The NFL has banned the bunch formation on onside kicks and the wedge formation on kickoff returns. All this will do is result in fewer successful onside kicks and fewer long kickoff returns. Sure, the wedge-busters won’t have to hit 800 lbs of man at full speed anymore, but the side effect is that the kick returners will now see more full speed collisions. This basically ruins the standard kickoff return for a small advantage in safety.
I’m not opposed to increased safety. It was a good rule change a couple of years ago when they said you can’t line-up directly across from the Center on punts and field goals. That change gives the snapper a chance to lift his head back up before he gets run-over. But I don’t like killing off the wedge formation. And I say that as someone who was petrified every time I ever covered a kickoff return. I know of nothing as violent in all of organized sports. But that’s what makes football so interesting. Not everyone in insane enough to play it.
I forget his name, but a former Buffalo Bills player used to wear an oversized helmet when he played. I read something in Sports Illustrated about that player and how he translated the success of the oversized helmet to his post-football life, building a business of some kind on promoting the oversized helmet.
Perhaps all players should wear something similar because it’s become really obvious that the current helmets are not as protective as they could be.
Good point. Motorcycle helmets seem alot more substantial than football helmets. Maybe they should hire Shoei or a similar company to develop a better helmet.
I believe Steve Tasker wore the extra padded helmet.
I love football.
Not not broken necks, though.
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WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama tapped federal appeals judge Sonia Sotomayor for the Supreme Court.
At her Senate confirmation hearing more than a decade ago, she said, “I don’t believe we should bend the Constitution under any circumstance. It says what it says. We should do honor to it.”
In one of her most memorable rulings as federal district judge, Sotomayor essentially salvaged baseball in 1995, ruling with players over owners in a labor strike that had led to the cancellation of the World Series.
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."They can barely get a kick return off now without an illegal block in the back. Now they have another rule that will kill all kick returns.
Stupid
Its a violent game, but I don’t r No big recall a defender being hurt from the wedge formation.
I’ve busted a lot of wedges and I’ve had my wedge busted. Its the game. No big deal.
Let them play.
Exactly.
You know what’s gonna happen? Kickoff returners are gonna wait for the blockers to get engaged one on one, and they’ll be zig-zagging like a punt returner because they don’t want to get blindsided by a guy with a 50-yard running start. It’s a recipe for every drive starting inside the 30-yard line.