"NFL Crown-of-the-Helmet Rule: The End of Football as We Know It?"

From Bleacher Report

Review by Chris Lee in SRM 334 (section 1)

For the current event presentation we chose to discuss the new NFL rule changes being made in the 2013 off season. Along with the decision to eliminate the infamous tuck rule, NFL owners also voted to enforce the “crown of helmet rule” in their annual winter meeting held in Phoenix, Arizona on March 20, 2013. The crown of helmet rule basically states that ball carriers are no longer to initiate contact with the crown of their helmets outside the tackle box. There will be a 15 yard penalty for this infraction and incidental contact will be excused by the referees.

The reasoning behind the recent helmet rule change was to reduce concussions, neck damage, and head trauma in an effort to make the game safer. Since the rule has passed, plenty of controversy has surrounded it within the media and many players, coaches, and league affiliates have shown varying opinions about the issue. People like St. Louis Rams’ head coach Jeff Fisher agree with the rule and think that it will have a positive impact on player safety. When asked about the new rule he responded, “We're bringing the shoulder back to the game. The helmet is a protective device, but it's not being used as that as of late. This is to protect the players.”

While there has been some support for the rule change many players, mainly current and former running backs, have been upset with the idea that the league is becoming too soft. Many of these people have turned to social media devices such as twitter to express their dissatisfaction. Marshall Faulk, a football analyst for the NFL network and legendary running back, is among these people and recently tweeted, “The new RB rule is a joke.” Emmitt Smith, Matt Forte, Justin Forsett, and many others have also publicly disagreed with the crown of helmet rule.

This topic is relevant to the class because it deals with sports media outlets such as ESPN and how they have heavily covered mainly the negative reactions to the rule change. Personally I have heard very few analysts stick up for the rule change, and most of Sportscenter’s coverage broadcasts the negative views about how the game will never be the same and how the NFL is turning into “two hand touch football.” Overall I think that it is important for the media to share both sides of the story in order to not come off as being biased about a particular issue.
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Review by Donnie Carroll in SRM 334 (section 1)
The NFL recently passed several rule changes to take effect in the upcoming season. Most of which were necessary and improved the game, but the one that stirred up a lot of negative attention was the “crown of the helmet rule.” This rule states that a ballcarrier three or more yards downfield cannot initiate contact leading with the crown of his helmet. Many believe that the passing of this rule has to do with the former NFL player plaintiffs in the concussion related lawsuits toward the NFL not protecting the players enough. 

Twitter absolutely blew up with outrage once this rule was passed, with former and current NFL players in opposition to the rule. All of this negative attention towards this rule caused fans to also express their opinions on the rule and believe that the NFL is taking the protection issue way too far. ESPN has conducted several interviews with players who oppose the new rule on Sportscenter. It seems as if both media and social media have accomplished associating a negative connotation with the new rule change. A few coaches and former players have stressed the “safety first,” aspect but not much positive attention has come with this new rule. If only negativity is coming from all angles of the media, the fans will react the same was as the players who are expressing their opinions through the different channels of media.

The media has a reputation for putting a negative spin on stories, but it seems a bit too much when regarding entertainment purposes being more important that players’ safety. It is evident that the fans will follow the players’ reactions but it does not help that the media is not giving an ample amount of coverage to the other side of the story.