Video of James Harrison making helmet to helmet contact with Josh Cribbs:
Debate Topic of the Day: Should players be suspended for helmet-to-helmet hits?
This is a big issue in the NFL right now with the focus on stopping concisions and because there were so many helmet-to-helmet hits this weekend (Dunta Robinson, and DeSean Jackson, Brandon Meriweather and Tobdd Heap, James Harrison and Josh Cribbs). The NFL announced today that they may start suspending players for these kind of vicious hits.
I think this it is a terrible idea. Most players do not have any intention of hurting players and no one wants to get fined, so there already is something deterring them from trying to make these hits. I think in almost all cases players are just playing and they have to make split decisions, they do not have the time to think of holding up and going low.
Another problem is how can someone possibly make an objective decision on whether a hit is worth a suspension. Are they going to base it on how serious of an injury the other person has? How many fines they have in the past? I don’t like that the commissioner has so much power and he can just announce that he has the ability to suspend people without setting guidelines. I feel like it was a reactionary move by the commissioner and suspending players is not going to cut down these hits, it is just going make more players sit out on Sundays.
