End the Kickoff! (Effectively End It, That Is)

[The Frankish Reich]

Daniel Lasco - spinal injury/bulging disk from yesterday's kickoff injury:

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2017/11/13/sean-payton-on-daniel-lasco-were-fortunate-it-wasnt-more-severe/

 

The NFL has recognized for some time now - maybe it started for real with Kevin Everett - that the kickoff is inherently dangerous for players. On no other play (not even punt returns) do you get players on both sides accelerating to full speed, directly on a collision course. Some day it will result in full paralysis for an unfortunate player, or what the NFL (and fans) should dread: a player dying on the field.

 

Enough. Here's what I'd like to see. Don't totally eliminate the kickoff. If you do, there goes the onside kick with it. In fact, who doesn't love onside kicks? They only go 10 yards, so the epic collisions that come with regular kickoffs aren't a problem.  Instead, encourage them! Kick off from 50 yard line. The kicker has 3 options: (1) kick it through the end zone, as typically happens now - the ball comes out to the 25 on the touchback. (2) kick it short - the receiving team will field it around the 5 yard line if you kick it perfectly. That results in punt-style (not current kickoff style) collisions, greatly reducing the possibility of horrific injuries. (3) onside kick! If it works, you get the ball on the opponent's 40 or so. If it fails, they get the ball on their own 40 or so. The downside to an onside kick becomes 15 yards of field position. Result: more onside kicks, more excitement in a league that's in dire need of it, more interesting strategy to debate, fewer devastating injuries, fewer "most boring plays in football" (the kickoff through the end zone for a touchback). 

 

I expect purists to have some reason why the NFL needs to remain a league in which men are men and the possibility of paralysis is an integral part of the game. But really - the new kickoff rules have now encouraged teams (Pats anyone?) to deliberately kick short, which will result in the same types of problems that they changed the rule to avoid.

[cba fan]

Problem is any normal NFL player gets up to full speed within 10 yards or so, so no way to reduce collision speed.

 

The reason punts are lower collision is the ball is punted very high w hang time and players need to slow down to make a tackle.

Edited November 14, 2017 by cba fan

[Sweats]

Maybe the league should just play every game in a plastic bubble...........that'll do wonders for the "no fun league" already.

[KDIGGZ]

No fg's or extra points either imo. Make every team go for 2 and TD's. How about the QB throws the punt? That would be kind of fun

[LEBills]

I agree. Nonsense play anymore. Give the offense the ball and let them try and score, more fun anyway. 

[The Frankish Reich]

51 minutes ago, Sweats said:

Maybe the league should just play every game in a plastic bubble...........that'll do wonders for the "no fun league" already.

Predictable response. Because paralysis is fun!

[Sweats]

Just now, The Frankish Reich said:

Predictable response. Because paralysis is fun!

 

 

 

I'm just joking around, but in all seriousness, where does the league draw the line?........they still have to make it enjoyable to watch and even now, they are losing more and more of their fanbase every year due to tinkering around with league rules to make the game safer.

 

I understand where you're coming from, but somewhere along the way enough is enough.

The NFL doesn't want to change the rules so drastically that it doesn't even resemble the game anymore.

 

Do you remember the protest when they wanted to change extra points?..............extra points, man.

It doesn't get any simpler than changing something like that and yet there was so much back-lash to changing the heritage of the game, that they had to keep it. All i'm saying is where does the NFL draw the line.

 

If they could still play to the calibre that they can today and yet still play safe, then i'm all for it, but i don't see how the NFL can do it effectively.........and without losing even more of its fanbase.

And remember, we all still enjoy a little bit of danger in our sports.

[Mr. WEO]

1 hour ago, The Frankish Reich said:

Daniel Lasco - spinal injury/bulging disk from yesterday's kickoff injury:

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2017/11/13/sean-payton-on-daniel-lasco-were-fortunate-it-wasnt-more-severe/

 

The NFL has recognized for some time now - maybe it started for real with Kevin Everett - that the kickoff is inherently dangerous for players. On no other play (not even punt returns) do you get players on both sides accelerating to full speed, directly on a collision course. Some day it will result in full paralysis for an unfortunate player, or what the NFL (and fans) should dread: a player dying on the field.

