured players or weather conditions. It will be because one team executed their game plan and the other did not. Both teams seem loose and ready despite the importance of this NFC championship game, and it seems clear that two veteran football teams are ready to clash and prove who is the biggest and baddest in the National Football Conference.

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!

JIM HARBAUGH DOESN'T CARE ABOUT HYPOCRISY -- JUST WIN DRUNK, BABY!

49ers LB Aldon Smith mugshots for 1st and 2nd DUI Arrests

San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh has never been quiet in his judgment of the Seattle Seahawks' players who have made questionable decisions, or his opinions of Pete Carroll going back to his time coaching the USC Trojans, while Harbaugh coached the Stanford Cardinals. Now, the 49ers coach is looking straight down the barrel of sanctimonious hypocrisy as trouble has become a geyser created by his own players, and it's not looking too pretty for a coach who continues to stand in judgment of the NFL's most high profile team; coaches, players and he has even taken a few aimed shots at the fans around the NFL.

It was reported today (Friday, September 20) that at 7:00 AM 49ers star outside linebacker, Aldon Smith, was arrested in San Jose California, by Santa Clara police officers who found Smith slumped, asleep and with his face and chest draped over the steering wheel and the airbag which had been deployed after Smith crashed his vehicle into a tree on the side of the road. Police reported that Smith was "very impaired" as they woke him and put him through a field sobriety and breathalyzer test. Smith was unable to complete the sobriety test and was reported to have blown a 0.15 blood alcohol level, (twice the legal limit in the state of California). In addition to finding Smith drunk behind the wheel of his automobile, the officers found marijuana on the console of his vehicle.

Smith was also convicted of another DUI in January 8, 2012. He has also violated the NFL's substance abuse policy (SAP) multiple times for illegal Street drugs. Because of the NFL's confidentiality constraints, they will not disclose the specific street drugs that were used, or how many violations the 49ers linebacker has had. Multiple positive tests, or improper tampering of the testing protocol, will result in involuntary drug and alcohol rehabilitation treatment. Player suspensions can also be invoked for such violations, which can be either handed down by the player's respective teams or the league office. In special circumstances, both the team and the NFL can implement fines and suspensions. Because this is Aldon Smith's multiple offense of the league's DUI policy, it is almost certain that his punishment will be considerable. Aside from each state's individual legal penalty for driving while intoxicated, the NFL's punishment falls under their "Player Contact Policy" and applies special consequences that will likely include a monetary fine and a player suspension to be determined by the Commissioner and the NFL's legal committee.

Not only is Aldon Smith surrounded by drug and alcohol violations, but there was a stabbing incident in which Smith was stabbed at his own home during a conflict at a party that he hosted. In addition, Smith and a former 49ers player (Delaney Walker) are being implicated in a shooting that occurred at Smith's house also. Weighing Smith's involvement in a collection of crimes and NFL personal conduct violations, the league will  likely take all of this into account when they determine what his punishment will be. Considering his numerous transgressions, it would be highly unusual to see Smith go without a large fine and a multiple game suspension, commensurate to the trouble that he has chosen to involve himself in.

Aldon Smith is a fantastic athlete and one of the major game changing players in Jim Harbaugh's dominant defensive squad. He collected an astounding 19.5 sacks last season, and 14 in his rookie season. Already, in just two games, he has already tallied 3.5 sacks which puts him on a pace to make a record-breaking 24.5 sacks in a season,  but with any substantial time away from the game because of suspension, that number would likely be lower. He is a big time pass rusher in the 49ers' defense and if he is suspended, it could put the 49ers in a tight spot and  in jeopardy of losing their hold on the NFC West. Jim Harbaugh was interviewed shortly after the media became aware of Smith's arrest and he stated, “Aldon Smith arrived at practice on time after the accident, he took part in practice drills, and will be playing this Sunday.

Lawyers for San Francisco 49ers' linebacker Aldon Smith and former teammate, San Francisco, tightend Delaney Walker, have been forced to file a response to a civil suit filed against them relating to a shooting at a party at their home last year. According to the San Jose Mercury news, the lawyers answer to the complaint filed by plaintiff Ronndale Esporlas claim that he "knew of the danger and risk to his undertaking" at the party "but nevertheless, freely and voluntarily exposed himself to all risks of harm." The report detailed the response, including the statement that any compensation sought by the plaintiff be updated, reduced or eliminated to the extent plaintiff's negligence caused or contributed to his own injuries and damages, if any"

Aldon Smith was stabbed at the house party, which police said was crashed by gang members in San Jose. Two people were also shot in the incident according to the initial police report--- none of the injuries life-threatening. Smith and Walker were not charged in the incident. According to the San Jose Mercury news report, Aldon Smith may be charged with a crime stemming from the incident, however. Police found assault rifles in the home belonging to Smith "that were purchased legally in another state (North Carolina, but violating California law.” Troubles are just beginning for Aldon Smith it seems.

