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View Full Version : New York Giants owner John Mara envisions end to kickoffs



Denver Native (Carol)
04-14-2012, 03:04 PM
GOOD GRIEF - WHAT'S NEXT??????


New York Giants owner John Mara, a member of the NFL's Competition Committee, says he can see a day in which kickoffs will be eliminated from football.

“We had a lot of discussions about whether we should eliminate it and if we did, what we could do in its place,” Mara told Giants.com. “There’s no consensus on it right now, but I could see the day in the future where that play could be taken out of the game. You see it evolving toward that.”

rest - http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d82850481/article/new-york-giants-owner-john-mara-envisions-end-to-kickoffs?module=HP11_headline_stack

Northman
04-14-2012, 03:18 PM
XFL anyone? lmao

BroncoWave
04-14-2012, 03:31 PM
He isn't the first to suggest this. Greg Schiano suggested it a year or so ago as well. The kickoff is probably the most dangerous in football. People may not like it but if it improves the safety of the game the NFL could consider it. Personally, I wouldn't mind it. I'm not so selfish to value my personal entertainment over the long-term health of the guys providing that entertainment.

Northman
04-14-2012, 03:50 PM
No offense BTB, its a physical sport and they can get hurt doing ANYTHING on the field. The kickoffs wont spare them from having a injury.

ShaneFalco
04-14-2012, 03:53 PM
ive had my butt knocked clean so many times on kickoffs by some 300 pound guy.

Regardless if it hurt or was dangerous. was fun everytime!

Kickoffs should never be eliminated

Ravage!!!
04-14-2012, 03:54 PM
I think special teams and the KO return can be some of the most exciting parts of football. If we are going to remove every aspect of the game that can "potentionally be dangerous".. then lets just get down to it and eliminate the tackling. Thats where most people get hurt. Lets make it flag football and be honest with this "protect the players" stuff. It doesn't make sense to continue to ruin the game that made it the most popular game in the US and change the rules under the sign of "for the protection of the safety"...when we are allowing them to tackle. Make up your mind. Do we want the game of football to be tackling, hitting, running over people, smashing.... or not?

People hurt in KO game compared to the tackling of the rest of the game, doesn't make it the most dangerous part... the GAME is the most dangerous part.

Soon it will be the NFFL.. National Flag Football League.

Northman
04-14-2012, 03:55 PM
I think special teams and the KO return can be some of the most exciting parts of football. If we are going to remove every aspect of the game that can "potentionally be dangerous".. then lets just get down to it and eliminate the tackling. Thats where most people get hurt. Lets make it flag football and be honest with this "protect the players" stuff. It doesn't make sense to continue to ruin the game that made it the most popular game in the US and change the rules under the sign of "for the protection of the safety"...when we are allowing them to tackle. Make up your mind. Do we want the game of football to be tackling, hitting, running over people, smashing.... or not?

People hurt in KO game compared to the tackling of the rest of the game, doesn't make it the most dangerous part... the GAME is the most dangerous part.

Soon it will be the NFFL.. National Flag Football League.

Pretty much my sentiment. Do away with the sport alltogether if your THAT worried about injuries. It just gets to a point that its beyond silly. They get paid a lot of money for something that is a game. There has to be some risk involved somewhere.

Denver Native (Carol)
04-14-2012, 03:56 PM
No offense BTB, its a physical sport and they can get hurt doing ANYTHING on the field. The kickoffs wont spare them from having a injury.

Definitely - Chris Kuper can verify that

BroncoWave
04-14-2012, 04:10 PM
No offense BTB, its a physical sport and they can get hurt doing ANYTHING on the field. The kickoffs wont spare them from having a injury.

Where did I say that? Please don't be disingenuous in representing my argument. You know very well I wasn't suggesting that eliminating the KO would eliminate injuries. We are both smarter that that. Yeah kickoffs are entertaining, but if eliminating them makes the game even a little safer then I can't complain too much.

Ravage!!!
04-14-2012, 04:17 PM
Where did I say that? Please don't be disingenuous in representing my argument. You know very well I wasn't suggesting that eliminating the KO would eliminate injuries. We are both smarter that that. Yeah kickoffs are entertaining, but if eliminating them makes the game even a little safer then I can't complain too much.

Well, than under the guise of keeping football safe, and to make the sport the safest it could be, we should stop tackling altogether. That should make the game a LOT safer than it is today. I mean, why is the NFL dancing around the giant pink elephant when it comes to the cause of injuries in the NFL?

Denver Native (Carol)
04-14-2012, 04:34 PM
Interesting comments by Jon Embree, CU coach, in regards to the kickoff being changed from the 30 to the 35 yd line in college this year.

from article:


Embree said he is reluctant to give opponents the extra five yards and he believes many of his peers will feel the same and won't want their kickers booting the ball out of the back of the end zone. That could mean a lot of kickers around the nation this spring will be directed to practice kicking off high and not so deep.

