A new NFL season is upon us, and already football fans are up
in arms. Of course, fans are always up
in arms over something. At the end of
last season, everyone was mad that referees did NOT call pass interference on a
play between the New Orleans Saints and the Los Angeles Rams that resulted in
the Rams going to the Super Bowl. This
season fans are upset that the referees ARE calling holding penalties.
Of course, the old axiom has been that “holding could be
called on every play.” Apparently, this
season the referees
are taking it literally. Over the
first two weeks, holding
calls were up 66% over the same period last season. How serious is the problem? Tom
Brady tweeted he was going to stop watching the Jaguars/Panthers game n
Thursday night because of all the holding calls (and not because the teams were
lousy).
I have a modest proposal that the National Football League
should consider implementing immediately: legalize holding. Okay, maybe have some rules for extreme cases
where the offensive lineman holds on to the defensive player’s windpipe, but
otherwise wipe the penalty for offensive holding off the books.
First of all, if indeed holding takes place on every play,
then it is the established norm. If
everybody does it, then why is it wrong?
Also, as many minorities could attest to, when something is on the books
as illegal but done anyway, it gives law enforcement (referees) the ability to
selectively enforce the rule. Everyone
on the highway may be going 70, but the African American going 57 gets a ticket. Everyone commits holding, but if the Saints
are driving for a winning score against the Rams, blow the whistle and move
them back 10 yards.
Secondly, the biggest emphasis in refereeing has been the
importance of protecting the quarterback.
Plays are blown dead once the QB is “in the grasp.” Roughing the passer is called when a
defensive player looks fiercely at Tom Brady.
If protecting the passer is Job One, then why handicap the offensive
line by saying they can’t use their hands like bloody soccer players?
Thirdly, the rule is asymmetrical. Why can defensive players use their hands but
not offensive players? Maybe this made
sense at the dawn of football, but things have changed. Defensive linemen are bigger, faster, and stronger
than ever. Apparently, things have swung
so far in the defense’s favor that, as I said, the offense has to commit
holding on every play. So let’s level
the playing field and let the O-Line grab a little jersey.
Lastly, everyone is now concerned with player safety. Isn’t letting the offensive linemen garb the pass
rushers with their hands safer than having desperate linemen try to stop pass
rushers about to get by them with low blocks or blocks in the back? I don’t think allowing offensive linemen to
hold defensive players would increase the risk of injury, and it might decrease
it.
Frankly, this move is so obvious I can’t believe the NFL
hasn’t considered it. If everyone
complains about the rule being enforced, then don’t jut stop enforcing it but
eliminate it from the rule book. Let the
Patriots’ front five protect Tom Brady by holding the linemen who might injure
him if they got past the line! I’m sure
Tom Brady (the man who was suspended four games for cheating) wouldn’t want his
linemen to break the rules.
