Foofball

Is the NFL serious? I understand safety is a concern but when that concern weakens the integrity of the game I think that's when you say it's safe enough. Yes, safety is important, but at the same time, football is a contact sport. People play football expecting to get knocked down and roughed up, and sometimes they even get hurt, oh my! When you watch tapes of old football games those guys are out there tearing each others heads off. They are not all that concerned about hitting the quarterback too hard or in the wrong spot, they just want to knock him down any way they can. In today's game players can't hit people to hard, or in the head, or below the knee, or too late because they will get a penalty and a hefty fine in the mail.

So the five rules that were past are as follows:

• The initial force of a blindside block can't be delivered by a helmet, forearm or shoulder to an opponent's head or neck. An illegal blindside block will bring a 15-yard penalty.
• Initial contact to the head of a defenseless receiver also will draw a 15-yard penalty.
• On kickoffs, no blocking wedge of more than two players will be allowed. A 15-yard penalty will go to a violating team.
• On kickoffs, the kicking team can't have more than five players bunched together pursuing an onside kick. Breaking this rule would draw a 5-yard penalty.
• Prohibits a defender on the ground who hasn't been blocked or fouled directly into the quarterback from lunging or diving at the quarterback's lower legs.

So there will be no more electrifying blind side blocks by wide receivers. I suppose the second rule is actually a good one because sometimes defenseless WRs get rocked by defensive backs after the pass is incomplete. So much for the wedge! No more than 2 players? That is just ridiculous, even Devin Hester won't be able to run back kick-offs for touchdowns anymore, no blocking. Also, so much for late game comebacks by trailing teams because they will never recover and on-sides kick now. But the worst one of all, the ultimate siss-i-fication of the NFL is the "Tom Brady Rule". This next season the quarterbacks may as well just keep the red jerseys from training camp and wear them all season.