10 votes

Aaron Rodgers says roughing the passer penalties are 'going in the wrong direction’

6 comments

  1. [4]
    Erik
    Link
    Like the Fail Mary of 2012, the Packers again find themselves in the middle of an officiating controversy in the NFL. Almost a week after their game, people are still talking about the two...

    Like the Fail Mary of 2012, the Packers again find themselves in the middle of an officiating controversy in the NFL. Almost a week after their game, people are still talking about the two quarterback hits in the Packers-Vikings game that drew flags. This is another chapter in the saga of the NFL's attempts to make the sport safer, while trying to balance why people enjoy watching gridiron football.

    While I love watching the NFL, this inability of the NFL to balance out the desire for player safety with effective rules that don't affect the run of play too much seems to come back to a singular point: is gridiron football a sport that can be safe enough to satisfy those of us concerned about the player's health? All of this back and forth on rules on how to hit someone may come down to the fact that there really isn't a safe way to hit someone and drag them to the ground.

    5 votes
    1. [2]
      NessY
      Link Parent
      Rugby doesn't seem to have the same head injury issues, but they have their own share of severe injuries where apparently spinal injuries are way higher than NFL.

      Rugby doesn't seem to have the same head injury issues, but they have their own share of severe injuries where apparently spinal injuries are way higher than NFL.

      4 votes
      1. Erik
        Link Parent
        The forward pass definitely leaves people more vulnerable to vicious hits, in my opinion. But that doesn't explain all the CTE that affects linebackers, linemen and running backs more than most...

        The forward pass definitely leaves people more vulnerable to vicious hits, in my opinion. But that doesn't explain all the CTE that affects linebackers, linemen and running backs more than most positions. Rugby has a scrum similar to gridiron football, so I don't know if that's it. But with the NFL actively blocking CTE research, we don't know.

        2 votes
    2. [2]
      Comment removed by site admin
      Link Parent
      1. Erik
        Link Parent
        I don't see it going away any time soon. It could very well be that football goes more the realm of boxing or UFC, where there are some heavy regulations that causes the sport to shrink and become...

        I don't see it going away any time soon. It could very well be that football goes more the realm of boxing or UFC, where there are some heavy regulations that causes the sport to shrink and become more niche. But it's tough to imagine, with all the money currently in it, that any legislation gets passed given the role of money in America's law making process.

        1 vote
  2. [2]
    Kijafa
    Link
    It's good that Rodgers himself has come out against this rule, as it is the "Rodgers Rule". It makes sense from a league perspective to protect the QBs as they are the biggest assets player-wise,...

    It's good that Rodgers himself has come out against this rule, as it is the "Rodgers Rule". It makes sense from a league perspective to protect the QBs as they are the biggest assets player-wise, but this rule is absurd and ruins the role of edge defenders.

    2 votes
    1. Erik
      Link Parent
      Though, ironically, the call actually wasn't from the Rodgers rule according to the refs. They said they called both penalties under the scoop and drive rule, which has already been on the books.

      Though, ironically, the call actually wasn't from the Rodgers rule according to the refs. They said they called both penalties under the scoop and drive rule, which has already been on the books.

      2 votes