There has been a lot of talk lately about the safety of the NFL game and the questioning over whether each and every big hit should be fined. Last week Troy Polamalu was very critical of how overprotective the league has become and likened the game now to flag football or two-hand touch. A "pansy" game, he said. Ironically, Polamalu suffered a concussion Sunday after a helmet to helmet hit.
Everyone has their opinions on the matter, but only one matters in my opinion: Ditka's.
Mike Ditka spent Wednesday at his alma mater, University of Pittsburgh, and advised the Big East leading Panthers to outwork and outhit your opponents to win. To that end, Ditka also addressed how football can rid itself of any violence.
"I said a long time ago if you want to change the game take the mask off the helmet," he said. "It will change the game a lot. If you want to change the game and get it back to where people aren't striking with the head and using the head as a weapon, take the mask off the helmet.
"A lot of pretty boys aren't going to stick their face in there. If you're going to take hitting out of football, you might as well just call it soccer. That's what I believe. A lot of people will be disappointed I said that, but football is what it is. [Vince] Lombardi said it a long time ago. Football is not a contact game. Dancing is a contact game. Football is a collision sport."
Amen.
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