Concussion settlement may relieve harsh penalties in NFL

Today was a big day for the future of the NFL as the league reached a settlement in the concussion lawsuit brought against it by retirees. The settlement will hopefully slow down the NFL's march towards flag football.

As our knowledge of concussions has grown, the NFL has worked very hard to stop head injuries. Cynics will claim the league was more concerned with the pending lawsuit by retirees than it was with they safety of their players, but I think we can all agree trying to reduce injuries is a good thing.

The problem is that the league has gone too far.

For a long time, I dismissed the doom and gloom predictions that likened the NFL to boxing. Many argued the new rules and fears over concussions would end up ruining the NFL's popularity and that it would subsequently fade into obscurity just as boxing did. I refuesed to believe that a multi-billion dollar industry would simply fall apart. From what I have seen this preseason, however, I have become legitimately concerned.

EVERYTHING has become a penalty. Every time you touch a quarterback, every big hit, everything is flagged. I was especially bothered when the leauge fined Jon Bostic for his hit on Mattie Willie. Willie catches the ball, takes two steps up field and is blasted. Bostic was fined as Willie was deemed a 'defenseless' receiver. If that qualifies as a defenseless receiver, then every receiver is defenseless. It's ridiculous.

I applaud the league's efforts in trying to prvent head injuries. Players should not aim for other players' heads, nor should they lower their own head when trying to make a tackle. When players like Bostic get fined, however, that changes the game because it takes awy some of the LEGAL plays and hits that make the game great. When you start talking abot taking away kickoffs, you are changing the game. When you begin contemplating taking away lower body hits to prevent injuries like we saw happen to Dustin Keller, you change the game. There is simply no way to prevent injuries like that in a tackling league. Today's NFL is the most popular sport in America. At this rate, however, tomorrow's NFL is going to look very different.

The problem is that the lawsuit caused a disconnect between the league, the players, and the fans. Usually when there is a massive outcry following a rule change or a blown call, the league hears and responds. Last season, a labor dispute between the league and the referees forced the NFL to use replacement officials to start the season. When the debacle in Green Bay happened, the outcry forced the NFL's hand and by Thursday, the regular referees were back. The threat of this lawsuit, however, has deafened the NFL's ears to complaints from the fans and the players. Even when replays show one hit was actually to the shoulder rather than the head, or a roughing the passer call was actually the quarterback tripping over his own feet, the NFL continues to encourage the referees to continue making those calls. Rather than listening to the fan base that has made the NFL what it is, they ignore bad call after bad call all in the name of safety.

The stupidity of this is that it could all be fixed so easily. Do you think the player's union is not just as concerned over head injuries? Players these days are aware of the health risks associated with football, risks that former players may not have fully understood, and they still choose to play. The NFL should start a dialog with the union. They need to discuss what the league needs to do to keep the players safe, but also what risks the players are accepting by playing in the NFL. Make them sign a waiver saying they accept those risks so long as the NFL fulfills its obligations to keep them safe. Done. Problem solved. Maybe it is a bit more complicated than that, but I know the league and players could come to an agreement that acknowledges the inherent risk of playing football.

The league's tough stance on big hits stems from its fear over this concussion lawsuit. Now that it has been settled, I hope an actual solution can be reached because what I've seen in this preseason is not NFL football.

Redskins consider suing NFL

The Washington Post reported last weekend that the Washington Redskins were considering suing the NFL in an attempt to have their $18 million cap penalty overturned. As part of the lawsuit, they would file a motion to block the March 12 start of free agency.

The Redskins hinted that they were not done fighting the cap penalty, but this seems drastic. The cap penalty assessed to the team is a blatant act of collusion and completely unfair, but so far the courts have disagreed. I am not sure the legal arguments of the situation, but I don’t know how 30 organizations can have an “unwritten rule” regarding the types of contracts teams can offer players without it being labeled as collusion. Still, the Redskins have lost every legal challenge to the NFL’s ruling thus far.

It may be unfair, but the Redskins need to swallow their pride and accept it. Suing the NFL and disrupting free agency is just a bad idea.

The Redskins do not operate independent of the NFL and the other teams or in a vacuum. The team should want to have good relations with the league, the owners, the players, and their agents. Basically, if you make life tough for everyone else, they’ll make life tough for you.

Remember the late Al Davis? He wasn’t always considered a pariah. He sued the NFL in 1980 so he could move the Raiders to Los Angeles. The Redskins need to avoid having a similar type of relationship with the rest of the league, especially with the team facing numerous potential problems in the coming years.

