Fixing the hyper-concussion conscious NFL (Warning Graphic Content)

If you haven’t seen it, watch Dustin Keller get his knee destroyed (to the tune of 3 torn ligaments and a dislocated knee cap). This catastrophic injury has been compared to Marcus Lattimore’s leg swinging around like a nunchuck against Tennessee. Swearinger’s comments after the game were just as unsettling as watching Keller’s injury:

In this league, you’ve got to go low. If you go high, you’re going to get a fine. I’m sorry that happened. I would think you’d rather have more concussions than leg injuries. Leg injury, you can’t come back from that. A concussion, you be back in a couple of weeks.

 

How do we change this mindset? Well, another tweak of the rules may work, as @NFLosophy suggested.

Sounds simple enough, especially since the NFL puts its money where its mouth is and heavily fines players for hits like this. These are hits I used to get excited for but the league is “hyper-conscious” about concussions after a group of retired players sued the NFL for their handling (or hiding) of concussions and the long term effects of these injuries. This suit, which is basically a class action suit with hundreds of players, is for upwards of 1 Billion dollars. I can understand why owners and Roger Goodell are fighting it.

I would like to see the NFL tone down its overdone charade of boasting “player safety” but glorifying (and profiting off) a violent sport.

Football is physical. It is part of the reason we like it. Let the players hit, the fans crave it. No more defenseless receiver penalties. These rules are just half-hearted attempts to show concern for head injuries that happened years ago.

My recommendations would be:

• Implement a recommended (i.e. no fines for clean plays) “strike-zone” for tackling: shoulders-to-thighs
• continue to enforce the strict rules against playing with a concussion,
• allow the NFLPA to have a neutral doctor on site,
• and to stop this song and dance you think fans, players, and lawyers are too dumb to see through; it is arrogance at its finest.

I would also think that a high number of these players suing the league have hid concussions throughout their careers. Sacrificing their bodies is part of what made them great football players. Their sacrifice (and rare abilities) are why they command higher salaries than any average profession. On some level, you have to mention that they assumed the risk.

That is not to say the NFL played no part in that. I believe part of this was because much of this concussion research is new. At the time, the league (and their players) did not know the risks and complications of head injuries. But like any decent employer, the NFL should take care of their employees who were hurt on the job. To show good faith, they should set up a fund for players with long term disabilities due to injuries (including concussions) and fund research for concussions.

That kind of good faith builds goodwill in players, fans, and the media. Not making the NFL the “No Fun League”.

Be Easy.

Dwight.

The Ten Draft Commandments

Uhh, it’s the 10 draft commandments

What, uhh, uhh

Cuh can’t tell me nothin bout this fantasy, uh-huh

Can’t tell me nothin bout these receivers, these QB’s

To my commissioner cuhs

Cuhs on the internets I ain’t forget you, cuh…

Draft running backs back to back cuhs, word up

 

Been in this game for years, it made me an animal

It’s rules to this isht, I wrote me a manual

A Step by step booklet for you to get

Your draft on track, not your team push backed

Rule Nombre Uno: never miss your draft

This is the foundation of your season. It accounts for probably 50% of your success during the year.

While an auto draft may give you a balanced team – autopick will overdraft a kicker or a team

defense (which you should only draft in your last two rounds) or give you Lance Kendricks (who?!) as

a second TE. You will miss out on a solid bench player with starter upside (see: Morris, Alfred – 2012

season).

Attend the draft. Get your targeted players. Draft Kickers and Defenses last. Talk some trash to your

opponents at the same time. It’ll be fun, trust me.

Number two: Never let ‘em know your next move

Even better, have a next move. Research draft strategies. Are you going old school (two running backs in

the first two rounds), progressive (tight end/QB in the first round), or best available player (value based

drafting)? It does not have to get too technical, but a little planning never hurt nobody… (insert the 12

P’s).

There are countless resources (paid and free) for information; it will help you win (no one sets out to

lose their league, right?). You’ll have more fun, your league will be more competitive, and you’ll find you

enjoy the NFL a bit more.

Here are some good resources:

Footballguys.com

Rotoworld.com

FFToday.com

Twitter has countless people to follow (Matt Waldman, Sigmund Bloom, Evan Silva to name a few). Get

active and use your resources.

Number three: Never refuse to draft no-bod-y

Don’t be a homer. Skins fans, look for Romo to put up big points for you despite his propensity to turn

the ball over.

This applies for any draft-worthy player on all 32 teams, no matter who your squad is.

Number four: I know you heard this before – never get high on your own supply

Here’s a story: the year was 2008. It’s draft day for my 12 team fantasy league. One guy (let’s say his team

name was “Bellicheck’s Hoodie” to protect the innocent) gets the 4th overall pick.

Here is his draft (warning graphic content below):

Round 1 (Pick 4): Randy Moss – WR, New England

Round 2 (Pick 16): Tom Brady – QB, New England

Round 3 (Pick 28): Wes Welker – WR, New England

Round 4 (Pick 40): Laurence Maroney – RB, New England

Round 5 (Pick 52): Benjamin Watson – TE, New England

Round 6 (Pick 64): Stephen Gostkowski – K, New England

Round 7 (Pick 76): Patriots Team Defense

…

Tom Brady would go on to blow out his knee in the first game.

You can guess where “Bellicheck’s Hoodie” placed that year.

Don’t be that guy (or gal).

Number five: never go and draft without practice

Try a few mocks. It will help you get a feel for where players you are targeting are getting drafted. It will

help you test out your strategy and see where your people draft your targets. Trust me, you will benefit

from having a plan and some (simulated) experience with live bullets.

