Game Revisions: NFL’s New Rules for 2016

Throughout its history, the National Football League (NFL) has undergone several rule revisions—some intentional, others out of necessity. These changes were made in a systematic and consensus-based process. Some changes were implemented immediately while others took much longer time under careful studies.

 

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These rule changes are made for the purpose of improving (ideally) the game, making it more exciting for viewers but without the need to reduce its integrity. Since 1974, the kickoff line has been moved three times in response to emerging circumstances and trends. Majority of the changes are also focused on players’ health and safety, creating guidelines for reduced risk of injury. In 2009, there was a rule revision to prevent defensive players from forming a wedge to block for the return man on kickoff returns to prevent injuries.

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For NFL 2016, several game rules have also been made. They are as follows:

• Permanently moving the line of scrimmage for try kicks to the defensive team’s 15-yard line, and allowing the defense to return any missed try
• Permitting the offensive and defensive play callers on the coaching staff to use the coach-to-player communication system regardless of whether they are on the field or in the coaches’’ booth
• Making all chop blocks illegal
• Expanding the horse collar rule to include when a defender grabs the jersey at the name plate or above and pulls a runner toward the ground
• Making it a foul for delay of game when a team attempts to call a timeout when it is not permitted to be done so
  Eliminating the 5-yard penalty for an eligible receiver illegally touching a forward pass after being out of bounds and re-establishing himself inbounds, and making it a loss of down
• Eliminating multiple spots of enforcement for a double foul after a change of possession
• Changing the spot of the next snap after a touchback resulting from a free kick to the 25-yard line
• Disqualifying a player who is penalized twice in one game for certain types of unsportsmanlike conduct fouls

My name is Jason Goldblatt, or Jace for short. I work as a freelance sports writer and sports blogger, with most of my posts revolving around football and the gridiron. See you on Twitter.

American Football and Psychology: Why We Can’t Get Enough of this Game

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Amid injuries, scandals, and other media-driven drama, the Super Bowl remains as the most-viewed television show in history. Every year, the NFL reports record-breaking profits from tickets, merchandise, and sponsorships.

We cannot explain, but we just know by heart and mind that American football is “the game.” However, some neuroscientists and psychologists have an explanation as to why American football reflects our culture and thoughts.

These specialists point out that your brain is mirroring the actions of these athletes, and this gives us self-esteem boosts. This sense of mix-up holds an alternative reality for those who are facing tough life decisions and relationships. They feel as if they are “not alone,” because their favorite athletes are facing these as well.

Football also gives a sense of bonding between men of different ages, religions, and political beliefs. Football allows men to talk to one another regardless of their differences. It does not require much emotional vulnerability, too. The game also provides intellectual and strategic discourse. Football is a controlled and calculated chaos that may or may not display favorable results.

 

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However, football also displays a dark side–great misogyny, violence, and corruption. Football is also about destruction. For the country as a whole, football displays America’s war ambitions. This war-like game helps us become self-aware of our past fights and victories. The rise of football over any other sport has changed America’s self-image.

I’m Jason Goldblatt, and I’m a freelance sports writer and football fanatic. Check out my blog for more updates.

Strong and Old: Sports for the Elderly

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Aging doesn’t have to mean saying farewell to an active lifestyle. Although most contact sports are hard to do when one is past his prime, there are still some sports that can cater to senior citizens. Here are some sports that are perfect for the elderly:

Swimming

Swimming is one of the best choices for a sport in for seniors. Being in the pool and submerged underwater helps relieve arthritis and other bodily pains. It removes the strain on the muscles and bones, plus it’s a good exercise. Whether doing laps around the pool or just simply dog paddling, swimming is a good way for elders to stay fit and strong.

Golf

Golf is a sport with a lot of walking involved. Walking is essential for seniors to keep physically fit and gold gives walking a purpose. Trade a walk in the park for a game of golf to have fun and exercise the body.

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Cycling

Riding bikes have a lot of physical benefits regardless of age. It’s a good cardio workout, tones the muscles, and is an overall body exercise. Seniors can join groups (of their own age, of course) that do long-distance cycling. Otherwise, biking to and from their house to the store or just simply touring the neighborhood is enough to give the elderly a workout.