The Redskins are under attack over their team name. Thus far, the NFL has not voiced a strong opinion either way, but that could easily change if the Redskins choose to go forward with this lawsuit. They may feel sudden pressure to rebrand themselves despite how committed to the name the organization currently is.  The condition of the field at FedEx is a disgrace; do not expect any help from the league in improving those conditions.

Mike Shanahan was able to orchestrate a trade last season with St. Louis in order to draft Robert Griffin III. The Cleveland Browns were reportedly willing to give up just as much, but the Rams instead choose to deal the pick to the Redskins. I do not see the Redskins being able to make these type of deals in the future if they choose to pursue their lawsuit.  Teams will be much less inclined to work out trades, agents will try to steer players away from DC, and whatever vain hope Daniel Snyder may have had about bringing the Super Bowl to FedEx would be completely extinguished.

Perhaps more troubling than the logistical nightmare of suing the NFL is the fact that the Redskins have not taken any measures thus far to free up cap space. They remain approximately $3 million over the salary cap with holes on the roster to fill and numerous free agents left to sign including Fred Davis. The Redskins need to prepare for the next season, but they’ve seemingly put everything on hold. The last thing the Redskins should want is for their pending free agents to hit the open market.  If the team does not make room for the players they need to sign, then they will simply sign somewhere else. The Redskins risk making things worse for themselves if they are not prepared to absorb the cap penalty.

The first reports of this lawsuit began surfacing about a week ago and since then nothing has happened. It could be that the Redskins are hoping the threat of a lawsuit will be enough to force some kind of settlement from the league and they do not intend to actually go to court. If they do, they should first consider the long-term ramifications of such a move. Saving $18 million now could cost them a lot in the future.

Do We Still Need All-Star Games?

Somewhere around Ne-Yo's 15th terrible song to open the NBA All-Star game, my suspicions were confirmed: we do not need all-star games anymore.

The entire NBA All-Star weekend was full of elaborate attempts to distract the viewer’s attention away from the mediocre basketball being played. None of the real stars participated in what has become the marquee event, the dunk contest. Rather than seeing Kevin Durant take on LeBron James, the fans were treated to a final matchup of Jeremy Evans and Terrence Ross. Who?

The game itself was played with an effort that would have disgusted players from the 2011 Pro Bowl. Half the players walked aimlessly around the court as the gameplay devolved into one-on-one matchups with players pretending to play defense. As soon as the other player moved to drive it in, though, the defender would pull off and casually watch his opponent take it in for the dunk. I imagine dunking is pretty easy for a professional basketball player when no one is even attempting to defend.

The entire game was meaningless and boring. After the first five dunks, they all began to look the same. The game became tiresome before the first quarter even ended. Would anyone truly care if the NBA just got rid of this pointless weekend?

The lackluster all-star showing is not specific to the NBA; the all-star games of all the major sports are just as embarrassing. Part of the problem is that there just is no good time for an all-star game to be played. In basketball, baseball, and hockey the regular season comes to a screeching halt somewhere near the halfway point for these games. The break is nice for the players, but not great for the fans.  As the playoff chase is heating up, the season stops.  Rather than watching meaningful games, fans now have to watch these lackluster exhibition games.

The problem is even worse in football. Football is too physical and taxing a sport to have an exhibition game smack dab in the middle of the season. Having it after the season, however, is incredibly anti-climactic, prompting the NFL to move the game to the week before the Super Bowl. Now, the Pro Bowl excludes all players from the two best teams in the league. The NFL is left with a choice of playing a game when no one cares or excluding some of the best, most deserving players.

Not only are these games inconvenient, the effort level makes them difficult to watch. Players do not want to play at 100% and risk injury with nothing to play for. Baseball tried to fix this problem by awarding the winning team home-field advantage in the World Series and thus make the game ‘meaningful’, but I have seen no difference in the level of play.

Before leagues begin scrambling for ways to compel their players to give more effort, they should stop and think about the consequences. Owners and players are constantly at odds over playing in international tournaments such as the Olympics because of the risk of injury. Isn’t it counterintuitive to then force players to compete in a mid-season exhibition game? How can the NHL refuse to allow its players to go to the Sochi Olympics and then demand 100% effort in an all-star game? True, the all-star game is only one game as opposed to an entire tournament, but it seems unfair to force competition in something the players seeming do not care about while denying them the chance to compete in something that matters to them.

Ultimately, leagues cannot expect fans to care in a game played at half-speed. Name an all-star team so the players are still honored, but remove the games. Not only are they terrible to watch, but the ridiculous spectacle surrounding these games have become embarrassing. Somewhere between Ne-Yo’s excruciating performance and Kevin Hart’s tiresome antics, I was done. The NBA should save itself the trouble and give us the games we actually want to see.

