As a Broncos fan, I say it also helps to take away a big advantage we have at home, thin air and little time to catch your breath. If these rules were in place last year, I wonder if they would have won any games this season, heh.
Posted on 03/23/2011 9:46:19 PM PDT by Impy
NEW ORLEANS — Opposing players haven't had much luck slowing return ace Devin Hester, but opposing team owners did so Tuesday when they passed a rule that will make it more difficult to return kickoffs.
The Bears steadfastly opposed the proposal to move kickoffs from the 30-yard line to the 35 and voted against it to no avail.
Kickers will find it much easier to reach the end zone and force the returner to settle for a touchback as opposed to risking a big return. It is anticipated the touchback rate could more than double to near 40 percent.
Coach Lovie Smith acknowledged the new rule would make it more difficult for the Bears.
"We'll still be able to get returns in," he said before the rule was passed Tuesday. "We'll find ways to deal with it."
The league implemented the rule because it found a higher incidence of collision injuries, specifically concussions, on kickoffs. But Smith said the Bears had incurred only one injury in two years, and that was an ankle sprain.
(Excerpt) Read more at articles.chicagotribune.com ...
Nearly double the touchback rate? Well, hell. Why not just let the kick returner play rock, paper, scissors beforehand to determine if it’s a fair catch?
Stupid new rule. Bunch of socialists. We have to make kick returns fair and accessible to all.
The NFL should implement the “Rouge”, 1-point for touchbacks.
I can understand the Bear’s coach not approving of this rule. The Bears have the most dangerous kickoff return man in the NFL with Devin Hester.
This will not stop #23. In the first place, most of his TD returns come on punts. In the second place, he has been known to take it back from deep in the end zone - and go either all the way or at least well past the 20.
Returns are much more exciting than touchbacks - especially for Bears fans these last 5 seasons...
Be sure to teach them to wear lipstick, too
I agree, when the opposing team punts or kicks off the sports bar patrons are locked onto the TVs. It’s usually the most exciting part of the Bear’s offense.
I still relish, and can almost feel, the most vicious hit I ever took. (Was in a ruby game, actually, LOL. I wish I knew where that guy is today so I can buy him a round every once in a while.)
I loathe those who would deny such memories to others because they are too afraid themselves. Women simply don't understand physical pain. They are master's of dealing the far more damaging and more permanent kind of pain, so I guess they just don't need it in their arsenal, and hope to remove it from ours. %#!@*&
(What's that? How did you know I got blind-sided by the love of my life recently? You psychic?)
I hear they are also passing a rule that players legs will be connected by a two foot piece of line in order to prevent injuries from high speed tackles.
++++ The under lying reason is to be able to add more commercials.......It will increase revenue and downtime, in my opinion more boring ++++
And this household is done with college basketball hype for this reason also.
I’m surprised they don’t do that.
1. A guy could really hurt his toe kicking that hard football
2. People running down the field to cover, could trip
3. The referees could injure their necks if the players go by too fast
4. If the players build up too much speed running, they could get nasty carpet burns when they fall
5. Imagine what all that speed means if a player goes out of bounds and collides with someone
While we’re at it, they should probably limit how far the wide receiver can go down field for a pass too
Once these things are instituted, I’d like to see the teams develop kilts to play in, instead of those idiotic uniforms with all the pads. If they need the pads, they’re not going it right.
Some make-up would probably help too. If we’re going to sissify the game, who not go all the way.
I think that's just due to the normal fighting slaves do amongst themselves.
How many NFL players don’t make it past 3 years in the league due to injury and how many because they play one year and then fail to make a team? The better players seem to have plenty long careers to me. I more than half suspect that shortened career stat is a union contrivance and not one of legitimate injury.
As to how many players grew up within 300 miles i have to ask what sort of question is that? The discussion is NFL not college. Why pick 300?
If PEDS are your concern then you can quit watching football as i stopped watching baseball a decade ago.
Are the refs on the up and up? What does that have to do with anything? Is that a serious question when comparing the merits of 2 sports?
I don’t wish to pick on you but you see most of your response added nothing to the conversation and seems to have more to do with your hangups over YOUR local team than anything else.
Replace the kickoff with a punt from the 40. Allow fair catches. This would still be fun but not have the two teams running into each other full speed. More turnovers. On a kickoff if you bobble the ball, you’re OK. On a punt, you’re in trouble.
I call this the ‘Jeff Reid’ rule. He just had a career extension.
Years ago, they kicked off from the 40 yard line. There were so many touchbacks that they moved the kickoff back to the 35, then the 30, to encourage kickoff returns.
Now they are going in the opposite direction,
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Just more regressiveLeftwomensLib thought processing turning this once Great Country into one that elects odumbi as President. Football is going to be replaced by a tougher sport. Hint. Blacks better learn how to skate. Hockey is going to do to Football what UFC did to boxing.
Touchbacks are a drag on game momentum. They’re better off doing away with the kickoff.
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