Embree said it will likely become a common strategy to force a return by kicking the ball only to the 5- or 10-yard lines.

"I think you high pooch it and cover it," Embree said. "What I think will happen is if you get effective at that, you're putting the other team even more at risk than what the rule intended because unless he fair catches it, he can really take a shot because everyone is closer obviously.

full article - http://www.buffzone.com/cu-news/ci_20107601/jon-embree-believes-new-kickoff-rules-could-increase

Broncos Mtnman
04-14-2012, 04:38 PM
Goodell has been wussing up the NFL ever since he become commissioner.

It would be a major mistake, but I wouldn't be surprised to see it come to this.

Nomad
04-14-2012, 05:49 PM
With all the former players starting to come forward and suing because of concussions and the like, I'm not surprised. They're the driving force to these ideas and decisions.

Northman
04-14-2012, 08:53 PM
Where did I say that? Please don't be disingenuous in representing my argument. You know very well I wasn't suggesting that eliminating the KO would eliminate injuries. We are both smarter that that. Yeah kickoffs are entertaining, but if eliminating them makes the game even a little safer then I can't complain too much.

But thats my point. If your going to go to that level to ensure safety than take out the sack. Remember Doom plowing Tom Brady into the turf? That could of seriously injured Brady. There are a million things that can happen in a football game that can cause serious injury. Who was the LB for Detroit years ago that was left unconscious or something on the field? Spielman i think? And he was just making a routine tackle. Football itself is entertaining, so is the hits that we see. It gets us (at least me) pumped up when watching it but i also understand that injuries will happen, it always has and always will. If you take away everything that makes it entertaining than you just go and ruin the game and it becomes pointless to even play it.

Northman
04-14-2012, 08:54 PM
With all the former players starting to come forward and suing because of concussions and the like, I'm not surprised. They're the driving force to these ideas and decisions.

Possibly. But if the players are looking to soften up the game i think they should start softening up their contracts. I wont pay to watch flag football.

BroncoWave
04-14-2012, 09:14 PM
But thats my point. If your going to go to that level to ensure safety than take out the sack. Remember Doom plowing Tom Brady into the turf? That could of seriously injured Brady. There are a million things that can happen in a football game that can cause serious injury. Who was the LB for Detroit years ago that was left unconscious or something on the field? Spielman i think? And he was just making a routine tackle. Football itself is entertaining, so is the hits that we see. It gets us (at least me) pumped up when watching it but i also understand that injuries will happen, it always has and always will. If you take away everything that makes it entertaining than you just go and ruin the game and it becomes pointless to even play it.

Taking away the kickoff would be far from "taking away everything that's entertaining" about football. Obviously you can't get rid of tackling because that would fundamentally change the game too much. I think the game could survive without kickoffs though. Yeah they are exciting but it's also a pretty cheap and gimmicky way to score.

OrangeHoof
04-15-2012, 11:46 AM
The KO return is one of the most exciting plays in football and the on-side kickoff increases late game strategy. I wouldn't want to see either removed. But how would you replace it? A punt? Giving the other team the ball at the 35? The 25? The 20? What if there's a penalty assessed on the kickoff - does it apply to where you spot the ball?

I always thought the PAT was the most pointless (pardon the pun) play in football. Just give them seven points unless they elect to try for two.

Nomad
04-15-2012, 11:50 AM
Speaking of NFL rules......check out the BRONCO fan:lol:

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/04/15/unruly-fans-must-pass-code-of-conduct-exam-to-return-to-games/

Foochacho
04-15-2012, 11:54 AM
If there is no more kickoffs or onside kicks football will be awful to watch. In alot of games you will know you are out by the time the fourth rolls around. When down by a few scores you need big plays to get back in it. Returns for td's and onside kicks are the quickest way to get a shitty game into a battle to the end.

DenBronx
04-15-2012, 12:22 PM
The NFL is becoming less and less exciting. It will really suck if they get rid of kickoffs.

Canmore
04-15-2012, 04:45 PM
The NFL is becoming less and less exciting. It will really suck if they get rid of kickoffs.

All in the name of " Player Safety". News flash, football is a dangerous, violent sport. The wussification of the NFL under Goodell reminds me of Not For Long as the most popular sport in America if you keep diluting the product.

Nomad
04-15-2012, 04:59 PM
All in the name of " Player Safety". News flash, football is a dangerous, violent sport. The wussification of the NFL under Goodell reminds me of Not For Long as the most popular sport in America if you keep diluting the product.

How can you put this all on Goodell when nearly 1200 former players and counting,from all decades, are coming forward and suing because of the safety of the NFL? I'm not saying Goodell isn't a reason but given the circumstances, he and the NFL Safety Committee are covering their asses because of the lawsuits that have been increasing over the last some years. Perhaps, people should tell the former players they knew it was a collision sport and many injuries do occur. IMO, they're the ones leading the crusade for all these new safety rules.

