Around the League - Training Camp

[D82]

1 hour ago, Dallas94Ware said:

Oh well, like everything else, the snowflakes are taking over.

Now that's a little far.

I get the health aspects behind it. I can appreciate not wanting to spend the remaining years of your life suffering from the effects of CTE. I care for individuals who suffer from dementia/Alzheimer's. It's a terrible disease. 

At the same time, I love football. I love hard-nosed defense. There's gotta be a way to be able to make it so that a players safety is taken into consideration while also still keeping some of the roots of the sport intact. Personally, I think some of the rules do more to harm the players than they do to help them.

[flyingmonkey30]

2 minutes ago, Desperado82 said:

Now that's a little far.

I get the health aspects behind it. I can appreciate not wanting to spend the remaining years of your life suffering from the effects of CTE. I care for individuals who suffer from dementia/Alzheimer's. It's a terrible disease. 

At the same time, I love football. I love hard-nosed defense. There's gotta be a way to be able to make it so that a players safety is taken into consideration while also still keeping some of the roots of the sport intact. Personally, I think some of the rules do more to harm the players than they do to help them.

I had this discussion with someone this morning. At the end of the day, football by nature is a violent game that the human body was not necessarily designed for. Having said that, if you know the risks and want to play, go for it. I don't think all of the technology in the world could prevent long term head injuries. It's just the nature of the beast.

I do think it's important that the NFL does what it can to protect it's players, but at the end of the day, just be transparent about everything and let people decide if they want to take the risk and play.

[DaBoys]

From what I understand it's a penalty to lower your head before contact for all players? Does this mean Zeke gets a penalty for finishing runs? If so, for the first time ever, I may actually consider finding a new hobby. I've always looked down my nose at fans who threatened to stop watching for at this or that. 

 

But if they start throwing penalties at RBs like Zeke, Blount, and basically all good RBs who finish runs, I can see how the game wouldn't be that much fun to watch.

 

 

The NFL has to understand that the money comes from watching the games not playing them.

[flyingmonkey30]

11 minutes ago, DaBoys said:

From what I understand it's a penalty to lower your head before contact for all players? Does this mean Zeke gets a penalty for finishing runs? If so, for the first time ever, I may actually consider finding a new hobby. I've always looked down my nose at fans who threatened to stop watching for at this or that. 

 

But if they start throwing penalties at RBs like Zeke, Blount, and basically all good RBs who finish runs, I can see how the game wouldn't be that much fun to watch.

 

 

The NFL has to understand that the money comes from watching the games not playing them.

Yeah, but hasn't that technically been a penalty since like 2014? Or at least once RB's are outside the tackle box? I may be wrong about that. I'm wondering if it applies to linemen because then running the ball becomes literally impossible.

[DaBoys]

I've never ever seen a flag thrown on a RB for lowering his head before getting hit. And almost all of them do. Not just the shoulder. Head. Shoulders. Whole body. Most (good) RBs are basically diving forward at the end of every run. Which means their head is most often down.

[D82]

Yeah...I think that became a rule in 2014 and I honestly don't remember it being called often if at all since then. So hopefully nothing changes. 

And I agree with you @flyingmonkey30

These guys are grown men. They should have the option to make the choice of what they want to do with their bodies. At the same time, the NFL should do its best to provide the safest equipment they can and ensure that players who do end up with life-long after effects are compensated fairly. 

[Dallas94Ware]

It is not like every player ends up living with brain trauma. Sadly, too many do. But not all. And most are from an era when players were less protected than they are now. 

I get that minimizing brain trauma post career is important, but these guys are also paid millions over their career to risk such injury and debilitation playing a sport for a living. Its a risk, but also a rewarded risk.

Is it much different than being a cop, where the risk is being shot at or going into dangerous situations because it is your job to deal with them? Its a risk you accept willingly for your career of choice.

Point is, ita admirable the league is trying to help the issue. But there has to be a better balance between becoming two hand touch and remaining the high collision sport we have all grown to love.

All things considered, you are still more likely to have brain trauma in a 10 year boxing career than a 10 year NFL career. And the mainstream medias covwrage of CTE and head trauma has made if so that the NFL feels obligated to overcompensate, and parents, even young athletes, feel compelledto avoid playing/hold their kids out from playing. This type of stuff is going to slowly ruin the game.

[MightyMouse07]

So what if it slowly ruins the game. I don’t blame any parent for not wanting their kid to play football. People are becoming more exposed to the risks and many are choosing against playing. That’s how life is. It’s a business decision to have your athletic kid try to play a different sport like baseball or basketball where there is less of a chance that they end up with massive brain trauma. 

