How many times does it have to happen for some fans to get it through their thick heads that the rules have changed from the days when they ran up and down the football field? Medicine has advanced considerably and has proven that these actions have a high probability of leaving a person with a life altering injury. The face tackling, butt blocking, and spearing techniques have been illegal at all levels of football for nearly 40 years. What has changed is the awareness of head injuries associated with these collisions. The rules have only recently changed to create better rules enforcement because of recent discoveries with head injuries. I understand that this is a violent game played by consenting adults (in the NFL), but that doesn't mean the players need to be at an unnecessary risk for injury. This risk is easily minimized by making a solid tackle at the hips using the chest and shoulders. The headhunting and ESPN highlight reel hits are unnecessary. This oaf has been been repeatedly fined for these actions and has not learned his lesson.
The slow motion video clearly shows that instead of lowering his level and breaking down to make a tackle, he lowers his head slightly and launches at the QB's head. Since this is not the first time he has done this, he needs to be suspended without pay for an extended period and warned that expulsion is a consideration.
To all the former high school and college players who want to say "this is just football", think about that when it is your 7-17 year old son imitating these hits in their Pop Warner, middle school or high school games. When it is your son who gets hit like this and ends up as a special education and special needs child as a result of of the hit. This IS HAPPENING all over the country. It is not well reported, but you can find the stories over the internet every year. I would refer you to websites like http://www.theconcussionblog.com or http://www.sportsconcussions.org where you will find many resources to educate you about what is happening. It is time for the fans of "traditional" football to wake up and realize that we can significantly decrease the injury rate and maintain the integrity of the game.
Finally, there may also be some reason to question the Browns' medical staff as to the nature of a head injury to Colt McCoy as a result of this hit. There have been a few reports including
this one that state that McCoy doesn't remember the hit and that the media was requested to not use the intense lights on McCoy after the game. Both of these are indications that there may have been something wrong and a possible traumatic brain injury. I hope that there will be more comprehensive updates of Colt's status released in the next few days.
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