Redskins Ready to Go

Three games down, one to go.  The Redskins will wrap up their preseason on Wednesday, but we likely got our best view of what the Redskins will look like this season from Saturday’s game against Indianapolis.  Here are my thoughts on what we’ve seen so far:

I remain cautiously optimistic about Robert Griffin III after three performances.  He was not asked to do much against Buffalo, took a step back against Chicago, and looked very sharp against Indianapolis.  Mike Shanahan has declared that he is done for the preseason, so his final stats are 20-31 for 193 yards and two touchdowns.  Perhaps most importantly he has not thrown a single interception.  His arm strength looks as good as advertised as does his speed, though Shanahan has limited his running.  He still has not fully adjusted to the speed of NFL linemen and he has not always looked accurate, but at this point I’m nit-picking.  For a rookie, he looks good.

THERE IS NO QUARTERBACK CONTROVERY.  This came up after the game against Chicago.  Griffin went 5-8 for only 49 yards.  Kirk Cousins, meanwhile, went 18-23 with 264 yards and three touchdowns.  People were a little surprised and a little worried when the Redskins took Cousins in the fourth round of the draft.  What if he played well in the preseason and Griffin did not?  Will this add pressure to the young QB?  No.  A team cannot give up what the Redskins did for Griffin and not give him a chance to prove himself.  Griffin is safe as the starter and will be safe even if he does not dazzle us all like we had hoped.  Cousins, meanwhile, is still third on the depth chart.  It’s good to have him and that he’s playing well, but he’s not a threat to Griffin.  Not yet anyway.

When Shanahan has to sit down with his coaches and finally cut the roster down to 53, his hardest decision will come at wide receiver where everyone has upped their game.  Let’s start with what we know.  Pierre Garcon will be the number one and Santana Moss will move to the slot.  Former Virginia Tech WR Josh Morgan was signed as an FA in the offseason, but his spot was in danger due to injury concerns.  He has played very well in the preseason, however, proving himself to be a dependable option.  Leonard Hankerson has looked lackadaisical at times with only three preseason catches, but he came in high up on the depth chart and I don’t think he’s done anything to jeopardize that.

That leaves only two, possibly three spots for five other players.  New-comers Aldrick Robinson and Dezmon Briscoe have showed both reliable hands and playmaking abilities.  They have both played extremely well.  Anthony Armstrong just cannot stay healthy and has only a single catch.  He has not shown enough in his career here for the coaches to give him another shot over either Robinson or Briscoe.  I think he’s gone.  Same goes for Terrence Austin.  There was a chance for him if he could establish himself more as a return man, but he has been unable to do so and his WR play has not generated excitement the way the others have.

Perhaps the most controversial decision will be over Brandon Banks.  Shanahan made it clear he needed to make the roster as a WR this year, but he caught only two passes against Buffalo while being targeted nine times.  He simply does not have the height to compete as an NFL WR.  This has not gone unnoticed by the coaching staff, who have not given him significant playing time at WR since that first game.  They are also exploring other players as kick returners including Santana Moss.  Banks won’t make it as a WR and Shanahan is trying to find someone else to return kicks.  The problem is that no one has come close.  Banks won’t make this team if Shanahan keeps only six receivers.  If he keeps seven, Banks will take that last spot.

Not sure exactly where fan-favorite Chris Cooley stands.  Right now he’s behind Fred Davis and Niles Paul on the depth chart, who was moved from WR to tight end.  Everyone knows how good Davis can be, but Paul has looked inconsistent.  He’s had some big drops, but that is not unusual for new tight ends who sometimes find catching more difficult with the constant blocking that comes with the position.

The possibility of a year-long suspension still hangs heavy over Davis.  One more failed drug test, and he’s out.  Cooley is also listed on the depth chart at fullback as well as TE.  I think he makes the team, but he won’t see much of the field.

A real Jekyll and Hyde performance so far by the offensive line, who allowed zero sacks in Buffalo, got shredded by Chicago, and looked ok against Indianapolis.  This will quietly be one of the more important storylines for the Redskins as the front five are now tasked with protecting the team’s franchise QB.  When you look at all other offensive positions, the line is the biggest weakness.  This offense will only be as good as the line.  I will be surprised if Griffin starts 16 games this season because I think he is going to take too many hits to stay healthy.  The worst thing about it is that with few draft picks and a salary cap penalty, I don’t think the line will get better for another two years.

