Ejection!?!

NFL players should not be so harshly punished for bringing the wood (hitting hard). However, it seems that the NFL does not feel the same way that I do about this particular topic. The Associated Press reports that “The NFL has told its officiating crews to start ejecting players for flagrant helmet-to-helmet hits” (http://www.nfl.com/news/story?id=09000d5d8040e157&template=without-video&confirm=true). I feel that this is completely ridiculous. What I really don’t agree with is the use of the term “flagrant.” Who is to judge if someone is purposely trying to make a helmet-to-helmet hit? Even when it does happen, the player who made the hit should absolutely not be ejected from the game. If you are part of this type of collision you already put yourself at risk of an injury, not to mention that the league is going to fine you. I would like to think that is punishment enough, but it seems that some people feel that the players of the NFL need to go through even more bullshit than they already do. It may sound bad, but everybody who watches football enjoys a big hit. Now players might be more hesitant to go for the k.o. shot because of the possible risk of en ejection. This is just another addition to why the NFL is quickly becoming the No Fun League. Big hits are part of the game and everyone who has been playing football long enough to make it to the pros should obviously know that they are going to have to deal with it eventually.

sky high in phily

Authority figures in sports get treated with far more respect and lenience than the athletes do. Andy Reid, coach of the Philadelphia Eagles, recently had his house raided by police who found a stockpile of illegal and prescription drugs. As reported by ESPN.com, a judge to one of coach Reid’s sons that “It sounds more or less like a drug emporium there, with the drugs all over the house, and you're an addict” (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3089753). The two people being charged are Britt and Garrett Reid who are said to have used everything from marijuana to OxyCotin, cocaine, and heroin. My problem with the whole situation is that the entire world is putting absolutely no blame on Andy Reid, even though the drugs were found in his house. If this situation happened to a player, rather than a coach or official, the whole thing would be getting handled in a different manner. The athlete would most likely receive some of the lame and would undoubtedly be punished, but because it happened to a coach, the league is going to let him slide because he obviously had nothing to do with it. When evidence of a dog fighting ring was found at the home of Mike Vick most people immediately aimed their targets at him because it was his house, but when drugs are found in a coach’s house there are no fingers being pointed in his direction. I feel that it is ridiculous that sports teams and leagues choose to be so harsh when punishing players and much more lenient when punishing coaches and officials.