Why 2016 Pro Bowl may have foreshadowed dark days to come in the NFL. (Part III)
The days are counting down to Super Bowl 50 and I would like to get excited for it. I want to help celebrate half a centuries worth of title games in the National Football League but I am having a hard time getting pumped up. I am still concentrated on what the league has turned into and if they aren't careful will continue to turn into.
The 2015 Pro Bowl was a great example this NFL season in a nutshell. What happened this year? WAY more flags than needed. I know the new rules implemented over the years favor the offense (for protection/more scoring) with an increased number of 'roughing the passer,' 'targeting a defenseless receiver,' and a whole other litany of calls that didn't even exist till a few years ago. I digress. Below is the total amount of flags thrown since 2009 and the total number of yards. (This includes offsetting and declined.)
2009: 3,699 flags = 26,044yds
2010: 3,713 flags = 27,045yds
2011: 3,896 flags = 28,487yds
2012: 3,809 flags = 28,077yds (Replacement Officials
2013: 3,636 flags = 28,029yds
2014: 4,248 flags = 29,550yds
2015: 4,308 flags = 31,122yds (609 more flags = 5,078yds)
Yikes. That is a ton of time stopping. Slowing down the game. Too much zebra camera time. While stalling drives and killing momentum. How is it killing scoring drives? Well... for the sake of argument lets cut 2009 flags in half for the sake of offensive flags. 1,850 flags for 13,022yds. And in 2009 the average starting field position was 29 yard line (29.48.) So, to score a TD in 2009 you would need to drive 71yds. Now, with the flag yardage (13,022yds) divided by the average drive length (71yds) you as a viewer missed out on a possible 183 TD/FG. Isn't that exciting?
That may sound CRAZY but lets look at this year. Buckle up. So, cut in half that's 2,154 flags for 15,561yds. The average starting field position was 27 yard line (27.3) so the average TD drive was 73 yards. That means you are technically missing out on 213 possible TD/FG. I know some of you are saying 'what about special teams? Well, almost 2/3 of the flags thrown on special teams are on the returning team... so if anything I am doing the league a favor by not including them.
The biggest argument for all the flags has been player safety. Okay. I get that. I, personally, still suffer from post-concussion syndrome. But, there is a object that every player since Pop Warner is given. It is almost a bigger symbol than the football for football and that is a helmet. And on the back of every helmet there is a sticker. And on the sticker is states:
Players have a choice; whether it is for high school pride, a college scholarship, or a major paycheck. There are others that play that don't even get that, some pay to play at the Division II and III, Semi-Pro, Amateur levels. There has to be a middle ground in the NFL to get on the right track with the game. It is a contact sport. People take hits and people hit. It is violent. It is like no other game in the world. And the answer to fixing it isn't an international franchise or a new clothing contract. It is bringing the fire and passion back to the game that millions, including myself, love.
The key is fundamentals of tackling. Not blowing a whistle every time a linebacker gets near a franchise quarterback. Or this years Pro Bowl 'tackling' which was a travesty.
The key is making sure injuries of all kinds are taken care of on a proper time table. And owners stop seeing concussions or a ACL tear as a weakness. But, that their player is sacrificing their body for the sake of their school, their college or their franchise.
And the key is to keep the game great. So, that young kids want to sign up. So, that college football can continue to expand. And so that the NFL doesn't turn into the National Pillow Fight League.
Stats, facts and figures: www.NFLPenalties.com, www.footoutsiders.com, www.Riddel.com, www.espn.com
The 2015 Pro Bowl was a great example this NFL season in a nutshell. What happened this year? WAY more flags than needed. I know the new rules implemented over the years favor the offense (for protection/more scoring) with an increased number of 'roughing the passer,' 'targeting a defenseless receiver,' and a whole other litany of calls that didn't even exist till a few years ago. I digress. Below is the total amount of flags thrown since 2009 and the total number of yards. (This includes offsetting and declined.)
2009: 3,699 flags = 26,044yds
2010: 3,713 flags = 27,045yds
2011: 3,896 flags = 28,487yds
2012: 3,809 flags = 28,077yds (Replacement Officials
2013: 3,636 flags = 28,029yds
2014: 4,248 flags = 29,550yds
2015: 4,308 flags = 31,122yds (609 more flags = 5,078yds)
Yikes. That is a ton of time stopping. Slowing down the game. Too much zebra camera time. While stalling drives and killing momentum. How is it killing scoring drives? Well... for the sake of argument lets cut 2009 flags in half for the sake of offensive flags. 1,850 flags for 13,022yds. And in 2009 the average starting field position was 29 yard line (29.48.) So, to score a TD in 2009 you would need to drive 71yds. Now, with the flag yardage (13,022yds) divided by the average drive length (71yds) you as a viewer missed out on a possible 183 TD/FG. Isn't that exciting?
That may sound CRAZY but lets look at this year. Buckle up. So, cut in half that's 2,154 flags for 15,561yds. The average starting field position was 27 yard line (27.3) so the average TD drive was 73 yards. That means you are technically missing out on 213 possible TD/FG. I know some of you are saying 'what about special teams? Well, almost 2/3 of the flags thrown on special teams are on the returning team... so if anything I am doing the league a favor by not including them.
The biggest argument for all the flags has been player safety. Okay. I get that. I, personally, still suffer from post-concussion syndrome. But, there is a object that every player since Pop Warner is given. It is almost a bigger symbol than the football for football and that is a helmet. And on the back of every helmet there is a sticker. And on the sticker is states:
Players have a choice; whether it is for high school pride, a college scholarship, or a major paycheck. There are others that play that don't even get that, some pay to play at the Division II and III, Semi-Pro, Amateur levels. There has to be a middle ground in the NFL to get on the right track with the game. It is a contact sport. People take hits and people hit. It is violent. It is like no other game in the world. And the answer to fixing it isn't an international franchise or a new clothing contract. It is bringing the fire and passion back to the game that millions, including myself, love.
The key is fundamentals of tackling. Not blowing a whistle every time a linebacker gets near a franchise quarterback. Or this years Pro Bowl 'tackling' which was a travesty.
The key is making sure injuries of all kinds are taken care of on a proper time table. And owners stop seeing concussions or a ACL tear as a weakness. But, that their player is sacrificing their body for the sake of their school, their college or their franchise.
And the key is to keep the game great. So, that young kids want to sign up. So, that college football can continue to expand. And so that the NFL doesn't turn into the National Pillow Fight League.
Stats, facts and figures: www.NFLPenalties.com, www.footoutsiders.com, www.Riddel.com, www.espn.com
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