Hard Hits

A new subject of debate in the NFL surfaced last week after a bunch of hard, "dangerous", hits caused player injuries such as concussions, of brief losses of memory. Last Sunday night, NBC commentator and former NFL player, Rodney Harrison, known for his hard hits during his career, boldly proclaimed the need to suspend players for dangerous hits, as opposed to simply fining them. He said, "When I got fined, it didn't stop me -- missing four or five games is the only way they'll stop."

The next day the NFL issued a report saying that a reform would be issued to abstain from further injuries, prohibiting deliberate hits to the head and neck area. It seemed that the NFL acted on Rodney Harrison's words, and quickly. Later that night, the usual analysts on ESPN, Steve Young, Trent Dilfer, Tom Jackson and the rest of the ex-player/coach crew, freaked out in objection to this rule, cynically saying that the game of football as we knew it was over. They acknowledged the safety issue with it, but said that from a football player's mind, they understand what they're getting into, the game is inherently violent, and frankly, we watch football because of those hits.

It's been an interesting debate that many have talked out about this past week. What interests me the most, however, is how fabricated the media made the issue. I didn't hear much about what the player's seemed to think, but again it doesn't matter. The NFL is a company, designed for making money. The executives in the NFL don't want the league to get the image of being brutal (although who are they trying to fool), so because of a week of football with a condensed amount of heavy hits, they make a radical change.

I'm not sure what I really believe. I want to say that above all, people shouldn't be at risk of dying on the field, or off the field a few years down the road. It's no surprise that retired football players suffer from head trauma, and early, untimely deaths. Should we just accept it as is, or should we change it? Do you we support the fact that football players are really just millionaires running around, so the risk they take is justified? And are we or the media to judge how these players play this game they choose to play, or do we change it to appeal to what we want to see (and is it safety or is it more brutal hits?)

I don't know what I agree with, I'll open up the table for ya'll.