[Husker] Joel Klatt's Chad May moment, live on ESPN(.com)

[Rod Wellman]

On Dec 23, 2005, at 8:53 AM, Steve Stone wrote:

> Rod Wellman wrote:
>
>> Steve,
>> My point is in line with a subsequent post by Mr. Thompson:  the  
>> rules in place are sufficient protection and in my opinion do a  
>> good job of walking the line between protecting the athletes and  
>> "letting the kids play".
>
> If the rules are sufficient, the enforcement isn't. Or visa-versa.
>
>> Have you seen some of the flags thrown in the NFL for "roughing"  
>> the QB?
>
> I've watched perhaps 10-12 minutes of NFL play this year, and the  
> best part of that time was wasted.
>
> What happens in the NFL has no bearing whatsoever on what should  
> happen in the college game.
>
>>   Defensive ends who are coming at full bore, required to "pull  
>> up" at the last second.  I've seen so many ridiculous calls, where  
>> the QB barely gets touched...reminds me of the flags thrown for  
>> roughing the punter where the punter obviously gets "tapped" and  
>> falls down as if he'd been hit by a truck.  This is a rule I  
>> simply cannot stand, and points out once again why I prefer the  
>> college game any day over the NFL.
>
> See comment above.
>
>> Just exactly what rule changes would you be looking for?  My bet  
>> is that they would resemble the NFL rules regarding hits on the  
>> QB, which I think is blatantly designed to create more offense,  
>> not necessarily protect the QB from "debilitating" injury.
>
> Wagering has no place in the college game, either.       :-)
>

Well, ya got me there :) Should have read "my hunch".  (After losing  
a keg in my college days many years ago to some Oklahoma fans in a  
bet, I've never bet on another Husker game or any other sporting  
event...except for some small stakes office NCAA basketball tourney  
brackets).

Sounds like you are in agreement that NFL-type QB protection rules  
have no place in the college game.  Yet, earlier you said that  
Klatt's "exactly right" that the NCAA should protect QBs on the field  
better.  My point is that any rule change would do just that:  take  
the college rule on what constitutes a personal foul type hit on a  
QB, and change it to resemble the NFL rule, where defensive ends on  
pass-rush routinely get flagged for what I all "phantom" hits:  they  
look worse than they are in real time and the refs are very liberal  
with the flags in the name of "protecting" the QB.

At least we can all agree on this:  whatever the rule, I'd like to  
the Blackshirts put Henne on the turf several times!  (Legal hits  
under the rules, of course!)

Rod W.
Sioux City, Ia.