The running back position, thought to be a weakness, now looks like it could be a potential strength with four players shouldering the load.  The Redskins looked like they were in trouble with injuries to Evan Royster and Roy Helu Jr.  With Tim Hightower returning from ACL surgery, it seemed he was not a dependable option.  Enter Alfred Morris, the preseason star who has caught everyone’s eye with his powerful running style.  This guy just does not go down behind the line.  While Royster, Helu, and Hightower are all question marks, if you can go into the season with four reliable backs, suddenly you are reducing the workload of everyone.  If Hightower goes down one week, you can spread the carries around Royster, Helu and Morris.  If Helu gets injured, you can go back to Hightower.  Before it looked like each guy had to prove himself capable of making this roster.  Now, I don’t think the Redskins can risk cutting any of the four.

The Redskins will struggle to defend the pass this season.  Jay Cutler tore the secondary apart for 122 yards.  When he had time, Andrew Luck was also able to embarrass the Redskins.  He finished with 151 yards and a touchdown.  Shanahan experimented somewhat by playing DeAngelo Hall at safety.  Maybe he does not think Hall can play corner anymore, or he desperately needs someone else at safety, but either way it’s not a good sign.  Brandon Meriweather should be back for the start of the season and Tanard Jackson was really impressive against the Colts, but otherwise this is a thin secondary.  It looks like the Redskins’ best option to defend the pass this season will be to pressure the quarterback.

Speaking of pressuring the quarterback, the Redskins look deep at both defensive line and linebacker.  The season-ending injury to Chris Neild is a blow, but not a major one and they seemed to play well against Indianapolis without him.  Jarvis Jenkins looks to be as good as advertised in his first year of action.  Brian Orakpo is expected to be fine for the season opener, and even without him the Redskins’ linebackers harassed Luck all night.  Teams are going to be faced with the daunting task of somehow blocking both Orakpo and Ryan Kerrigan.  Depending on how good the secondary can play, this defense may be ready to take the next step.

One preseason game to go, but it will be mostly tryouts among the backups to make the final 53.  It’s time to start the countdown to September 9 and New Orleans!

Redskins and Cowboys to Fight Cap Penalties

Imagine you're driving home one day in your car and you decide to turn right on a red light. Next thing you know, you see police lights in your rear view mirror.

"Something wrong officer?" you ask.

"You turned right on red."

"I'm sorry, is that illegal?"

"Well technically no," he answers. "But both the police and the neighborhood think it should be, so we are now ticketing people who do it. Oh, and don't challenge it in court, I'd rather this just went away. Have a good day."

Does that sound fair to you? Me neither, but it does to Roger Goodell and 30 other NFL teams. The NFL has taken $36 million from the Redskins and $10 million from Dallas in cap room over the next two years and both teams are now challenging this ruling. The issue is over player contracts given during the 2010 NFL season. The NFL has accused both teams of "overloading" contracts, meaning the contracts offered a large amount of money during that specific year in order to entice free agents to sign with them. Usually the league salary cap prevents these kind of things from happening, but the 2010 season was uncapped. Essentially the Redskins and Cowboys found a one year loophole and exploited it which seems to have ticked the league off.

The Redskins and Dallas are challenging, however, that according to the rules, they did nothing wrong. The league may not like it, but there was no rule or salary cap in place to prevent it. What is especially baffling about the league's decision is the fact that the league must approve all contracts. So the contracts were seen by the league, approved, and are now being deemed illegal. If they had a problem with the contracts, they never should have been approved in the first place.

So why are only the Redskins and Cowboys being punished for not following a rule that was not in the books? Good question. Somehow the other 30 teams knew not to overload contracts even though it wasn't against the rules. So let me get this straight, a bunch of teams decided amongst themselves that, although there was no salary cap, they were not going to offer top-heavy contracts...isn't that collusion? How could 30 teams know not to break an unwritten rule? I have a hard time believing 30 different teams all individually decided not to take advantage of an uncapped year, and if they all made an agreement with each other that is a SERIOUS issue. Essentially they all agreed to keep player salaries low, something the players' association should be concerned with.

Roger Goodell held a press conference today during the owner's meetings and talked about the importance of increasing the league's transparency to fans. When asked about this dispute, however, Goodell would not comment past an ambiguous statement released earlier. I guess transparency only applies to teams Goodell likes since everyone in DC is still waiting for some kind of explanation. As much as he may want the Redskins and Cowboys to just suck it up and take the penalties, there are too many questions surrounding this issue for that to happen. Why did the league approve these supposedly illegal contracts? Why did 30 teams know not to break this unwritten rule? Why are those teams now so mad? Why did the players' association approve of these punishments despite the implications of collusion among the other teams? With arbitration now looming, commissioner Goodell better brace himself to answer a lot of tough questions he could have avoided had the league treated the Redskins and Cowboys fairly.