Quote:
Originally Posted by Danzig
yeah, they aren't-for the most part, trindon hollidays tackle very, very much the exception-'real' football players. they are typically small, slight, and wear less protection even than a qb.
aside from that, the hit most likely was illegal regardless of who he hit, and is the type of hit they are trying to get rid of in football. people like to glorify the old days, but football players are in no way similar to those of old. they are faster, bigger, stronger. football almost went the way of the dodo once before, because it was deemed too unsafe. surely no one wants it to go away because they think it's just fine that people are getting injuries that affect them the rest of their life?
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Most punters are tall and have long legs - it is a decided mechanical advantage over a small, slight-framed kicker. They typically are not "slight" either, they just have exceedingly limited protection compared to the padding you see them surrounded by..
But that isn't the point. they need to be able to extend their kicking leg over their head, and also need the mobility to react to long snaps. They can't possibly do this successfully with any real degree of bulky padding.
To Tom's point, under the current rules, if you are on the field of play, either blocking or attempting to make a tackle, they can and should be treated like any other player.
Yes, this was a bad hit under the new rules, but even if he doesn't lead with his head, you've essentially got a guy 6'2" 195 lbs with no padding being blindsided and steamrolled by an NFL linebacker. It's a recipe for disaster.
I'd like to see this rule changed where they kick the ball and then get the hell off the field. I personally don't need to see that crap.
If anyone thinks that is just "good ole football" and "an important part of the game" then they really ought to consider buying an Affliction shirt and a neck tattoo and then heading down to the local MMA gym. A hit like that isn't football.