Kickin' butt and taking names later – and then making a Rule
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 Welcome to the NFL Boys and Girls.  Today, the New “Hines Ward” Rule takes effect.  Those lovely owners sitting in their digs in southern California decided a blindside block if it comes from the blocker’s helmet, forearm or shoulder and lands to the head or neck area of the defender is illegal. One of the highlights the NFL competition committee used to portray such a block was the one Ward threw last season that broke the jaw of Cincinnati rookie linebacker Keith Rivers.  OK, so written that way it sounds really mean.  But was that hit really intended to break the guys jaw? I think not. Â
Come on, this is football, not volleyball. Â I wonder if the guys from the 70s steel curtain think the new national football leage is made up of a bunch of silly boys. Â I mean, the Hines Ward rule – Hines is a wide receiver. Â You gonna tell me a defensive player can’t take a hit. Â Sure, would be nice if he saw someone coming at him so he could brace himself, or get out of the way, but would be nice if I had a million dollars too. Â Come on, so next we take tackling at all out of the game? Â Are we looking for NFL to be the NFFL – National Flag Football League?
Look, I hope they all stay healthy. Â I hope that no one gets hurt. Â But the game is hard. Â It’s rough and tumble. Â Get over it. Â Too much money is spent on players for me not to enjoy them beating the crap out of each other to get each single yard. Â Maybe I have aggression issues, but I want to see FOOTBALL.
Now, as I step down from my soapbox….
Let me tell you about these rules, Â also approved today:
• Teams kicking off must have four players on each side of the kicker with three lined up outside each inbounds line. The rule was passed to prevent “bunching” on onsides kicks. OK, fair enough. No bunching.  Got it.
• No more than two players on the kickoff receiving drill can form a wedge to block for the runner. Huh?  Really?
• Any hits to a “defenseless” receiver cannot be made by a defender’s helmet, forearm or shoulder to the head.  Thank you Hines Ward.  Now you and Mel Blount can be the Steelers with rules named after them.  Oh, and owner, the Rooney Rule, don’t forget.
Now it’s clear, the NFL is scared of the Steelers. Â Both hard hitting rules, and the push to make the “boys club” a little more diverse. Â I say, go ahead men, kick that butt…the fact the rules are named after you means you made an impression. Â Sometimes on the opposing team, but never the less…they heard you. Â They know your name.
Steelers baby. Â Keep rockin’ the house.
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March 25th, 2009 at 2:21 pm
[...] The Hines Ward Rule? ~Steeler Gurl [...]
The NFL Chick:
March 25th, 2009 at 7:14 pm
Good post, and I agree. Not feeling these new rules. I just wrote a blog something similar. This is starting to get too cupcake for my liking. It’s football!
Kerry:
March 26th, 2009 at 12:29 am
I blame it on Tom Brady. Wuss.
Kerry:
March 26th, 2009 at 6:47 pm
The “wuss†part of my last comment was meant as sarcasm, since it seems to have some people twittering.
I DO think Tom Brady has a lot to do with the new rule though. The NFL is trying to protect its “star†players because without them, the game suffers. I’m sure Pat’s ticket sales weren’t hurt, and all the Boston fans still watched the Pats. However, lots of people in other areas who would have tuned in to watch Brady play, probably stopped once he was out.
I don’t want to see anyone get hurt, and I don’t think a player is a wuss when he does get hurt. I just don’t think diluting the game by deeming more and more plays illegal is good for the game. Football is supposed to be physical and like it or not, quarterbacks are a huge target. How far will the NFL go to protect them so we don’t have another Tom Brady (or any QB) injury?
Ben:
March 27th, 2009 at 11:11 am
How do you figure out so many Steeler topics to talk about?
steelergurl:
March 27th, 2009 at 11:16 am
Good question Ben – and sometimes it’s hard to keep up Luckily, there’s always some kind of food for thought even if it’s smack talking haters
Lee:
March 29th, 2009 at 10:01 pm
You already know my feelings regarding Hines Ward so I’ll skip that part. I agree with the “Hines” rule. There is a big difference between blocking someone and trying to take their head off (as Mr. Ward attempts to do with every block). To make it worse-he celebrated the Rivers hit.
“You gonna tell me a defensive player can’t take a hit” – I trust they can take a hit but it doesn’t matter how big you are when you are blindsided by the dirtiest player in the league (now that was a shot).
“Now it’s clear, the NFL is scared of the Steelers” – No, they are scared of cheap shots being thrown by the Steelers. Let Ward man-up and block someone actually looking at him and see what happens. That smiley a$$ b!tch would be on his back grinning at his trainer.
Bottom line is that these guys are the product and when the product misses a full season, the league isn’t the same and the product suffers. As much as the “Brady” rule is BS, the league was different without him.
steelergurl:
March 30th, 2009 at 5:19 pm
Hmm, I don’t see Hines as that dirty of a player. Maybe I am wrong, but I don’t think he goes in there and tries to hit with his helmet. They all aim for hits with their shoulders…and usually as a body shot, sometimes in the mess it might not come off that way, though.
I’m not saying there aren’t dirty players on any team – because clearly I am not on the bottom of the pile, but i am SURE people are doing all kinds of stuff in that mess.
What I am trying to say is play rough, play hard. That’s what I want to see. I love a physical game.
But you are right, when they miss a season, it hurts no matter what. I hate to see anyone hurt and out for any length of time. But I also don’t want to see fake football where its two teams running from endzone to endzone. High scoring games are the antithesis of good football. Bring me a hard hit defensive game any time.