The end of the three point stance?

I think the title of this article is a tad misleading and seems to have people in a tizzy. If you read the article it says he's not ruling out the idea of banning the 3 point stance... not that anything is in the works to do so like the title suggests. Relax folks, he's just keeping his options open. This would be a pretty drastic change and I don't see it happening.

Options like this need to be closed ASAP.

How many offensive and defensive lineman in history have ever either gotten a concussion or left the game because of one? I cannot think of any. It seems to me that this is just lip service from the commissioner to keep congress from breathing down the NFL's neck.

There was that play when Warren Sapp got a blind side hit on Chad Clifton and if I remember right that was far away from the play on an INT. However that was long after the initial contact that came from firing out of a three point stance and the rule was addressed that off-season.

On November 24, 2002, at Raymond James Stadium, Sapp drew criticism for blocking the Green Bay Packers' Chad Clifton during an interception return by the Buccaneers. Clifton was jogging down field, away from the main action, and was blindsided by Sapp.[7] The hit sent Clifton to the hospital. He was hospitalized for almost a week and could not walk unaided for five more weeks. In 2005, the NFL Competition Committee agreed on new guidelines for "unnecessary roughness", making hits such as that suffered by Clifton illegal.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/news/2002/11/25/sapp_sherman/t1_sapphit_tv.jpg

Do people really believe that linemen have never gotten concussions during their playing days nor suffered long-term affects after their careers are over? Football is a brutal, violent sport any players at all positions (save for maybe punter and kicker) have felt damaging affects long after their careers are over. And in the cases of some, their lives haven't lasted long past their careers. Football is a tough sport and should be, but that doesn't mean it needs to be deadly and dangerous.

^^ Apparently, according to the clips Matty linked, the doctors hired by the NFL do.

Do people really believe that linemen have never gotten concussions during their playing days nor suffered long-term affects after their careers are over? Football is a brutal, violent sport any players at all positions (save for maybe punter and kicker) have felt damaging affects long after their careers are over. And in the cases of some, their lives haven't lasted long past their careers. Football is a tough sport and should be, but that doesn't mean it needs to be deadly and dangerous.

Most of the problems I hear with lineman post-football are related to their backs and hands. I agree we need to make the game safer, but I honestly don't believe making it illegal to get in a three point stance is a way to do that.

Most of the problems I hear with lineman post-football are related to their backs and hands. I agree we need to make the game safer, but I honestly don't believe making it illegal to get in a three point stance is a way to do that.

Here are two examples for you

ESPN Classic - Former Steeler Webster dies at age 50 (http://espn.go.com/classic/obit/s/2002/0924/1435977.html)

"Webster was the last of the 22 Steelers who played on all four Super Bowl championship teams to leave the team, and the first to die. He refused to leave the lineup even for serious injuries, once playing six straight seasons without missing a snap.

However, that tough-guy insistence on playing hurt may have led to the brain damage. Webster's doctors said the concussions during his career damaged his frontal lobe, causing cognitive dysfunction."

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/15/sports/football/15brain.html

C'mon folks, you don't think there's any serious head trauma going on along the lines during games? Guys crash into each other full force on the snap, helmets collide, guys are falling to the ground getting kicked, kneed, and elbowed.

As I said earlier, research is coming out that says all the small collisions during games add up and are perhaps more damaging over time than the big ones. At least with the big ones guys are held out to heal. With the smaller collisions guys don't even know they could be hurt and keep playing.

C'mon folks, you don't think there's any serious head trauma going on along the lines during games? Guys crash into each other full force on the snap, helmets collide, guys are falling to the ground getting kicked, kneed, and elbowed.

As I said earlier, research is coming out that says all the small collisions during games add up and are perhaps more damaging over time than the big ones. At least with the big ones guys are held out to heal. With the smaller collisions guys don't even know they could be hurt and keep playing.

Without a doubt those mini collisions cause damage over time. The problem is that those mini collisions along the line are inherant to football and the only way to remove them completely is to ban blocking and line play. That will remove those kind of injuries but the game wont be football anymore.

While I've never seen any studies about the pads & helmets I have wondered if the hard plastic shells used cause the players to hit harder (in any collision) because they feel so protected thereby magnifying the collision's result.

Some day football will be played by easily-repaired robots. I can't wait for the 2125 Super Bowl!

Roger Goodell is the worst commissioner the NFL has ever seen. He has already trying to change the league's toughness by fining every hard hit and now this? This is football. these men choose to take the risk of getting injured for the large sums of money and because the sport is so fun to play
seriously.. I get some of the stuff.. but work for better helmets primarily, I know that there are pilot programs and new helmet designs coming out and whatnot.. but yeah..

I mean good step considering that a lot of people are having issues after football, but not every hit deserves a fine, sometimes you have head to head incidentally.. is he going to put a cap on how fast you can run?

between this type of stuff and the let's make every dollar possible by shipping things overseas I'm really not fond of him