Canmore
04-15-2012, 05:37 PM
How can you put this all on Goodell when nearly 1200 former players and counting,from all decades, are coming forward and suing because of the safety of the NFL? I'm not saying Goodell isn't a reason but given the circumstances, he and the NFL Safety Committee are covering their asses because of the lawsuits that have been increasing over the last some years. Perhaps, people should tell the former players they knew it was a collision sport and many injuries do occur. IMO, they're the ones leading the crusade for all these new safety rules.

Goodell is the one running the show. He is the one coming up with all the new rule changes. Now we are rumoring doing away with kickoffs. Any sane individual knows that running head first into another person doing the same thing is inherently dangerous. They are making millions of dollars to do this. The rumored rule change is ludicrous.

BroncoWave
04-15-2012, 05:45 PM
How can you put this all on Goodell when nearly 1200 former players and counting,from all decades, are coming forward and suing because of the safety of the NFL? I'm not saying Goodell isn't a reason but given the circumstances, he and the NFL Safety Committee are covering their asses because of the lawsuits that have been increasing over the last some years. Perhaps, people should tell the former players they knew it was a collision sport and many injuries do occur. IMO, they're the ones leading the crusade for all these new safety rules.

No, they didn't know all of the risks. No one knew back then how much it would really screw up their brains once they got into their 50's and 60's. Yeah they knew it was dangerous, but I don't think anyone was really aware of how royally they would be screwed up later in life from all of the head trauma.

Also, even if they did know they risks, that doesn't mean they don't have the right to try to petition to make the game safer. Yeah it's a violent sport and players who sign up for it know that, but that doesn't mean they don't have the right to as safe a workplace environment as possible.

Nomad
04-15-2012, 06:01 PM
Goodell is the one running the show. He is the one coming up with all the new rule changes. Now we are rumoring doing away with kickoffs. Any sane individual knows that running head first into another person doing the same thing is inherently dangerous. They are making millions of dollars to do this. The rumored rule change is ludicrous.

I agree that any person with common sense knows that if you bash your head enough, it will mess a person up. Again, lawsuits against the NFL is the driving force for these safety rules. What do you suggest the NFL do....keep paying the lawsuits as they come and leave the game the same. Have players sign a waiver stating the NFL isn't liable for future health problems as they retire?


No, they didn't know all of the risks. No one knew back then how much it would really screw up their brains once they got into their 50's and 60's. Yeah they knew it was dangerous, but I don't think anyone was really aware of how royally they would be screwed up later in life from all of the head trauma.

Also, even if they did know they risks, that doesn't mean they don't have the right to try to petition to make the game safer. Yeah it's a violent sport and players who sign up for it know that, but that doesn't mean they don't have the right to as safe a workplace environment as possible.

And this is why the rules are changing.

Canmore
04-15-2012, 07:04 PM
I agree that any person with common sense knows that if you bash your head enough, it will mess a person up. Again, lawsuits against the NFL is the driving force for these safety rules. What do you suggest the NFL do....keep paying the lawsuits as they come and leave the game the same. Have players sign a waiver stating the NFL isn't liable for future health problems as they retire?



And this is why the rules are changing.

I don't have a solution. Wish I did. Still, I don't want to see the integrity of the game altered and eliminating the kickoff is messing with the game. I've learned to live with the defenseless receiver rule. It appears the players are too, but removing the kickoff from the game? Come on.

Nomad
04-15-2012, 07:50 PM
I don't have a solution. Wish I did. Still, I don't want to see the integrity of the game altered and eliminating the kickoff is messing with the game. I've learned to live with the defenseless receiver rule. It appears the players are too, but removing the kickoff from the game? Come on.

I agree and I'm not advocating for rule changes but giving my opinion why the rule changes are happening.

OrangeHoof
04-15-2012, 09:51 PM
The lawsuit is mostly because the NFLPA and the league has conspired to dick with the old-timers on health benefits so the lawsuits are largely a money grab to get what they believe ought to be theirs. Even a star player in the NFL back in the '70s and '80s made a few hundred thou a season, not millions. True, some of the veteran players have debilitating health issues brought on by playing football but many are in this just to cash in on the settlement money just like a bunch of smokers have.

After all, how can the NFL prove the head injuries are not their fault? They'll have to settle and then the pay-out bonanza will begin.

The other problem is that there are helmets designed to protect the head from violent collisions. NASCAR has them. But they don't look like the current NFL helmets and the league would be all but admitting they outfitted players in a defective product design all these years for esoteric reasons.

The rule changes wont dramatically drop player injuries. They just want the appearance that they are doing something.

sneakers
04-16-2012, 01:28 AM
We could have a chicken placed on teh 20 yard line, and have him run around until he poops, and that is where the team will take possession of the ball.

sneakers
04-16-2012, 01:29 AM
Speaking of NFL rules......check out the BRONCO fan:lol:

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/04/15/unruly-fans-must-pass-code-of-conduct-exam-to-return-to-games/

Hhahhahhahhahahaa!