NFL might ban long hair (merged) (1 Viewer)

[Waymer]

I did read the article. At the end of the day, Goodell is the one with the real power, let's face it.

There's a difference in having real power over a group, and what the group is doing/proposing. Every president is commander and chief of the military, yet he's not the one proposing a midnight base curfew as opposed to an 11PM base curfew, or deciding whether fish should be served on Fridays. Being the head of something and having real power does not mean every decision begins and ends with said person. You know better than that.

 

[Saint Tex]

Yes, it does sound better, anything should be done to protect and individual's rights. It's their hair, on their body. They pay to keep it long, they pay to wash it, they pay to deal with it. It's how they want to wear their hair for whatever reason, so why shouldn't they be able to? I've not heard a player complain about being tackled by his hair, however to be honest the new rule is something they'll never get done without an agreement from the players union.

Also the Idea of injuries is pretty ridiculous, you have much more control over someone's neck from a face mask than you do from grabbing their hair from behind, AFTER they have already passed you in the first place. At the very worst they might get a couple bald spots now and then but that's hardly life threatening is it?

Perhaps you think the NFL should switch to communism and **** off player rights altogether then? I mean honestly the whole idea is like a nagging, nit-picking step-mother telling you what to do all the time, and when you satisfy her, she thinks of something else to moan about.

This is an free country and until that changes, all civilians can, should, and will wear their hair however they like to.

I have to disagree. Individual's rights are protected against government interference. Employers can and do interfere with individual rights as a matter of contract.

The idea of injury is not ridiculous. The horse collar tackle was banned because of the risk of injury from being violently jerked down from behind. Grabbing someone's hair may not give as much control over his neck as grabbing his face mask, but you can still make a violent jerk backwards.

It's hardly communism to tell someone to whom you are paying many millions of dollars that he has to cut his hair so he won't get tackled by it and can better perform his job duties.

And yes, I am well aware that I may be responding to a trolling post.

 

[gavinj]

It doesn't happen that often because not many offensive players who handle the ball have long hair.

But here's a vid of Polamalu being tackled by his hair.

YouTube - Polamalu tackled by hair

Hahahaha. I remember that. Larry Johnson made Polamalu look like a spaz on that play. Watching that should be enough to make any player cut it or fold it up in the helmet.

 

[Bama Saint]

Don't worry! Mike will do something!

 

[Guitarzan]

message to da yutes of da nation "cut your hair and while you are at it pull up yo damned pants"

 

[Saintslfc13]

Employers can and do interfere with individual rights as a matter of contract.

The NFL doesn't employ the players, the respective owners of the teams do. If Tom Benson wants it in every contract that player hair length cannot exceed a certain limit, and the player signs said contract, then so be it. Until then it's not going to happen. When the league owns the players rights, they can start telling them how they can and cannot wear their hair. Until then the league should stay out of it because as you said, it's an employer/employee issue and therefore has nothing to do with the GOVERNING BODY (which is where the commie reference came in) of the league.

Watch that video posted of the hair tackle on Polamalu. That's got to be the only incident like that I can ever remember, and the only problem with it, was that the tackler held on to Polamalu's hair and picked him up by it AFTER the tackle.

Also, the injury thing is really a non-issue because very few offensive skill players wear their hair long. The one's that do, understand the potential consequences and choose to do so anyway. The QB's in general are so well protected that a high hand to the back of the neck area, or the long hair if it was present, would probably be a flag anyway. Most players who wear their hair long play defense, maybe it's a warrior/barbarian thing that goes with the nastiness of that side of the ball, I really don't know but they should be able to make that decision for themselves.

Also, How is my poll trolling? How do you even define trolling? Lately around here it seems a troll is anyone who disagrees with the majority thought of that particular thread, or on some more open discussions, the board as a whole. Therefore, since the lot on this thread happen to agree with the league on this (for whatever reason I still do not understand.) I'm a troll because I think it's a stupid idea that they won't be able to accomplish, AND, I feel it's none of their business to tell a player how to wear his hair in the first place. That's not a troll my friend that's just two fans who share a common love with the same team disagreeing about a would-be league imposed ban on long hair.

A troll is a falcons fan on a wind-up, or someone telling us to draft another Sullivan with the 10th this year. Someone who is constantly talking nothing, and therefore contributing nothing to the conversation at hand, and the board. A differing opinion is not a troll, it's pretty much what makes boards like this so interesting to see what other Saints fans think about your ideas and opinions about our Saints, the NFL, etc.

 

[st. fan]

I agree, the only way this could happen is if it was written into each team's individual contracts or was approved by the player's association. As Saintslfc13 said, the team employs the player, not the league.

 

[jimrip]

Yes, it does sound better, anything should be done to protect and individual's rights. It's their hair, on their body. They pay to keep it long, they pay to wash it, they pay to deal with it. It's how they want to wear their hair for whatever reason, so why shouldn't they be able to? I've not heard a player complain about being tackled by his hair, however to be honest the new rule is something they'll never get done without an agreement from the players union.

Also the Idea of injuries is pretty ridiculous, you have much more control over someone's neck from a face mask than you do from grabbing their hair from behind, AFTER they have already passed you in the first place. At the very worst they might get a couple bald spots now and then but that's hardly life threatening is it?

