Stupid Rules - NFL Edition

[hookdown]

The NCAA has proposed the Saban Rule. The NFL is proposing the Incognito Rule:


http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/10...al-slurs-games


While I do not condone the use of the word in any context, except possibly as historical documentation, I really think if this passes it will either be a nightmare to enforce or it will be almost totally ignored.

Even a NFL player says this is going to be difficult:


http://espn.go.com/espn/otl/story/_/...ice-use-n-word


When a ref hears the word coming from the bottom of a pile, and no way to tell who said it, what is he going to do? What happens when a player calls another player on his team the word? What about when a player whispers the offending word in the ear of the QB he has just sacked? What about all the other insulting words and phrases?

Just way too many possibilities and chances of unintended conseqences in my opinion. And what happens if/when a playoff game or the Super Bowl outcome is decided by such a penalty? While I applaud the intent, the execution is fraught with uncertainty.

The players have a "way" of dealing with this sort of stuff on the field, while not exactly legal some of the time, it is a way. I say leave it to the players to police themselves.

[TechDawgMc]

I think the thing that's going to make this a problem is that most of the time it's black players saying it to other blacks players.

Chris Carter was on Mike-and-Mike this morning. He said something that surprised me. Said the players tend to aim the word at the refs quite a bit. I was surprised they have been able to get away with that. Might be that you'll see them regularly call that penalty but not worry so much about it being said to other players.

[hookdown]

Said the players tend to aim the word at the refs quite a bit.

That is surprising and should be relatively easy to enforce. Other cases not so much.

[dhussdawg]

This is some PC bull crap. I dont condone the word, but how can you just eliminate this one? Going down a slippery slope here in my opinion. I can think of many other words that are just as offensive, especially with Michael Sam coming into the league just after coming out. Other derisive terms you can use about a man's mother/wife/sister. Just acknowledge that the NFL is a different world than the rest of us live in and call it a day.