NFL Demise Watch 2018: Forget the Protests, the New Helmet Rule Will Destroy the League
In previous iterations of this column, we’ve examined the NFL’s shocking revenue numbers and dwindling fan base across the political spectrum.
Both of the aforementioned issues have been somewhat tangentially related to the league’s ongoing public relations nightmare over national anthem protests and the polarizing effect they’re having on fans.
Some fans are upset with the anthem protests themselves, finding them to be the ultimate sign of disrespect to many who have given their lives to protect the flag. Others are upset that the NFL dares to muzzle said protests, feeling that it’s trampling on players’ rights.
Despite declining viewership, the NFL is still the king of television. Seven of the 10 most watched shows in 2017 were NFL games. Many people are able to separate the politics from the game itself and still immensely enjoy the league’s product.
But that enjoyment of the NFL, for those who are not boycotting the league, stems largely from the game itself. No other North American sport quite encapsulates the high-scoring physicality that the NFL embodies. The NHL certainly has the physicality, but games tend to end in relatively low-scoring affairs. The NBA has high scores but nowhere near the physicality.
That all being said, the NFL may face a crisis greater than anything Colin Kaepernick could conjure up if its new helmet rule, which penalizes players for lowering their heads to initiate contact against an opponent on any play, is as overbearing as it seemed in the Hall of Fame preseason game on Thursday night.
First and foremost, it’s just impossible to regulate safety in a game that is as inherently violent as football. Very large men are moving at impossibly fast speeds. The mere physics of that alone is going to damage and hurt people.
Just look at these two plays that drew flags in the inaugural preseason game.
If this is a personal foul they need to erase the safety position pic.twitter.com/vBvak4AojK
— Jac Collinsworth (@JacCollinsworth) August 3, 2018
I understood enforcement of the first 2 calls by letter of the law. But it’s a disservice to the officials & viewers when the announcers defend calls that are wrong. Collinsworth: “Lowers his helmet, contact to the arm/shoulder area” ??? Except he didn’t lower his helmet. pic.twitter.com/gO3a1SMroM
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) August 3, 2018
Any other year, before the advent of this helmet rule, those would be normal, albeit rough, hits. This is akin to trying to regulate punches in a boxing match.
Secondly, it gives referees (not exactly the most consistent of human beings) yet another arbitrary ruling to make on the fly. Refereeing is difficult enough as it is, with angry players, fans and coaches constantly berating officials, without their having to make even more judgment calls.
It was already difficult enough judging intent when it came to vicious helmet-to-helmet hits. Adding this new wrinkle only further muddies an already murky rule set.
Unsurprisingly, NFL players are not too happy with the league trying to regulate the inherent physicality of football. Minnesota Vikings safety Andrew Sendejo voiced his displeasure with a, of all things, Trump-inspired hat.
Andrew Sendejo possibly sending a message to the NFL with his hat. Said he has been wearing for a while but that it still applies. #VikingsCamp pic.twitter.com/Q1aYwURvZx
— Tanner Peterson, MA, MS (@24tanner) August 3, 2018
Sendejo was spotted sporting a black and white “Make Football Violent Again” hat, a clear riff on Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogan.
There is a sad bit of irony that the NFL’s demise may have nothing to do with Trump’s rhetoric or players kneeling. Instead, Commissioner Roger Goodell’s bumbling handling of yet another league issue could lead to the destruction of the game as we know it.
Of course, there’s always a chance that Goodell can fix all of this by not kowtowing to non-football people wringing their hands over football safety. But I’m not going to hold my breath.
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