Too violent?

Sunday was quite a day for huge hits. Multiple players were knocked out of games, and the Eagles Desean Jackson might miss next week with a "severe concussion" in which he had memory loss. The Steelers' James Harrison knocked two Browns players out of the game Sunday.

James Harrison was fined $75K today for his hit on Browns receiver Mohamed Massaqiou, and for being a "repeat offender". That's a lot of jack. Dunta Robinson of the Falcons and Brandon Marriweather of the Patriots were both fined $50K. Harrison and his agent are going to appeal the fine, and rightfully so, he shouldn't be fined more than the others. His hit wasn't even the worst of the hits over the weekend!

Now the NFL is threatening to suspend players for helmet/shoulder/forearm-to-head/neck hits and "devastating" hits.

Now don't get me wrong, I don't like the helmet-to-helmet shots. But not ever single helmet-to-helmet hit is flagrant and an offense that deserves a suspension. If a player knows a hit is coming and lowers his head, he is opening himself up to once of these hits.

Football is a game of violent physics. Players are so fast, big, and strong. It's like the unstoppable force versus the immovable object, something has to give when the collision happens. Players move their bodies to avoid contact, and in doing so they put themselves in position for what could end up being a worse injury than at first. Also, when hit, the body can move and then helmets collide. In real-time, it often looks like an initial helmet-to-helmet hit. But in slow motion, you see that it's not. As a player is hit, his body will naturally move in a direction, the whiplash effect, and the head will go forward and hit the other player. Also, the brain rattles after hits where helmets don't collide or the head strikes the ground hard (like Jay Cutler's concussion versus the Giants).

Also, what is a "devastating" hit, other than helmet-to-helmet? A hit that breaks someone's ribs? A hit that breaks a guys sternum? Breaks a player's pelvis? Shreds his knee to the point he has to retire? If the players have to drastically change the way they hit, this will be the effects. Most players would rather suffer a concussion rather than these other injuries that will keep them out of the game for multiple weeks, if not for sure end their careers.

Also, what about the offensive players that lead with their head? Are they going to be penalized and suspended when they hit a guy helmet-to-helmet or spear them? Roger Goodell cannot have it both ways. If the same penalties are not enforced on the offense, then saying this change is for the safety of the players is complete BS.

Football is like boxing in it's violence. The boxing ring is the only place that you can punch somebody like that and not go to jail. A football field is the only place you can lay the licks that get laid and not go to jail. When a boxer steps into the ring, he knows the risks that come with the sport. When a football player steps onto the field of play, he knows the inherent risks that come with playing the violent game of football. Nobody is holding a gun to any players' head and forcing them to play. If they don't want to play because they are afraid of getting hurt, then they can walk away from the game.

In the end, if Roger Goodell gets his way, we will no longer have the National Football League. We will have the National Flag Football League. We need people who played in Goodell's ear urging him to stop wussifying the league.

And finally, if the NFL wants to get rid of these hits, then they need to stop using them on their promotions for the NFL. That is just hypocrisy at it's finest.