Aubrey Bruce: SACRIFICIAL LAMBS

Even if you don’t like it, outlawing crazy hits in NFL is a good thing by Aubrey Bruce, For New Pittsburgh Courier “Oh my God, what a hit. He laid him out like a fine buffet. Forget calling a regular doctor, after that hit they better call Dr. Vinnie Boom-Boom, the bone doctor. After that … Continued The post Aubrey Bruce: SACRIFICIAL LAMBS appeared first on New Pittsburgh Courier.

Aubrey Bruce:  SACRIFICIAL LAMBS

Even if you don’t like it, outlawing crazy hits in NFL is a good thing

by Aubrey Bruce, For New Pittsburgh Courier

“Oh my God, what a hit. He laid him out like a fine buffet. Forget calling a regular doctor, after that hit they better call Dr. Vinnie Boom-Boom, the bone doctor. After that unadvised encounter, that should be a message for any future receiver before they dare to venture into ‘the painted area’ across the middle. If you were a wide receiver, wouldn’t you be a bit hesitant to invade the area of number such and so?”… 

The above mentioned are just a few tidbits, real and imagined, of the reactive commentary of a few select television and radio announcers and sportscasters of professional football games as they are broadcast live and relived on newscasts nationally and around the globe. However, regarding many of the “couch analysts,” “bloggers” and “neighborhood broadcasters” that have never considered playing traditional football are concerned and for the few that even cringe at the thought of even getting dirty playing flag football, “Little Caesars” is not just the name of their favorite pizza outlet. As many fans watch the professional football action unfold, wing ding juices dripping down the side of their mouth, the culture of “me” has transformed them into bloodthirsty “little caesars” eagerly anticipating and giving a hearty thumbs up to game-defying, life-changing hits so that they can relive those horrible plays with visions of grandeur on Facebook, Instagram or TikTok or any other social media platform. 

Let’s discuss what was formerly a great technique from the past of the National Football League, a part of a great system that was taught, endorsed and promoted by defensive coaches to defensive linemen until it was outlawed in 1977; the “head slap.”  A defensive lineman was permitted to hit an offensive lineman on the side of the head during a play. That was unfair because the defensive linemen usually had their hands wrapped, almost like boxers in the ring. Hitting the hard surface of a helmet would not cause as much harm to the hands of a player if the hands of that player were wrapped adequately. 

On average, an NFL offense runs more than 60 offensive plays per game. Imagine being an offensive lineman in the year 1966 being slapped beside the head 30 times per game. No, imagine this scenario unfolding at home: your mate, children, siblings or even a friend slapping you upside the head, 30 times per week? I believe that law might define such activity as: assault and battery. 

From 1966-1976, Ray Mansfield, “The Ranger,” was the starting center for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Let’s use the 14-game season as a barometer. That means he played 140 games at the position of center. That many games multiplied by 60 plays per game equals 8,400 offensive plays barring injuries that he participated in during his career. For the sake of fairness, lets theorize that he was head slapped for only 50 percent of those plays. Those numbers indicate that he was on the receiving end of 4,200 head slaps. Even with a helmet to protect you, 4,200 head-jarring hits across the side of your head will surely almost turn any normal brain into “Jello.” 

The late Mike Webster, the Pittsburgh Steelers player that succeeded Mansfield, was drafted in 1974 and was elevated to the starting position in 1976. He only endured the head slap technique for approximately three years. In 2017, people.com reported that: “Webster was the first NFL player diagnosed with CTE. He died in 2002 at age 50, and he was the focus of the 2015 movie, ‘Concussion.’ Webster’s son said his father took Ritalin to control his mood swings, and was shocking himself with a Taser gun to calm his nerves.”

Just imagine the horror that any member of the family of Mike Webster or the family of the late, great San Diego Chargers defensive standout Junior Seau faced after CTE was ruled as a contributing factor in the suicide of Mr. Seau. So for all of you “little caesars” at home, with their thumbs pointed upward after a player is injured after a play:  they can stick it u….. Need I say more?

The post Aubrey Bruce: SACRIFICIAL LAMBS appeared first on New Pittsburgh Courier.