Polian raises possibility of widening the field for PLAYER SAFETY [Merge]

[chad72]

Forget 5,000 yards, 6,000 yards will become the norm if that happens.

 

Dungy's defense will actually make a comeback then. (smaller and faster)

[BrentMc11]

Forget 5,000 yards, 6,000 yards will become the norm if that happens.

 

Dungy's defense will actually make a comeback then. (smaller and faster)

The Tampa 2.....the Cover 2....or Larry Coyer's Cover 'Nobody' defense?  (I bet 'Nobody' likes this   )

[fvantagio]

The only way to actually stop these injuries is by removing the helmet opposed to improving it. All this improving of all equipment, not just helmets does is allow the players to hit at a greater speed cause it doesnt "hurt" as much as it would with the lesser equipment. This increases the speed of the game and lets player "launch themselves". Get rid of the helmet and players would feel these hits, they would breakdown and wrap up on tackles like their fundamentally taught. Of course this slows down the game which would mean less interest and therefore less profit. And the NFL is still profit first, employee safety 2nd.

[GoPats]

Sissified? Steven Ridley disagrees

 

Or at least he would if he had regained his powers of speech yet. I think he's a week or two away from that.

[GoPats]

The problem is that "hitting" has basically replaced "tackling" because, quite frankly, it's what people wanted to see. In sports like rugby, tackling is all about form and technique. In today's NFL, it's about slamming into some other guy as hard as you can.

 

We're all implicated, as football fans... we want to see the bone-crunching hits, and have for decades. We celebrated guys like Ronnie Lott, who was a great player in his time but who - if he played today - would have probably been suspended for at least a season, if not ejected from the league, for how he laid guys out.

 

I think football players just need to understand the risks they're taking. It's like cigarettes. People still smoke even though they know they may be killing themselves. There's a warning label on every pack. NFL players need to sign a waiver saying they understand and assume all the risks involved. And meanwhile, they need to push research on head injuries, improvements in equipment, etc-etc. And probably set up some funding for players who retire and then run into financial problems due to medical bills.

 

As far as Polian's suggestion is concerned... I'd like to see some actual science go into it. As others have pointed out, would more open space equal more big hits? There's got to be a way to quantify it so we're working with facts and not speculation. If it's clearly going to help, why not change it, I say... but I have my doubts as to whether it would make any difference at all.

[Fx Stryker]

The Tampa 2.....the Cover 2....or Larry Coyer's Cover 'Nobody' defense?  (I bet 'Nobody' likes this   )

 

I'm pretty sure Balzer did. ;)

 

But there is another way for Nobody to. The way you actually meant it.

[bayone]

As far as Polian's suggestion is concerned... I'd like to see some actual science go into it. As others have pointed out, would more open space equal more big hits? There's got to be a way to quantify it so we're working with facts and not speculation. If it's clearly going to help, why not change it, I say... but I have my doubts as to whether it would make any difference at all.

 

it was pointed out in the OP that isnt always so, pends on the individual, yes a great player with endurance will build up momentum and hit harder & I wpouldnt want top be the h guy getting hit or the one doing it

 

, on the other hand if huffing & puffing near the end to reach an offensive player he may slow down from being tired and lose momentum & the hiotb will be less

 

as u say , scientific facts are what really needed

[NewColtsFan]

The idea should be considered for roughly 15 seconds,  and then rejected -- forever.

 

It is completely impractical.   Think of all the new stadiums that have been built in the last 10-15 years...  the stadium is right on top of the field.   There is simply NO ROOM for the NFL field to be expanded 35 feet and still have room for the players/coaches/staff on the sidelines.

 

It's a complete non-starter.

 

Then,  what about the college game?   Are you going to have colleges play games on a different size field?    Really? 

 

What about stadiums that use their field for various purposes...   for instance, don't they play high school games at Lucas Oil?

So, the field will be 35 feet wider on a Sunday....   then,  they'll re-paint it for a high school game on a Friday,  and then re-paint it again for the home game on Sunday?    Really?

 

It's so impractical it's beyond imagination.

 

What I'm really hoping for is that this is just a trial balloon...  an idea floated just so the NFL can say in the years to come when when they get sued by the NFLPA....   "Look, we considered everything to improve NFL player safety...   EVERYTHING"....

That's my hope.    But this one is ridiculous....

 

I hope 10 years from now there's a thread where we all look back and laugh at this idea the NFL floated and quickly got shot down...

[coltsfan_nyc]

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutdown-corner/nfl-considered-widening-playing-field-35-feet-may-190404198--nfl.html

 

Let's discuss....

[Balzer40]

http://forums.colts.com/index.php?/topic/15505-polian-raises-possibility-of-widening-the-field-for-player-safety/

[jbaron04]

Now the reverse and stretch play and toss will make a comeback time to think about Wallace or harvin jk this would be dumb change player who have farther to run will be less violent hits, umm polian are u dumb ain't that the reason kick offs were shortened so players had less room to build up speed and cause violent hits

[SilentHill]

It won't happen. Most stadiums cannot accommodate it, and I doubt they take down a stadium just to increase the size of the field.

[jbaron04]

The spread offense would kill and the lb position would have to go you would have to make a brand new defense that would be something like

2 de playing the 5 tech a dt playing the nose 3 saftey 1 mlb and 4 corners to cover all that ground lol

[TKnight24]

I just don't understand Society anymore

[BrentMc11]

http://forums.colts.com/index.php?/topic/15505-polian-raises-possibility-of-widening-the-field-for-player-safety/

Need a MERGE with the above  thread "Polian" raises possibility......

[JoKeR]

It won't happen. Most stadiums cannot accommodate it, and I doubt they take down a stadium just to increase the size of the field.

This fact pretty much ends speculation.

[HawkeyesColts]

Wider field would certainly open up the offense a bit. Might be worth taking a look at.

 

In regards to the CFL, I wouldn't be suprised if Buffalo ends up splitting half of their home games in Toronto eventually.

[coltsfan_nyc]

http://forums.colts.com/index.php?/topic/15505-polian-raises-possibility-of-widening-the-field-for-player-safety/

I see this alot! A poster posts a topic and a fellow posters posts a link to the same topic with ten pages. Iuse to think, "ha ha, that poster just got owned! Not onlydid he think he was creatin fresh topic on something he justfound, but the fact is that poster is late to a topic alreadt discussed at length".

Well,today I am that poster...SMH

[ÅÐØNϧ 1]

I say make there uni's outta bubble wrap  & have the players run backwards when simon says & halftime should be nappy time with milk & graham crackers . Why stop with wider fields longer fields or no kick offs . Theres water polo how about football polo thats gotta be safe .

[amfootball]

Bill Polian ruined football and continues to suggest ways to ruin it more.