Will Reed get suspended? I suspect so

[wickedsolo]

I doubt the NFL would ever do it though. Look at the outcry already over player safety changes "ruining the game" "turning it into flag football"

IMO, it would make more sense to come out and make tackling the rule instead of little chances here and there while never cancelling out old ones.

I think eventually once players stop going for the knock out hits, then they'll be force to wrap up more.

I mean, injuries are going to happen.

Frankly, they need to just set up a very simple scale. However, they really need an IMPARTIAL incident review board.
Strike 1: Fine not to exceed 10% of player's game-day check.
Strike 2: Fine not to exceed 20% of players game-day check.
Strike 3: Forfeiture of 1 game day check, suspended for 1 game.
Strike 4: Suspension not to exceed 4 games, forfeiture of 4 game-day checks.
Strike 5: Banned for 1 season. Unpaid.

I think that they need to set something like this up for off-field incidents as well such as DUI's, drug tests, etc. Is it harsh? Absolutely, but the rules are there for a reason. You can abide by them and enjoy a long and fruitful career...or you can continue to violate them and find another line of work. Guys will get the hint. Players are "loud" and "rebel" so long as they can still get paid.

Finally, if the NFL is really going to be about protecting the players, then they really need to address the equipment requirements. Too often we see guys on the field wearing a chin strap with just 1 clasp on it and in some cases (Brett Favre...Jay Cutler...) we've seen them not even clasp the chin strap. While the chin strap doesn't offer much in the way of padding, it secures the helmet snugly onto the head, which can help in preventing concussions, broken jaws, etc. The helmets are another issue. There have been several studies on which commercial helmets offer the best protection from collisions, and the Revo Speed helmets decimate other helmet companies like Bike and Schutt. I still see a lot of players wearing some of these older helmets instead of the revo's and this is something that the NFL could very easily tell every team to change. I'm glad they're making hip/knee/and thigh pads mandatory starting next year. It is a start.

[wickedsolo]

Not gonna try and reason with someone who thinks hitting in football should be illegal... but at least there will be no fine for the hit on Davis. http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com...for-davis-hit/

Ray Lewis wouldn't be the icon he is without all those great hits he laid on players. It's a crucial part of the game

I agree that we, as consumers wanting to be entertained, have grown to really popularize some of the biggest hitters in the NFL and Ray Lewis is certainly one of them. However, I will say that Ray Lewis has his fair share of hard hits while tackling someone too. He isn't ALWAYS looking to take someone out of the game.

The big hit on Dustin Keller (last year? or the year before?) comes to mind. Ray decked the shit out of Keller, but it wasn't like Ray was looking to knock his ass out of the game. Just hit him hard and stop the play. Ray, IIRC, hit him hard as hell while wrapping him up and driving him to the ground.

I think what NC is saying is that guys like Ryan Clark who launch themselves at players with no intentions to tackle them, just "lay them out", are the players who are really causing this to be such a big issue.

Patrick Willis is a hell of a hitter, but you don't see him getting too many fines. He wraps up whilst decking someone (and yes, I did use whilst on purpose ).

[NCRAVEN]

I agree that we, as consumers wanting to be entertained, have grown to really popularize some of the biggest hitters in the NFL and Ray Lewis is certainly one of them. However, I will say that Ray Lewis has his fair share of hard hits while tackling someone too. He isn't ALWAYS looking to take someone out of the game.

The big hit on Dustin Keller (last year? or the year before?) comes to mind. Ray decked the shit out of Keller, but it wasn't like Ray was looking to knock his ass out of the game. Just hit him hard and stop the play. Ray, IIRC, hit him hard as hell while wrapping him up and driving him to the ground.

I think what NC is saying is that guys like Ryan Clark who launch themselves at players with no intentions to tackle them, just "lay them out", are the players who are really causing this to be such a big issue.

Patrick Willis is a hell of a hitter, but you don't see him getting too many fines. He wraps up whilst decking someone (and yes, I did use whilst on purpose ).

Exactly. Ryan Clark is almost always launching and just laying guys out, he almost never tries to tackle.

James Harrison is another, his few hits two years ago (or it might have been last year) that got him suspended, on Massaquoi, (the other I can't remember) and than Colt McCoy, had he tried to wrap them up, all most likely would have avoided injury and he would have not been flagged or suspended.

[NCRAVEN]

Not gonna try and reason with someone who thinks hitting in football should be illegal... but at least there will be no fine for the hit on Davis. http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com...for-davis-hit/

Ray Lewis wouldn't be the icon he is without all those great hits he laid on players. It's a crucial part of the game

Lewis is a far better tackler than he is a big hitter.

Frankly, I find your stance highly hyopcritical that you are against a guys knees being taken out, but think "great hits" (that you can see result in concussions and take guys out of games) are a crucial part of the game.

[Ravenswintitle]

The hits that got Harrison suspended were head hits. Quite a difference in your wish of eliminating all hits from football.

[NCRAVEN]

The hits that got Harrison suspended were head hits. Quite a difference in your wish of eliminating all hits from football.

And if he tried to tackle... what do you think would have happened, lower target area perhaps?

[Derf]

Those are two of the charities, not the ONLY two.

They also donate to Shriner's Hospital and The United Way via NFL Charities.

I'd love to see a break down of how much goes where. I suspect the lion's share go directly to benefiting their own retirees and their families.

[DkBlue]

Exactly. Ryan Clark is almost always launching and just laying guys out, he almost never tries to tackle.

James Harrison is another, his few hits two years ago (or it might have been last year) that got him suspended, on Massaquoi, (the other I can't remember) and than Colt McCoy, had he tried to wrap them up, all most likely would have avoided injury and he would have not been flagged or suspended.

Gotta call BS on this one. Ryan Clark is a good tackler and a big hitter. By the way watch the Massaquoi hit it is the classsic case of a receiver lowering his head that everyone screams about.

[NCRAVEN]

Gotta call BS on this one. Ryan Clark is a good tackler and a big hitter. By the way watch the Massaquoi hit it is the classsic case of a receiver lowering his head that everyone screams about.

We'll agree to disagree about Clark.

But here is a PERFECT example of a guy who is hitting instead of tackling and how it is DIRECTLY responsible for an injury.

[NCRAVEN]

OR we could go with this one.

[NCRAVEN]

Or this one.