 

Enough. Here's what I'd like to see. Don't totally eliminate the kickoff. If you do, there goes the onside kick with it. In fact, who doesn't love onside kicks? They only go 10 yards, so the epic collisions that come with regular kickoffs aren't a problem.  Instead, encourage them! Kick off from 50 yard line. The kicker has 3 options: (1) kick it through the end zone, as typically happens now - the ball comes out to the 25 on the touchback. (2) kick it short - the receiving team will field it around the 5 yard line if you kick it perfectly. That results in punt-style (not current kickoff style) collisions, greatly reducing the possibility of horrific injuries. (3) onside kick! If it works, you get the ball on the opponent's 40 or so. If it fails, they get the ball on their own 40 or so. The downside to an onside kick becomes 15 yards of field position. Result: more onside kicks, more excitement in a league that's in dire need of it, more interesting strategy to debate, fewer devastating injuries, fewer "most boring plays in football" (the kickoff through the end zone for a touchback). 

 

I expect purists to have some reason why the NFL needs to remain a league in which men are men and the possibility of paralysis is an integral part of the game. But really - the new kickoff rules have now encouraged teams (Pats anyone?) to deliberately kick short, which will result in the same types of problems that they changed the rule to avoid.

 

 

All of these options currently exist from the current kickoff line.  The tiny number of serious injuries resulting from kickoffs (it's microscopic) points to this being a solution looking for a more serious problem.

 

The recent kickoff change had the desired effect of increasing touchbacks.  

 

Bottom line, it is the decision of the kick returner, ALONE, what he does with the kicked ball.  He can alway choose to down it in the end zone.

 

 

 

[The Frankish Reich]

2 minutes ago, Sweats said:

 

 

 

I'm just joking around, but in all seriousness, where does the league draw the line?........they still have to make it enjoyable to watch and even now, they are losing more and more of their fanbase every year due to tinkering around with league rules to make the game safer.

 

I understand where you're coming from, but somewhere along the way enough is enough.

The NFL doesn't want to change the rules so drastically that it doesn't even resemble the game anymore.

 

Do you remember the protest when they wanted to change extra points?..............extra points, man.

It doesn't get any simpler than changing something like that and yet there was so much back-lash to changing the heritage of the game, that they had to keep it. All i'm saying is where does the NFL draw the line.

 

If they could still play to the calibre that they can today and yet still play safe, then i'm all for it, but i don't see how the NFL can do it effectively.........and without losing even more of its fanbase.

And remember, we all still enjoy a little bit of danger in our sports.

I know, I know.  I think the NFL competition committee agrees with me: the kickoff generates very little interest these days. Touchback percentages are as high as 93% this year (Panthers). And there is nothing more boring than this scenario: Team A scores. TV commercial break. Team A kicks off/touchback. Commercial break. Basically zero action for about 4.5 minutes. And they wonder why NFL ratings are down.  Other teams try to game the new rule: NE touchback percentage? About 35%. They deliberately kick short to avoid the touchback to the 25. Plus I'm sure they have stats that say the likelihood of a fumbled return > the likelihood of a TD return or a return deep into opponent's territory. And that frustrates the NFL's plan to try to reduce the number of returns for player safety reasons.  So ... this is one that is ripe for a radical rethinking.  And I may be a little out on a limb here, but given the decline in NFL ratings, I wouldn't be shocked if some pretty radical reforms are on the table this coming offseason.  Just food for thought ...

[frostbitmic]

Put all players in sumo suits ... it'll be safer and more entertaining.

[The Frankish Reich]

3 minutes ago, Mr. WEO said:

 

 

All of these options currently exist from the current kickoff line.  The tiny number of serious injuries resulting from kickoffs (it's microscopic) points to this being a solution looking for a more serious problem.

 

The recent kickoff change had the desired effect of increasing touchbacks.  

 

Bottom line, it is the decision of the kick returner, ALONE, what he does with the kicked ball.  He can alway choose to down it in the end zone.

 

 

 

No, he can't. See my comment above. The Pats deliberately kick short: 35% touchbacks this year. And what the Pats do, the rest of the NFL follows. And it isn't a microscopic number of serious injuries. It is a very small number of very serious spinal cord injuries (and does the NFL really want another Darryl Stingley? Kevin Everett? Or a death?), but a lot of other significant injuries. Again, the entertainment value of the kickoff has become pretty minimal; the costs outweigh the benefits.

