[For those not as familiar with these sports related terms, the offense is not trying to OFFEND anyone, but their main purpose is to score points. The defense can also do this, but unlike fútbol*, both team's offense and defense do not take the field at the same time.]
I agree with protecting these men from head injuries as much as possible, but it is certainly changing the nature of the game as I have known it as a spectator. You cannot lead with your helmet on a tackle, you cannot hit people high, you cannot take out their feet with your legs (on purpose), you cannot horse tackle your opponent, etc. Some of these changes are surely protecting players from potential career ending injuries, but they are also altering the game from a gladiatorial competition to more of a procedural exercise.
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| [borrowed from http://filmmusicreporter.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/gladiator1.jpg] |
The instant replay rule and slow motion technology is helping the officials to make better calls, but you can still get away with things as long as no official sees you commit the infraction. Individual interpretations of the rules also wreak havoc with the flow of the play.
As a long time soccer player (25+ years) I only received one yellow card during all that time. I executed a beautiful pop-up slide towards a goalie when playing center forward, and the referee apparently believed that scaring the opposing defender was worth issuing a yellow card. Technically the call was "Dangerous Play", but since I never came within a yard of the goalie, I take issue with that call. The referee obviously was a big 'fraidy cat, but there is no replay booth in adult club soccer, and arguing with the referee will usually just get you a red card, which means you cool your heels on the bench for the rest of the game.
The normal duration of an NFL game is over 3 hours, and numerous trips to the instant replay booth (especially since every scoring play is reviewed) may tend to make the game even longer. Most of the reviews happen during the commercial breaks, but I still don't like them. I have not decided what I think about the coach challenge flags.
As I was stewing over the fact that my local CBS affiliate was not broadcasting the Ravens v. Jets game, I saw a very humorous commercial featuring Ray Lewis and Brian Urlacher, two defensive players that I admire very much.
If you are interested, you should check out this youtube video clip: xbox commercial
The two men depicted in this commercial take very different perspectives on how to best enjoy their retirements. I can relate to this comical presentation of life after retirement, as I try to figure out how to accomplish this gracefully myself.
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* I like to use the spanish word for what we Americans (the USA variety of people living in this hemisphere) call soccer, as it is spelled differently than the NFL product.