Now, I know that each one of us is innocent until proven guilty, but Aldon Smith was tested for his level of inebriation and a breathalyzer and blood alcohol level put him at roughly twice the legal limit of .08, in California. That's pretty drunk and that puts Smith very drunk, or at least extremely hung over, as he arrived at the 49ers practice facility that morning. How a coach could allow his player to take part in practice drills in preparation to play in a game just two days later is mystifying to me at best. Harbaugh is a man who has stood in his ivory tower of self-righteousness, casting down judgment on the Seattle Seahawks for their iniquities and transgressions. Now, he has placed himself in the "Crystal Cathedral" of glass houses, and it's raining hailstones the size of watermelons.

Ahmad Brooks, another 49ers linebacker, was reported to be at one of the clubs in California and drinking alcohol to excess. After leaving the club, he drove drunk to a teammate's house, nose tackle, Lamar Divens. After drinking a lot more alcohol and smoking marijuana at Divens' residence, Brooks decided to drive home in his own vehicle. His teammate, Divens, told him that he would not give him his car keys because he didn't want him to drive home drunk. Brooks proceeded to argue with Divens and after getting agitated, he beat his teammate over the head with a beer bottle several you are in times requiring stitches to close the gashes in Divens' skull. Then, witnesses corroborated the story that Brooks threatened to get his pistol if Divens didn't give him his car keys immediately. Brooks drove home drunk after leaving his teammate in the front lawn bleeding from his head. This story has been confirmed by several people present at Lamar Divens' home. To make this story even more disgusting and pathetic, Brooks offered a monetary settlement to Divens, (reportedly $100,000) and undoubtedly with pressure from the 49ers organization to settle and make this story go away quickly and quietly, Divens chose not to press charges of assault, battery and threat with a lethal weapon on Ahmad Brooks. Brooks recently signed a new contract with the 49ers for $45.5 million.

No surprise----Jim Harbaugh chose not to comment on the events that happened that night. 

Just prior to the 2013 regular season, Harbaugh and the 49ers, made a trade with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for corner Eric Wright. After spending his afternoon in front of the press slamming the Seahawks organization for players testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs, Harbaugh proceeded to trade for a player who had already tested positive for a PED. This really does nothing to dispel the fact that Harbaugh isn't above taking players who have questionable character, including a multitude of violations of NFL league's substance and conduct policy as well as state and federal crime violations.

The purpose of this article is that Jim Harbaugh on the 49ers is making decisions for his football team that are not above those of any other coach in the NFL willing to take a chance on players with questionable background history. His highfalutin, holier than thou, we're better than you tone that he uses in his press conferences has created a gigantic bull's-eye on Harbaugh's back and the backs of every player wearing a 49ers uniform.

Nothing in the NFL is settled in September and nothing is settled in November, but the Seahawks will travel to San Francisco at Candlestick Park, where the 49ers play their home games… and on December 8, the Seahawks will obtrude upon that stink hole of a stadium and confirm a "season death sentence" for Jim Harbaugh and the rest of the 49ers team. For it is there, that the Seahawks will clinch and reclaim the NFC West Divisional Championship Title, the No.1 Seed in the NFC and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

If the 49ers are unlucky enough to squeak out a wildcard berth in the playoffs, and if they happen to advance, they know the Super Bowl goes through CenturyLink Field…Every Forty-Niners; player, coach, assistant coach, and ball boy, knows that the C'Link in Seattle, Washington is the last place on the planet earth that they want to be. If they thought a relatively unimportant second game of the season created a record-breaking 136.6 dB of thunder… What kind of unearthly, seismic event of biblical proportions would Seahawks fans create for an NFC title game that could return the Seattle Seahawks to the Super Bowl?

I say forget the earplugs, it's time to purchase a full-size bodysuit, complete with crash helmet and groin protection. Go Hawks!

*****