IR Blog Post1- Foxsports.com

The article I read was:  http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/Players-want-more-say-in-discipline-for-hits-111110

1) Many top name players are being fined thousands of dollars for hits that were deemed as illegal or "unsportsmanlike". In response to these fines, players have tried to battle the league and its top officials saying that many of the fines are unjust and that they are just playing football.

2) For fear of players ending careers and possibly futures, commissioner Roger Goodell and a team of other football experts are analyzing plays in which most injuries result in concussions as either legal or fineable hits. If they feel that the hit was intentional they will decide how much the player should be fine and even could result in suspension for future games.

3) A lot of veteran players feel that the players should get more of a say on how the penalties for hits ruled "unsportsmanlike" are going to be handled. They know they get millions of dollars but if they are going to keep getting fined eventually it will add up and many will lose a good amount of money.

A) Why did they instate a fine for hits, they never had one before and the amount of concussions were not as high why was it put into effect?

B) With safety as an issue why doesn't the league instead of penalizing players for hits resulting in injuries, improve the type of equipment the players are using to a better model that can help reduce injury?

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/new-headshot-punishment-leaves-defenders-defenseless-jason-whitlock-102010

I think that by making a fine for certain hits makes defensive players more cautious about how aggressive they can be. Football is a game of aggression and the best defensive players are the ones who will hit the wide reciever that goes up for the ball, or hits the receiver as he gets the ball. Now to avoid chances of players getting "unsportsmanlike" hits defensive cordinators have to change up game plans in order to avoid any plays that could result in fines. As more and more rules are being put in to help out the safety of players, the less and less "football" is staying as football. Rule after rule is being put in to help make sure that everybody on the field is equally protected and that the numebr of injuries reduces. The best option is to suspend players that intentionally hit a player to hurt him. If a hit like that of Austin Collie in which he was hit into another player that resulted in Collie getting a concussion should be reviewed and if evidence proves that it was unintentional then no action should be done. The game is becoming less and less like the way it was meant to be played and if Goodell keeps up with the fines the sport of football will lose many fans.