NCAA implements the "Kenny Bell" rule...

[nebraskan]

Wide Receiver catches the ball, turns around, and runs backwards. INVINCIBILITY!!!!

[blessed2bahusker]

Bernard Pollard was right. Football as we know it won't even exist in 20-30 years.

 

Bernard Pollard believes the end is near for the NFL.

 

The hard-hitting Baltimore Ravens safety has watched professional football evolve with bigger, faster players and vows the violent nature of the sport cannot be tempered by continual rule changes. He believes the equation doesn't work.

 

"I just truly believe, another 20, 30 years -- I don't even think football will even be in existence anymore," Pollard told KILT-AM in Houston, via CBSSports.com. "... We all know what this game is about. We know and understand that it's a violent sport."

 

"If somebody is going to get a knockout shot, OK, at some point somebody is going to get hit anyway," Pollard said. "If you end up getting knocked out because you're trying to get a knockout shot, it's either kill or be killed. Which one are you going to do? This is football. It's not powder puff.

 

There's really two ways this thing could go. Pollard could be correct that we won't even have football in another two or three decades. However, there is also another possibility. When one looks at the block by Bell, he could have just as easily got in front of the guy and stood there like a screen in basketball. By doing this, there's a very good chance Bell could have gotten injured. The way the rules are going, it appears as though the ones doing the hitting will eventually be the ones being hit causing injury to themselves. A screen may work well in basketball, but it's going to cause a lot of screeners on the football field injuries.

 

The biggest problem with the new rules is how they're interpreted and then used by the officials. If a running QB flushes out of the pocket, there's a lot less chance a defender gets hit with a penalty for levelling the guy as opposed to a pocket passer who is flushed from the pocket and crushed. It's almost like there's two different sets of rules. I always go back to the difference with regards to sphering. A RB running through the line with his head down is never called for leading with the helmet while a LB or such is almost always called for it when making a tackle.

 

Yep. I was thinking about this earlier. I am just trying to picture a blocker trying to sprint across the field to intercept a defender before he makes the tackle but right before contact he just stops and tries not to hit the guy too hard and just gets leveled himself. The rule makes absolutely no sense.

[Goal-line]

Dig out the flags and belt harnesses. Here comes flag football.

[walksalone]

Dig out the flags and belt harnesses. Here comes flag football.

 

and after the game they can all have orange slices and everyone will get an award...

[Husker66]

wait until someone pulls up not to make a blind hit on that "defenseless" player and that "defenseless" player goes on to blow up a ball carrier ..........I have delivered and received those hits....keep your damned head on a swivel...that's the game....between stupid league allignment geography and softening of the game, its for sure changing my interest ...

[Ratt Mhule]

If Vince McMahon would have waited 20 years, he might have been the top league in the nation. I guess timing is everything

 

[Foppa]

Guess who's in deep sh^t if they miss that block and Turner gets tackled before scoring? Still one of the worst calls on one of the best plays I've ever seen. 2nd place? The worst call on a return due to...nothing... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60ITuAu-W54

[okaive]

Bernard Pollard was right. Football as we know it won't even exist in 20-30 years.

 

Bernard Pollard believes the end is near for the NFL.

 

The hard-hitting Baltimore Ravens safety has watched professional football evolve with bigger, faster players and vows the violent nature of the sport cannot be tempered by continual rule changes. He believes the equation doesn't work.

 

"I just truly believe, another 20, 30 years -- I don't even think football will even be in existence anymore," Pollard told KILT-AM in Houston, via CBSSports.com. "... We all know what this game is about. We know and understand that it's a violent sport."

 

"If somebody is going to get a knockout shot, OK, at some point somebody is going to get hit anyway," Pollard said. "If you end up getting knocked out because you're trying to get a knockout shot, it's either kill or be killed. Which one are you going to do? This is football. It's not powder puff.

 

Mr. Pollard was exaggerating, surely he wouldn't believe that statement to be true. With the money involved, and the popularity of the sport, there is no way football doesn't exist in 20-30, or even 100 years....

But if the sport continues to water itself down and takes away the aspects that made it what it is today in terms of popularity, will that popularity and money continue to sustain itself? Basically what we're headed for is glorified lacrosse. Probably not even that physical.

So far, it's become more popular.

 

 

I know of a few people that used to be die hard NFL fans. Now it's not even a discussion anymore (myself included). Could careless of it.

[HuskerNationNick]

So basically, if your about to get blocked, look the other way so you don't "see" it coming and get the play reversed. Sounds rational to me... /sarcasm

[Fuzzy]

The fact of the matter is, all sport big heads know, fans will continue to watch the game, no matter how many times they change the rule or for what reasons.

[blessed2bahusker]

The fact of the matter is, all sport big heads know, fans will continue to watch the game, no matter how many times they change the rule or for what reasons.

MLB might have said the same thing a few decades ago. They seemed safe, but they are losing the battle right now.

[TonyStalloni]

Would there be logic in having players sign a waver of liability to the school or pro team for whom they play? Also I was thinking the NCAA might take out a blanket policy on each player that only covers catastrophic injuries like paralyzation. Obviously there are risks in playing any contact sport but there are risks in many occupations as well.

[Count 'Bility]

The fact of the matter is, all sport big heads know, fans will continue to watch the game, no matter how many times they change the rule or for what reasons.

MLB might have said the same thing a few decades ago. They seemed safe, but they are losing the battle right now.

Hmmm.

 

Like I said, it's not an over night thing. The decisions we make dont have repercussions tommorrow. If you quit school @16, would you be worried about the effect a day or two later-or ever-for that matter? No, but 10-15 years down the road youre thinkin "damn, I shouldnt've quite school".

[Fuzzy]

In my opinion, pro baseball has never brought in the same kind of fanbase, money and entertainment as lets say pro basketball and football. One could argue that college basketball and college football do better than pro baseball. It's a shame, I agree.

[blessed2bahusker]

In my opinion, pro baseball has never brought in the same kind of fanbase, money and entertainment as lets say pro basketball and football. One could argue that college basketball and college football do better than pro baseball. It's a shame, I agree.

I agree, you are right about that. At the same time the first half of the 1900's baseball was America's past-time. However, society was changing and more and more baseball was not fast paced enough, wasn't "exciting" enough, etc.Then the strike happened and a lot of people who were on the fence just gave MLB the middle finger. Now I'm not saying that football's popularity is going to wane overnight, like others have said, but I think in time (a long time) football will lose a lot of viewers who crave the violent aspect. I don't know, maybe they will gravitate to MMA, maybe Hockey, maybe a new sport comes along, but you can't take away a sports essential element and expect it to be the same game, with the same following. It will change eventually.