Here are some sites:

football.fantasysports.yahoo.com/‎

MockDraftCentral.com

fantasyfootballcalculator.com/mockdrafts

Remember: you play liked you practice.

Number Six: your league scoring rules, get it

In other words, KNOW THEM! The scoring format (Flex WR/TE/Rb, Yards per completion, Points per

Reception [PPR], etc…) should shape your draft.

If your league allows a flex WR/RB/TE, then draft an extra running back or receiver early. If you get

rewarded points per reception, keep that in mind when drafting running backs.

Not knowing your league scoring will set you behind the competition. It only takes a minute.

Seven: this rule is so underrated / keep your family and fantasy completely separated

Have fun but don’t overdo it. Know your limits and take it one week at a time. I once played in 10

leagues at one time. That was not a fun time, as you can imagine.

Number eight: never have to wait for the computer

Get mobile. Sign up for leagues that have a good mobile app to manage your roster. They are often

quick and easy and keep your team competitive while you are out and about. My personal favorite is

Yahoo! but NFL.com, CBS Sports, and ESPN all have decent mobile apps.

Number nine shoulda been number one to me / Don’t blow off the rest of your draft because you

missed on RG3.

Have a plan b (or c or d). Yes it sucks, someone sniped your top target a few picks ahead of you. But

remember, one player will never make or break your draft.

Try not to reach for a player because of a run on a position or missing a target, either.

Number ten: a strong word called commitment / Strictly for live men, not for freshmen

Stay active in your league. This makes up the other 50% of your success. Active managers who set

their line ups on before games, play the waiver wire, wheel and deal players give themselves the best

shot at winning the league.

Play the match ups and trade/look for undervalued players who may have had a recent rough patch but big

point potential.

As a general rule, it is better to be early than late to pick up players on waivers that blew up the week

before. Also, trade to improve your team earlier than late in case it does not pan out.

Follow these rules you’ll have mad bread (or chips) to break up/

If not, double digit losses, on the wake up…

Gotta go gotta go more leagues to blow up, word up, uhh

Good luck this year – here’s to second place if you’re playing against me.

Your Champion,

Fantasy King, Diwigit Blizzard aka D-Wight the deputy.

HTTR.

Bet you can’t watch this without laughing

Quite possibly the worst football related song of all time. Of all time.

30 Days Until The #NFLKickoff

HDR Sports

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Report: Maclin Carted Off, What’s next for the Eagles?

NFC East Huddle

Could be the first major blow in the NFC East. Pro Football Talk, the Philadelphia Inquirer, and other media outlets are reporting Jeremy Maclin was carted off at practice today. Report is that he was unable to put weight on his left leg.

Should this be serious, this has to be a major blow to Chip Kelly’s new offense. Outside of the running backs, the top two wide outs may have been the one of the few bright spots on the Eagle’s offense. With questions at quarterback, any wide receiver problems may be magnified.

Chris Brown (no not that one) of SmartFootball.com and Grantland thinks that Kelly’s offense could end up looking more like the Patriots than the Oregon Ducks:

…among the major moves Kelly made was signing tight end James Casey in free agency and drafting Stanford tight end Zach Ertz, two movable chess pieces to go along…

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Breaking: RGIII Cleared for Practice

Do you hear it coming?

NFC East Huddle

Skins fans rejoice.

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Breaking News: Von Miller to be suspended 4 games

Adam Schefter reporting Miller broke league policy. More news to come.

If it holds up, that sound you heard was a  collective “whoohoo” from the AFC West.

D.

RUMOR MILL: O.J. Simpson Reportedly Only Has Three Months To Live

Report: OJ Simpson gravely ill

Majic 102.1

 

According to Mail Online, O.J. Simpson is suffering from a terminal case of diabetes and has only three months to live.

Simpson’s extremely high blood pressure, lack of physical activity and weight gain led doctors to draw such a severe conclusion.

As posted by, BlackAmericaWeb.com

Read more:http://blackamericaweb.com/148842/rumor-mill-o-j-simpson-reportedly-only-has-three-months-to-live/

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RGIII’s “Sidepiece”: the behind the scenes story (Reblog)

RGIII is quickly rising to be the face of the future of the NFL. He fails to fit in with a lot of typical stereotypes. Instead of buying the biggest house he could afford, he picked a modest home he and his wife could maintain. The man does not even drink. But would he have a sidepiece? A jumpoff? An oh-darky-thirty-smackdiggity?

Check out this nice piece of investigative blogging from HTTR24-7: RGIII and his “side joint”

Give them a follow for true analysis and insider info for the Redskins and NFL

Talent and Production: The Great Emotional Divide

Nfl: what seperates the NFL Star from the draft bust?

Matt Waldman breaks it down in this post. Give him a follow if you are a student of the game.

The Rookie Scouting Portfolio (RSP)

This is my seventh year studying the on-field performance of football players. I can say unequivocally that I know more about the techniques and strategy of the game than I knew when I began. I’m also beginning to realize that I have learned just as much about player evaluation during the four months I have spent creating content for this blog. However, much of what I have learned from my interviews of colleagues has less to do with technique, strategy, or what to physically seek from a player and more to do with what none of us know.

Things that even NFL GMs and personnel directors will never know for sure:

How a player will manage the great emotional divide that must be crossed in order to transition from college talent to productive pro.

The process is something that my friend and colleague Sigmund Bloom describes as trying to gain…

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