[D82]

8 minutes ago, MightyMouse07 said:

So what if it slowly ruins the game. I don’t blame any parent for not wanting their kid to play football. People are becoming more exposed to the risks and many are choosing against playing. That’s how life is. It’s a business decision to have your athletic kid try to play a different sport like baseball or basketball where there is less of a chance that they end up with massive brain trauma. 

I can't stand baseball or basketball. 

Maybe I need to get more into hockey...

[Dallas94Ware]

1 hour ago, Desperado82 said:

I can't stand baseball or basketball. 

Maybe I need to get more into hockey...

I was a defenseman in hockey. Its quite fun honestly, but just letting football die off is stupid. Should we let policing die off? How about army soldiers? Those are much more risky with far less reward, and people still choose it as a profession.

[MightyMouse07]

3 hours ago, Dallas94Ware said:

I was a defenseman in hockey. Its quite fun honestly, but just letting football die off is stupid. Should we let policing die off? How about army soldiers? Those are much more risky with far less reward, and people still choose it as a profession.

No one is saying to let it die off. We just aren’t bitching and moaning because we understand why people wouldn’t want to their kids playing. It’s not a safe sport to play.

Those other positions you listed aren’t safe but they are necessary to society. Being a football player is not a necessity in our society. 

No one is saying get rid of football but the more knowledge and information that becomes available through studies of these former football players, the scarier and scarier it is to put future generations through that type of stuff for entertainment value. 

[Dallas94Ware]

9 hours ago, MightyMouse07 said:

No one is saying to let it die off. We just aren’t bitching and moaning because we understand why people wouldn’t want to their kids playing. It’s not a safe sport to play.

Those other positions you listed aren’t safe but they are necessary to society. Being a football player is not a necessity in our society. 

No one is saying get rid of football but the more knowledge and information that becomes available through studies of these former football players, the scarier and scarier it is to put future generations through that type of stuff for entertainment value. 

It is scary; thats why so many changes have been made. But football is a collision oriented sport. Its violent. The only way to remove all head trauma is to remove all collisions; the NFL has changed things so much already that the percentages have already dropped significantly. Anymore changes and you are making the sport a shadow of itself.

As a father I am concerned evrtytime my son takes the field. He plays Mike and for years has complained of minor aches in his neck and back after a game. I worry everytime he hits the rink, playing a winger in hockey, and always icing down his knees after a game. 

I coild easily tell him not to play. Tell his coaches hes done. But I dont. He enjoys these sports. They are violent, and not safe long or short term. But he, at his teen years, is old enough to understand the risks and old enough to discuss with me how he feels about continuing to play and both of us can make the educated choice on whether he plays or not.

Having played HS and college ball myself, Ive seen some horrific stuff. And know what? The game has changed so much between when I played and now when he plays that I am concerned, but not fearful. He is safer now than I was. And I dont think if I played I would understan the diffefences. Which is my problem. You have uneducated parents making this choice for theirnchildren based on how the media portrays it. And its unfair to the game and to the children.

And these worries are what will continue to alter the sport until it reaches a point where we have no kickoffs and punts, no takles allowed above the waist, no runners trying tonfinish their runs, and receivers being tagged instead of tackled. Im all fornsafety, but im also a football guy who wants the sport to remain the sport I love. There has to be a better balance, and a better way to educate parents of the percentages and dangers than relying on the media.

[Super4]

Just been noticing alot of interaction between Dak and Switz on social media platforms, and even on Switz's Instagram Dak was at his wedding in pictures.  Didn't really see any other Cowboys noteably.  Wondering if that's going to lead to alot of chemistry being built on-the-field as well.

[Dallas94Ware]

2 hours ago, Super4 said:

Just been noticing alot of interaction between Dak and Switz on social media platforms, and even on Switz's Instagram Dak was at his wedding in pictures.  Didn't really see any other Cowboys noteably.  Wondering if that's going to lead to alot of chemistry being built on-the-field as well.

Witten and Romo became best friends off the field before it started to show up on field as well.

But I think a lot of people overlook the value of Switzer. He is a willing blocker from the slot, and while he isnt great at it he throws his body in there willingly. Thats a great way to get on the field on this team. Combine that with his short area quickness and versatility with the ball in his hands, and he should easily become a valued weapon going forward. Beasley and Switzer working the slot with Dez and Hurns outside is a tough spread formation to cover without going to a dime package. And if it draws a defense into a dime, Zeke will have many lanes to pick from when Dak checks out of the throw.

[Texas_OutLaw7]

Pats playing Madden. Jesus.