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Urlacher upset with NFL flagrant hits policy
Urlacher upset with NFL flagrant hits policy
Bears linebacker says league's emphasis on suspending first-time offenders another blow to defenses
By Vaughn McClure, Tribune Reporter 9:42 p.m. CDT, October 19, 2010
The NFL's decision to crack down on flagrant hits drew criticism from at least two members of the Bears defense.
Linebacker Brian Urlacher was shocked to hear how first-time offenders now could be suspended for hits to the head and neck area. Ray Anderson, the league's executive president of football operations, said Tuesday the rules aren't changing, just being enforced more.
"It's freaking football. There are going to be big hits,'' Urlacher said. "I don't understand how they can do this after one weekend of hitting. And I can't understand how they can suspend us for it. I think it's a bunch of bull (crap).
"You know what we should do? We should just put flags on everybody. Let's make it the NFFL — the National Flag Football League. It's unbelievable.''
Urlacher couldn't believe the NFL fined Steelers' linebacker James Harrison $75,000 Tuesday for knocking out Browns receiver Mohamed Massaquoi on Sunday. Falcons' defensive back Dunta Robinson was fined $50,000 for smashing Eagles receiver DeSean Jackson over the middle, a play that left Jackson with a serious concussion. And Patriots' safety Brandon Meriweather was fined $50,000 for a viscous hit on Ravens tight end Todd Heap.
None of the players were suspended, and Harrison received a larger fine as a repeat offender.
"There was one bad hit this past weekend: the Meriweather hit,'' Urlacher said. "The other two hits were legal hits. Robinson had a great hit. They were both running full-speed.
"If they enforce things like this, they need to reinforce the high-low cut block with the offensive linemen. Those can be worse than hits to the head. With some concussions, you miss one game. A knee injury could end your career.''
Anderson clarified that the league is not penalizing players for "devastating'' hits but rather for flagrant hits toward the head or neck of a defenseless player with the use of the forearm, shoulder, or helmet.
Safety Chris Harris, one of the Bears' hardest hitters, offered his opinion on the matter via Twitter.
"I'm all for player safety,'' Harris tweeted. "This is a violent, barbaric sport. You have a split second to make decisions when making a hit. As a DB my job is to make the play or cause a fumble.
"U can't half-ass a tackle n this league bc players like Adrian Peterson, josh cribbs, anquan boldin will break those tackle. It's fine line. … I guarantee u Dick Butkus, Mike Singletary, Richard Dent, Doug Plank, Otis Wilson didn't think twice when hittin someone, but NFL wants us to now.''
Harris wondered if the league would crack down on running backs who lead with their helmets.
Urlacher refuses to alter his approach toward playing defense despite the league's new stance on hits.
"I tell you this: I won't think twice about hitting someone,'' he said. "I don't think a lot of guys will. It's football. If you think twice, you miss tackles. You can't second-guess. We're taught to play one way, and that's fast.
"This is all very frustrating to me. We're already handicapped on defense with the corners not being able to hit past five yards. Quarterbacks can throw the balls out of bounds when out of the pocket. I know this is an offensive league and I know people want to see points, but damn man.''
The most-violent hit from a Bear might have been Sunday, when receiver Earl Bennett leveled Seahawks punter Jon Ryan on Devin Hester's 89-yard punt return for a touchdown.
"And that was a good, clean hit, too,'' Urlacher said. "If they don't want collisions they should take out kickoff return and kickoff because that's the most violent play in football.
"They want safety for us, but it's not going to always be that way. This is football.''
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They want to make the judgement of intent, which is subjective on the part of the ref, and therefore a failing endeavor.
Winston Churchill:
"Since light travels faster than sound, some people appear bright until you hear them speak."
"If you're not a liberal at twenty you have no heart, if you're not a conservative at forty you have no brain."
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Junior Member
I fully agree with Urlacher and Harris' responses to this, and before I visited here this early morning i made a facebook note addressing the same that I'll post here for the consideration of my fellow die-hard Bears fans.
