Bernard Pollard Speaks out against Goodell and the "New NFL Culture" (1 Viewer)

[AceTW]

Ravens' Pollard: Football won't exist in '20, 30 years' - NFL.com

Bernard Pollard believes the end is near for the NFL. The hard-hitting Baltimore Ravens safety has watched professional football evolve with bigger, faster players and vows the violent nature of the sport cannot be tempered by continual rule changes. He believes the equation doesn't work.

"If somebody is going to get a knockout shot, OK, at some point somebody is going to get hit anyway," Pollard said. "If you end up getting knocked out because you're trying to get a knockout shot, it's either kill or be killed. Which one are you going to do? This is football. It's not powder puff. When Nike unveiled their new uniforms, I'm surprised they didn't have flags on the side. ... You're taking away the game of football. If a quarterback throws an interception, get his butt down or run to the sidelines. If you're going to try to make a tackle, I'm going to look for you. I promise you, I'm going to look for you."

Pollard suggested NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has been hypocritical in his crusade to inject safety measures into an inherently dangerous sport. Pollard called last week's draft "a meat market," where teams openly seek out the strongest, fastest, most aggressive players available. Nobody is looking for safer, think-before-you-tackle defenders.

So what do you think? What fines and suspensions are waiting for Pollard following this interview? There SHOULD be plenty of both, but I think we all know that there won't be. He doesn't wear a Fleur on his helmet afterall...

 

[Saintree River]

I think he is right....The NFL currently is and has been for a while, the king of the pro sports hill in the US. But everything goes in cycles. The NFL will fall of its own weight and arrogance. I hope history remembers Goodell as the leader when it happens.

 

[Rugger]

I don't see any problem with his statements.

I am not defending Goodell because I think he is doing a terrible job with the PR with the fans and players. I think his punishments are way too inconsistent. I think he is an arrogant man. I think he is a puppet to Pash.

All that said I also think he is right in his fear of these upcoming law suits. If one player wins their case, the NFL is over. With 1,000 former players suing the league, there is a real level of concern. How do you put a number on brain damage? If the courts find the NFL accountable for these injuries, the NFl will go broke.

I know you can not change the hits. I know that the game is getting dumbed down and Goodell is a hypocrite. I understand his dislike. I don't like him, but he is right when he looks at the lawsuits and sees a big concern and when he is going into court he needs to have appeared to everything in his power to show he tried to protect the players.

 

[saintlyn8]

I think he is right....The NFL currently is and has been for a while, the king of the pro sports hill in the US. But everything goes in cycles. The NFL will fall of its own weight and arrogance. I hope history remembers Goodell as the leader when it happens.

He is absolutely right. If the owners are smart they'll stop GODell before it's too late. He will destroy this game we all love and cherish.

 

[Saints & Stamps]

He is absolutely right. If the owners are smart they'll stop GODell before it's too late. He will destroy this game we all love and cherish.

Its not nearly as simple as saying the death of football is all Godell's fault. I agree with the above, in that's he's an awful commish, however he's' dealing with decades of arrogance that set up a culture that is hurting the league now.

 

[AceTW]

I am not defending Goodell because I think he is doing a terrible job with the PR with the fans and players. I think his punishments are way too inconsistent. I think he is an arrogant man. I think he is a puppet to Pash.

All that said I also think he is right in his fear of these upcoming law suits. If one player wins their case, the NFL is over. With 1,000 former players suing the league, there is a real level of concern. How do you put a number on brain damage? If the courts find the NFL accountable for these injuries, the NFl will go broke.

I know you can not change the hits. I know that the game is getting dumbed down and Goodell is a hypocrite. I understand his dislike. I don't like him, but he is right when he looks at the lawsuits and sees a big concern and when he is going into court he needs to have appeared to everything in his power to show he tried to protect the players.

First paragraph, right on.

Second, I get your concern and I share it. I actually 'get' why Goodell is doing the things he's doing, I simply believe it could've all been avoided had he addressed the issue as it was presented to him in 2007 and created the fund required to assist these players with their medical needs. Instead he did the 'corporate' thing and denied, denied denied. The NFL was what, a 7 or 8 BILLION dollar business at the time? Or even at the time of the lockout, when the owners were arguing that they needed an extra billion off the top for 'whatever'. Send that billion to the fund and everything's taken care of. They did, if I recall, create a $600 million fund for this purpose but I think that mainly came out of the player's cuts. (If I'm wrong, so be it, but that's what I recall)

Third paragraph, a little re-hash of the second, and I agree up to the point where you think he's right about being concerned about the lawsuits. He is right to be concerned, but remember, he could've headed all this off years ago and chose to make the quick buck instead.