Perhaps you think the NFL should switch to communism and **** off player rights altogether then? I mean honestly the whole idea is like a nagging, nit-picking step-mother telling you what to do all the time, and when you satisfy her, she thinks of something else to moan about.

This is an free country and until that changes, all civilians can, should, and will wear their hair however they like to.

I would be the first to defend your right to wear your hair anyway you want.. long, short, dreads, washed, stinky, whatever you or anyone wants. I wore my hair long in the late 60's and early 70's when my high school demanded I keep cutting it. However, I'll tell you what.. you grow your hair down to the middle of your back, then braid it or put it up in dreads. Then run as fast as you can toward your buddy from about 40 yards away. As soon as you get even with him, have him grab hold of your dreads and pull with all his might the other way. See how much of your hair comes out. I would be willing to guarantee none. And I'll also guarantee you'll come to a complete stop.
Would it be ok with you to just tuck your hair up inside your helmet?

 

[Saint Tex]

I was using the word troll in the sense of an intentionally provacative post, the views of which the writer does not believe, meant only to see what kind of response the post will generate.

I can see that my suspicions that yours was a trolling post were unfounded.

 

[WestCoastFan]

Teams employ the players but the league sets the rules.

 

[Saintslfc13]

I would be the first to defend your right to wear your hair anyway you want.. long, short, dreads, washed, stinky, whatever you or anyone wants. I wore my hair long in the late 60's and early 70's when my high school demanded I keep cutting it. However, I'll tell you what.. you grow your hair down to the middle of your back, then braid it or put it up in dreads. Then run as fast as you can toward your buddy from about 40 yards away. As soon as you get even with him, have him grab hold of your dreads and pull with all his might the other way. See how much of your hair comes out. I would be willing to guarantee none. And I'll also guarantee you'll come to a complete stop.
Would it be ok with you to just tuck your hair up inside your helmet?

Yes, that's fine, but the hair doesn't fit in the helmet or else it would already be there. My point is, this should be a player & team issue moreso than a League issue. The NFL comes up with more rules and limits every off-season and while this one will have little to no effect on the outcome of games, I just feel it's time the League stopped trying to do whatever they can to take individualism out of the game. I mean if thats the case every lineman should be made to wear a visor so opposing lineman don't get their hands through the facemask into their eyes (yes it does happen). Cutting should be made completely illegal, and offensive skill players need something taken from them too, because the defense always seems to get the worse end of the stick when it comes to NFL rule changes/add-ons.

It's just them nit-picking over something small. I could understand if there was precedence of people being hurt from it but there isn't. I had my hair long through-out high school and I never had a problem with people pulling it during a game. If they did it, it just made me want to get them back more, yes it smarts and tears at your scalp but it certainly isn't going to permanently injure you.

Edit for SaintTex: I understand now and thank you for clarifying. I apologize if my post came off that way when you read it and its really sad that there are people like that on all forums who cause people to wonder about such things.

 

[MommySaint]

I dont remember who, but I remember a few years ago a defensive player was talking about his long hair and said it is a religious thing for him. He felt that by him not cutting his hair GOD blessed him with more strength like Sampson.

No matter what thier reasons may be I think the should be allowed to have long hair and have to pull it back and find a way to tuck it either in the back of the jersey or up in the helmet. I think it really should be entirely up to each individual.

 

[saint hdawg]

It doesn't happen that often because not many offensive players who handle the ball have long hair.

But here's a vid of Polamalu being tackled by his hair.

YouTube - Polamalu tackled by hair

Thanks Saint Tex

 

[kevinh]

as long as their under contract their life belong to the fans and the NFL..

Remind me never to work for this guy--yeesh. ; )

 

[antipop]

No Long Hair rule would ruin the game and I would never watch an NFL game again.

dude, you cannot be serious

These players get paid millions of NFL dollars, they should do whatever the NFL tell them to do, if the commissioner pulls down his pants and tell them all pucker up and get to kissin they better get the good chap stick out and get them lips good and ready.

What they choose to do with their life in the offseason and retired is their own business, but as long as their under contract their life belong to the fans and the NFL.
Sorry i can't take sides with Multimillionaires that think they can get and do whatever they want.

wow

Perhaps you think the NFL should switch to communism and **** off player rights altogether then? I mean honestly the whole idea is like a nagging, nit-picking step-mother telling you what to do all the time, and when you satisfy her, she thinks of something else to moan about.

This is an free country and until that changes, all civilians can, should, and will wear their hair however they like to.

lmao.....there are countless professions that don't allow long hair, tattoos, piercings, etc....none of them violate individual rights.....absurd

The NFL doesn't employ the players, the respective owners of the teams do. If Tom Benson wants it in every contract that player hair length cannot exceed a certain limit, and the player signs said contract, then so be it. Until then it's not going to happen. When the league owns the players rights, they can start telling them how they can and cannot wear their hair. Until then the league should stay out of it because as you said, it's an employer/employee issue and therefore has nothing to do with the GOVERNING BODY (which is where the commie reference came in) of the league.

the NFL has every right to govern things like this.....it's why they call the teams "franchises".....

if you own a mickey d's franchise, you are subject to any rules the corporation makes....you can't sell burger king fries because you think you have the right to