[NU Sports] Football Rule changes for 2012

[Dennis W. Brandt]

We train football players to have prodigious strength, to maximize speed and quickness, to hit with the force of a truck, and then pass rules to subdue that power.  Anyone see a contradiction there?

Some rule changes have made sense, such as disallowing - even disqualifying (and fining) - any player who deliberately uses his helment as a weapon and keeping players with concussion symptoms out of the game.  But don't expect to eliminate significantly helmet-to-helmet contact, broken ribs, or knees being snapped into uselessness.  With powerful, athletic guys flying around at awesome speed, it is impossible unless you want the NCAA to switch to flag football (although broken body parts are still possible even then).  And don't tell me you don't jump up and cheer when one of the boys in purple knocks an opponent into semiconsciousness with a clean hit.

At what point to you destroy the game of football?  When do games become consumed with referees tossing yellow hankies and moving the ball back fifteen yards?  Maybe JoePa was right and players should go back to wearing leather helmets.  Then no one will lead with his head.