This past week Ndamukong Suh was granted a meeting with the NFL commissioner and other league officials. Suh requested the meeting himself after being fined several times for flagrant hits in the past year and a half. The idea behind this meeting was for Suh to get a better understanding of the leagues new style of play. The NFL has openly explained that flagrant hits to defenseless players were going to be removed from the game, yet Suh, one of the games most violent players, does not seem to understand.
I respect Suh's request for the meeting because it shows a willingness to learn the new rules which most defensive players have not welcomed too kindly. However, after the meeting Suh clearly stated "I'm not going to change the way I play." Suh believes he has just been flagged and fined because his hits just seem more violent. I have personally seen some of these plays, and I have to say they just don't seem more violent; they are more violent. Suh also believes many players receive different treatment in the NFL, which has been echoed by several other players around the NFL. If he feels this way after the meeting I don't understand how the meeting could have possibly been productive. It seems like nothing has changed in Suh's way of thinking, and therefore the meeting was a waste of time. I am not saying he is wrong for thinking this way. I think it is actually normal for defensive players to think more violently, but I think the NFL must do a better job in explaining the new style of play.
These new rules have also frustrated me as a spectator because I've seen quite a few instances recently where a solid hit has been flagged for apparent "helmet to helmet" contact. I can understand why many defensive players are angry because they are just trying to do their job, and its their profession to be the best out their on the field. It's hard enough as it is to stop offenses these days as they become more and more proficient.
ReplyDeleteAdding on to that, even though Suh's way of thinking was most likely not changed by the meeting, I think the meaning of the meeting was to represent the mass of players upset with the new rules, not just himself. Perhaps this will spark a movement among the rest of the players that will alter the rules, are make them more reasonable.