Via Down And Distance:
Ravens Safety Ed Reed is known for some bone-crushing hits over the years. Some more harmful than others, but none by design. Reed is an old-school throwback type of ball player, and he’s fed up with the new NFL Rules because he can’t play the game the way it’s meant to be played.
Reed has been fined several times over the last few years, and this season was handed a one game suspension without pay. Although it was overturned in an appeals process, the next hit may result in the same suspension for being a “repeat offender”
He thinks the NFL has gone soft, and says it’s becoming a “Powder Puff” league.
“It sucks, man,” Reed said via ESPN. “It sucks really bad. It affects me, man. I thought about it coming into this game, cause obviously it happened the last time we played.”
His suspension was levied to a fine of $50,000 and he was able to remain on the field, but he still wasn’t happy with it. The NFL asked Reed to wear something on his uniform, he wasn’t specific on what – but he declined and he felt like he was being punished for turning them down.
“I feel like (the NFL) was trying to make an example out of a couple of things that happened a week before,” Reed said. “I didn’t want to do something for the NFL. A little bug told me there was something in the air about that, that they kind of had it out for me. That’s bad. I was like, ‘If you’re not going to support me as a player in your league, in our league, why would you think I was going to come back and wear something on my shoulder pads to support you when you’re just fining us?’ “
Reed says under Goodell that the league is becoming too soft, comparing it to that of a league compiled of High School Females.
“It’s definitely changing the game,” Reed said. “It’s become an offensive league. They want more points. They want the physical play out of it, kind of. They want like powder puff to where you can just run around and score points ’cause that’s going to attract the fans. I understand you want to make money, but bending the rules and making the game different, you know, it’s only going to make the game worse.”
He’s not the only one not happy with the NFL. Several players have expressed the changing of the game during Goodell’s tenure, and it’s only going to continue. While the league does need to worry about player safety, some things being done are just flat out questionable.
Original Story:
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December 02, 2012
Its football, not table tennis. The game is design to block, tackle, hit hard. People will get hurt in the old school game of football. I agreed with Sir Ed Reed. This man is a class act and doesn't intentionality hurt his opponent. The NFL is trying to protect itself because others are suffering from past injuries. Give the players better equipment, and better insurance. Just stop the crying, people don't cried in football, unless your hit by Ray Lewis.