This is a penalty in Roger Goodell's NFL

[Siggy00]

That's what I said. Just eliminate the helmet all together.

Put them in hockey helmets.

[lloydroid]

This is not a penalty I hope. The new rule states you cannot use the crown of your helmet to make contact. He made contact with his shoulder and possibly with his helmet. The crown is the very apex of the helmet right?

If this is a penalty it's pretty fu$cking stupid. AND, if it's illegal to touch helmets at all eventually, why have helmets at all??

The play with Richardson running over that Philly defender should no way be a penalty; that was an awesome football play. He looked like Earl Campbell on that play. The NFL is quickly becoming a sport not resembling football. A RB should absolutely be able to use his head to strike defenders. Not allowing them to do so makes them far more vulnerable. What, do you expect them to just absorb punishment without being able to dish any out?

[skyhawk]

That's what I said. Just eliminate the helmet all together.

Put them in hockey helmets.

I added the Campbell vid's above.

[skyhawk]

And good point. Smaller helmets would be better. Perhaps the old leather ones. But I think Hockey helmets are a legitimate replacement.

[Siggy00]

Yep. Penalty.

This is going to be just like halmet to helmets with safeties. Clean hits will be flagged simply because of how a play LOOKS.

[skyhawk]

And I think this rule, using the very crown, also protects the runner a little bit too. That's hard on your neck and spine. Just ask Gus Frerotte. Even though his was a bonehead move.

[skyhawk]

Yep. Penalty.

This is going to be just like halmet to helmets with safeties. Clean hits will be flagged simply because of how a play LOOKS.

And like the NFL needs anymore judgement calls. Plus you got all the armchair beer drinking fanstasy football noobs that will be whining every call (I live in Seattle).

[Siggy00]

OK so if runners can't use their crowns then when is helmet to helmet on a running back on a running play illegal?

Have to work both sides of the coin then.

Goodell is such a douche, and I'm embarrassed that the Rooney's are largely responsible for him getting the job.

[skyhawk]

Get rid of the dumbest word in the NFL English dictionary - "helmet-to-helmet". There's helmet to helmet on every play from most all of the offensive and defensive lineman. OK. Let's play the NFL like flag football lineman have to play.

And Rooney voted for this rule. The only team not to were the Bengals.

And the tuck rule was eliminated. One of the few people who voted AGAINST eliminating it was Rooney.

[Ghost]

This is bad for the game. I always thought the "flag football" comments were a bit over the top, but this is the first huge step towards that. It's a damn shame.

[papillon]

The Penguins are playing some darn good hockey right now and hockey is exciting. I've been watching a lot of hockey and lacrosse. Football will screw the pooch at some point. I see it happening right in our house. Our kids used to look forward to watching the Steelers play, but over the past few years they have found other sporting events that they find more entertaining, lacrosse, hockey and soccer. The NFL has lost them, the only reason they watch at all is because their father is nuts for the Steelers.

Pappy

[Djfan]

The Penguins are playing some darn good hockey right now and hockey is exciting. I've been watching a lot of hockey and lacrosse. Football will screw the pooch at some point. I see it happening right in our house. Our kids used to look forward to watching the Steelers play, but over the past few years they have found other sporting events that they find more entertaining, lacrosse, hockey and soccer. The NFL has lost them, the only reason they watch at all is because their father is nuts for the Steelers.

Pappy

This is exactly the truth. It sucks, but it's real. And, the Pens are very exciting right now. Let's hope that this continues.

[hawaiiansteel]

Jerome Bettis says NFL’s new helmet rule “makes no sense”

Posted by Michael David Smith on March 21, 2013



Add Jerome Bettis to the list of current or former NFL running backs who don’t like the new rule against runners delivering forcible blows with the top of the helmet.

“It really makes no sense,” Bettis said today on Mike and Mike in the Morning. “The running back now is going to have some indecision with his helmet and his head. . . . Whenever a running back has indecision, there’s potential for injury.”

Bettis said that when he would lower his helmet during his playing career, it wasn’t his intent to hit an opponent with the top of his head. Instead, lowering the helmet was just a byproduct of lowering his shoulders.

“I don’t put my head down saying I’m trying to lead with the crown of my helmet, I put my head down because there’s trouble on the way,” he said. “I’m putting my head down because I want to get my shoulders lower.”

Bettis also said he worries that officials are going to have a hard time determining what constitutes delivering a forcible blow with the top of the helmet, and what is just an ordinary open-field collision.

“We’re creating so many plays that are subjective for the referee, that before you know it the referee controls the outcome of the game because these calls can go either way, and then the referees start taking too prominent of a role in deciding the outcome of the game,” Bettis said.

That’s the same argument that Bengals owner Mike Brown made in explaining his vote against the new rule. But considering that all 31 other owners voted for the rule, it’s clear that’s not an argument that has a lot of support with the people who make the decisions in the NFL.

[URL]http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/03/21/jerome-bettis-says-nfls-new-helmet-rule-makes-no-sense/[/URL]

[supersteeler]

Next they will replace helmets altogether with ....sponge Bob headgear.

[Siggy00]

Pretty close. They should make every helmet have the Mark Kelso/Steve Wallace shell.