Dear NFL,
Football is a cerebral and violent sport, and these are two of the reasons that many people like me love and are willing to dedicate their lives to it. While I truly do not wish serious harm on any other human being, next time Mohammed Massaquoi has a shot at catching a pass over the middle against the Steelers he will think about that hit and have a significantly increased chance to either drop the pass or not make a serious effort to catch the ball, as will all other recievers on the Cleveland Browns or facing James Harrison. If James Harrison had simply wrapped up and brought him to the ground, the Steelers would not have had a cerebral defensive advantage against the Browns and thus would have had a much larger chance of losing that game. Also these hits are made on a split second decision and when it is the responsibility of your career to win football games, second guessing these hits could result in a touchdown and a 1 in the loss column. And although I have never even come close to playing at the level these men play at, I know that this is unacceptable, because it is unacceptable at any and every level that I have ever played at.
I have played many years of football and at every level have been coached that the best way to win is not to be more physically talented than the other team, but instead to win the mental battle, and that this is accomplished by forcing the other team to make mistakes, caused by plays such as making both the reciever and quarterback regretting the pass over the middle that causes the reciever to take a big hit. This is also a main principal that I have based my minor and short amateur football coaching career on because I truly believe that this is the best way to win. And while many attempt to teach their children the flawed lesson that it is not about who wins or loses but having fun, I have never and will never enjoy myself while losing at anything.
It has been said countless times that the sport of football is a dominantly mental game and I would be willing to put large amounts of money on the fact that James Harrison is considerably more intelligent than the majority of people who will read this post, myself included, and would agree with my sentiments regarding seriously harming another human, especially one so blessed, as he is, with the physical talents, intelligence, and passion to play a sport professionally for more money in a career shorter than 20 years than many of us will make in a lifetime. I understand the need to protect the (offensive) players that make the game what it is today, but at the same time these crackdowns on physical play run the risk of removing many of the reasons (and defensive players) that cause fans such as myself refuse to work sundays, because while we may lack the physical talents or intelligence to make a career for ourselves in the greatest sport in the world, we certainly have the passion to watch multiple games every week, and devote our hard-earned money to tickets, merchandise, NFL Sunday Ticket, fantasy football and betting on games (most of the reason that the NFL is more popular than the MLB, NBA and NHL), and generally absorbing every ounce of information and knowledge that you will allow us.
Thank you from a true and passionate fan,
e-town beardown
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Nice post e-town and agree 100%.
the funniest part is for the last 20 years the BIGGEST SELLING DVD's are the "greatest hits" dvd's the NFL markets and sells.. and now that they hae marketed and glorified the Hitting and made a mint off it- do a 180 is bizzare.
The Players themselves understand and don't like this chance and its their body and minds at risk.. not us or the league offices., speaks volumes.
I have Zero problem with Fining/suspending the 'blatent head hunting" shots like merriweather did , where no attempt at a tackle was made, no "gray area" of a Rb?WR changing position so a clean hit becomes questionable, but just a leading with head to another players head.. THOSE outlaw but not the hiting we all love.. heck while it was great to see hester's return for a TD, the bar was as psyched and as loud for the Bennett 'decleating" as it was for hester.. Which Speaks volumes on what the Fan's want and enjoy seeing, and the players have no problem with it
And if just doing "soft tackles",, there goes the turnover's, there goes the drops across the middle and it becomes flag football and Honestly never want to see that
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i think they should ban football next
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Hell, with more and more college teams running the spread offense, college football is turning into a 7-on-7 drill. I can't even watch it anymore. The NFL rules have never favored passing so much. I've never seen so many shitty run blocking offensive lines in the league at once. Smash mouth football is at a low right now.
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Might as well watch the NBA.
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the only way they can make players not use their helmet, is to remove the face mask.
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Right now.... Rugby players across the globe have tears in there eyes from laughing so damn hard....
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Originally Posted by
Butka 
Hell, with more and more college teams running the spread offense, college football is turning into a 7-on-7 drill. I can't even watch it anymore. The NFL rules have never favored passing so much. I've never seen so many shitty run blocking offensive lines in the league at once. Smash mouth football is at a low right now.
good point butka.. and nothing will tick me off if seeing teams now sending on 3rd and 5's Te's and wr's in middle knowing they will get the first down( or pass interfernce), w/o having to worry about being decleated or sperated from the ball.. Agre 100% run blocking going the way of extinction..
Its like fantasy football is just taking over all aspects, and god forbid a Qb gets less points or WR less caches because being hit so hard they drop the ball.. and now just get tackled After catches and first downs.. ughhhhh!
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