 

[Taedoc]

I agree with most of you football is a dangerous sport and everyone knew this when they got into the sport. granted its not so bad in the little leagues.. or it used to not be so bad. High school is another matter.. from there on out they all know what they are getting into... the only thing i agree with are some of the ways they used to tackle was nuts.. big example would be the way PT was knocked out of the SF game... those should be out of the game.. helmet to helmet causes concussions almost every time. Other then that some of the new rules are crazy... someone's hand hits the qb's helmet? really? I really hope something is done about Goodell.. just my 2 cents

 

[PanicFootball]

Welcome to the National Rugby League. No pads, no helmets, just flesh. Players will wear wool caps with the logos on their head or those funny helmets soccer players are wearing now.

It will be tackle football with no equipment just like we all played when we were kids. The players will get smaller and smaller. The game will die a slow and painful death, and my other favorite sport, soccer will take over. Fans will cheer for a good slide tackle, and our great athletes will give up one football for another.




Tongue slightly in cheek.

 

[guidomerkinsrules]

I am not defending Goodell because I think he is doing a terrible job with the PR with the fans and players. I think his punishments are way too inconsistent. I think he is an arrogant man. I think he is a puppet to Pash.

All that said I also think he is right in his fear of these upcoming law suits. If one player wins their case, the NFL is over. With 1,000 former players suing the league, there is a real level of concern. How do you put a number on brain damage? If the courts find the NFL accountable for these injuries, the NFl will go broke.

I know you can not change the hits. I know that the game is getting dumbed down and Goodell is a hypocrite. I understand his dislike. I don't like him, but he is right when he looks at the lawsuits and sees a big concern and when he is going into court he needs to have appeared to everything in his power to show he tried to protect the players.

Even if there is a smoking gun like was found against big tobacco, and even if every single is found liable there would be plenty of new owners to stepnin who would be free of suspicion
more than likely it wont he a class action and individual players will have to sue individual trainers, coaches, owners

 

[AceTW]

Welcome to the National Rugby League. No pads, no helmets, just flesh. Players will wear wool caps with the logos on their head or those funny helmets soccer players are wearing now.

It will be tackle football with no equipment just like we all played when we were kids. The players will get smaller and smaller. The game will die a slow and painful death, and my other favorite sport, soccer will take over. Fans will cheer for a good slide tackle, and our great athletes will give up one football for another.




Tongue slightly in cheek.

Speaking of 'other sports'...

I have lately been giving serious thought to re-kindling my old fandom of the Pittsburgh Pirates. I've always been a fan of the underdog (I'm a Saints fan, remember?) and they've pretty much ALWAYS fit that bill. Baseball was the first sport I ever 'loved' and the Pirates became my first loved team thanks to Kent Tekulve. I've always thrown sidearm because of him (even footballs) but never could get that "Submarine pitch" down pat....

 

[jayhawk66]

So what do you think? What fines and suspensions are waiting for Pollard following this interview? There SHOULD be plenty of both, but I think we all know that there won't be. He doesn't wear a Fleur on his helmet afterall...

I guess the Ravens can kiss their 1st rounder goodbye next year.

Oh, that silly Roger Goodell and his ego.

 

[Madhattr]

If the nfl continues down this road leagues like the xfl will resurface and become more popular.

 

[Guitarzan]

I am not defending Goodell because I think he is doing a terrible job with the PR with the fans and players. I think his punishments are way too inconsistent. I think he is an arrogant man. I think he is a puppet to Pash.

All that said I also think he is right in his fear of these upcoming law suits. If one player wins their case, the NFL is over. With 1,000 former players suing the league, there is a real level of concern. How do you put a number on brain damage? If the courts find the NFL accountable for these injuries, the NFl will go broke.

I know you can not change the hits. I know that the game is getting dumbed down and Goodell is a hypocrite. I understand his dislike. I don't like him, but he is right when he looks at the lawsuits and sees a big concern and when he is going into court he needs to have appeared to everything in his power to show he tried to protect the players.

And you know what? The league is not going powder puff... it was pointed out by Peirarra (sp?) last year-- in a Saints game no less-- the difference between what's a legal hit and what's not... both hits were violent collisions but Malcolm Jenkins did it correctly and within the rules and newly-acquired Saints LBer Curtis Lofton (then with the Falcons) made the illegal hit.

PT was knocked out with a legal hit. Blood and carnage are inherent in the game and will always be.

If the NFL goes down it will be because of the league's negligence towards player safety in the past, not on Roger's watch.

And I don't particularly like Roger either. But that's the way it is

 

[StRonaldo]

Noway is Goodall like his predecessor, the punishment seems to lack concentrated thought! Vick was convicted of a crime and sent to jail, but yet he is back playing! What Coach is being punished for, is apparently something that happened in 2009. It is very confusing to get a straight answer out of him. All I truly know, is Coach got the shaft! So did the Team, and he has promoted ill feelings in the NFL with other teams.

 

[saintsfan26]

I completely understand why Goodell is doing what he is doing, but that still doesnt change the fact that we are being scapegoated. It is simply just not fair. No leader will ever be respected for being unfair.