[Sweats]

2 minutes ago, The Frankish Reich said:

I know, I know.  I think the NFL competition committee agrees with me: the kickoff generates very little interest these days. Touchback percentages are as high as 93% this year (Panthers). And there is nothing more boring than this scenario: Team A scores. TV commercial break. Team A kicks off/touchback. Commercial break. Basically zero action for about 4.5 minutes. And they wonder why NFL ratings are down.  Other teams try to game the new rule: NE touchback percentage? About 35%. They deliberately kick short to avoid the touchback to the 25. Plus I'm sure they have stats that say the likelihood of a fumbled return > the likelihood of a TD return or a return deep into opponent's territory. And that frustrates the NFL's plan to try to reduce the number of returns for player safety reasons.  So ... this is one that is ripe for a radical rethinking.  And I may be a little out on a limb here, but given the decline in NFL ratings, I wouldn't be shocked if some pretty radical reforms are on the table this coming offseason.  Just food for thought ...

 

 

 

I really wish i could argue and disagree here, but i can't.

You've brought up some good points and i know that even for myself when i can't make it to the games, i DVR it at home and then skip past all of the touchback interludes that do roughly take up about 3-5 minutes including commercials.

 

If the NFL can come up with some changes that don't drastically alter the game and lose its fanbase, then i'm all for it.

[Mr. WEO]

4 minutes ago, The Frankish Reich said:

No, he can't. See my comment above. The Pats deliberately kick short: 35% touchbacks this year. And what the Pats do, the rest of the NFL follows. And it isn't a microscopic number of serious injuries. It is a very small number of very serious spinal cord injuries (and does the NFL really want another Darryl Stingley? Kevin Everett? Or a death?), but a lot of other significant injuries. Again, the entertainment value of the kickoff has become pretty minimal; the costs outweigh the benefits.

 

Touchbacks went from 67 to 78% last season.  Kick returns have become even more rare.  The rule is working as intended.  

 

Stingily wasn't injured on a kickoff return. 

 

Also, you can't conclude that "punt like" returns would result in fewer spine injuries (or "deaths"?).  

 

 

[The Frankish Reich]

8 minutes ago, Mr. WEO said:

 

Touchbacks went from 67 to 78% last season.  Kick returns have become even more rare.  The rule is working as intended.  

 

Stingily wasn't injured on a kickoff return. 

 

Also, you can't conclude that "punt like" returns would result in fewer spine injuries (or "deaths"?).  

 

 

Change is coming. The question is how to manage it to make the game better, more entertaining, safer for the players. Stingley was not injured on a kick return, but again: kickoffs are, for the most part, a boring/pointless ritual. Baseball purists made a big fuss about the intentional walk - four wide ones! - being essential to the purity of the game. They got rid of it, and nobody cared. Games got 30 seconds shorter than they otherwise would have been.

[Buffalo716]

Let's just play patty cake and sing kumbaya 

 

and hold hands as well 

 

it's a vicious sport and they know it

[Mr. WEO]

31 minutes ago, The Frankish Reich said:

Change is coming. The question is how to manage it to make the game better, more entertaining, safer for the players. Stingley was not injured on a kick return, but again: kickoffs are, for the most part, a boring/pointless ritual. Baseball purists made a big fuss about the intentional walk - four wide ones! - being essential to the purity of the game. They got rid of it, and nobody cared. Games got 30 seconds shorter than they otherwise would have been.

 

 

The change came last year.   Your change isn't substantially different than last year's change.

 

If you are saying get rid of kickoffs now, then maybe you have a point.

[row_33]

Worst thread of the week, in a downer of a cycle for fans in the first place

 

 

[Jerry Christ]

8 hours ago, Buffalo716 said:

Let's just play patty cake and sing kumbaya 

 

and hold hands as well 

 

it's a vicious sport and they know it

People forget at times I think.

[CountryCletus]

8 hours ago, The Frankish Reich said:

Predictable response. Because paralysis is fun!

I’m not coming here trying to “victim blame” or anything, but it’s football... how many people have had serious injuries from a kickoff, 2-3???? These men know the risks, and they are paid handsomely to play a kids game.... you eliminate kickoffs, punts will follow, then they wear flags and the game is changed forever.... how can we eliminate the tearing of ACL’s???

[4merper4mer]

Force Tom Brady to return all kicks for all teams, until something terrible happens, then look into a rule change.