Hi there! I’m Jason Goldblatt and I’m a sports enthusiast. Learn more about sports for all ages by subscribing to my blog

American football abroad: Europe’s increasing fondness of the gridiron

The NFL may be watched “only” in the U.S. or Canada and could even be understood only by North Americans. However, it’s fast gaining traction in other countries as well. Particularly in soccer-centric Europe, the fondness for the gridiron is finally taking off. France, Spain, Germany, the U.K., and Poland are all enthusiastic American football audiences. Hooray!

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For Europeans, gridiron is a weird sport. It’s called American football, but players seldom (or never) kick the ball. The pitch is also marked with plenty of lines and numbers that they barely understand. Unlike soccer, rules are much easier to comprehend, and the pitch has fewer visual distractions.

At the Oneida High School, exchange students from France and Spain enjoyed their first taste of American football. While they still prefer soccer, playing America’s most popular sport was not bad at all.

In Poland, U.S.-born coach Brad Arbon was hired to supervise and train players of the Polish national team. The country’s strong dedication toward the sport is eminent in its growing number of American football programs especially designed for its citizens.

Image source: thenews.pl

Outside the U.S., Germany is perhaps the best playing country for American football. There are currently about 500 teams playing the sport in Deutschland, from youth flag football to the senior semi-professional level. According to German Football League chairman Carsten Dalkowski, half the people playing American football throughout Europe come from Germany.

My name is Jason Goldblatt and I have been watching, following, and writing about American football for many years. True-blue fan here. Subscribe to my blog for more articles about this amazing sport.

Science, Technology, and Sports: Coaching the Next Generation of 49ers

Mobile and Web technologies are so intertwined in our generation that it’s hard to imagine a life without them. The coaches of the San Francisco 49ers know this and are taking steps to address the challenge of training the next generation of players. Millennials were born and raised in a world where connectivity and brevity were the norm, and the 49ers are taking account these nuances and changing their coaching strategy to suit best their younger players.

Image source: 49ers.com

Coaches of Generation Y athletes have lamented on the innate stubbornness and inquisitiveness of the new generation, accustomed as they are to having the knowledge of the world at their literal fingertips. The Y, far more than a thematic continuity with the previous Generation X, is basically more of a “why,” and thus respond less effectively. This can, however, work to their advantage. With the help of researchers from Stanford University, the 49ers have found out a few interesting things about the mind of the young athlete and have made the requisite changes. First of all, and this comes to no surprise to all of us, is that most young players prefer short meetings and need to get their phone fix. Team meetings have been cut down significantly to 30-minute blocks with 10-minute breaks in between to multitask on their phones.

Image source: 49ers.com

Far from conceding to technological dependence, the team is working it to their advantage. Technology, far from being a distraction, can be leveraged to assist players in planning their schedules. Rather than relying on paper, team members now receive notifications on their in-phone calendars.

Your modern football guy Jason Goldblatt here. Follow me on Twitter for more updates.

REPOST: 5 Reasons Why 80% Of Retired NFL Players Go Broke

A recent estimate by Sports Illustrated claims that 80 percent of NFL players go broke three years after their retirement. Leigh Steinberg believes that the athletes’ lack of long-term financial planning may be the biggest reason for their financial troubles. More of his insights in the Forbes article below:

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Sports Illustrated recently estimated that 80% of retired NFL players go broke in their first three years out of the League. How is this possible in a sport rolling in revenue with an average salary of almost $2 million a year? With few exceptions, the star players I have represented since salaries exploded are set financially for life. These are the players at the tip of the compensation pyramid, but what about the rest? The median income in the NFL is roughly $750,000 and the average career span is less than four years. Most college graduates don’t attain these levels of revenue in their first years out of college–why are the athletes struggling?

1)Lack of competent financial planning advice–Athletes are no different than any other college grads in that they were not trained as undergrads in budgeting, the tax system, and long term financial planning. This is an area of specialized expertise and an athlete receiving large compensation needs a safety net of advisors. Upon signing a potential draftee we encouraged them to pick a qualified financial advisor with a proven track record. These advisors help the athlete put together a budget, follow mutually agreed upon strategies, and protect themselves legally. A community oriented athlete will find beneficial relationships with businessmen off the field who are also willing to help.

When parents, university panels, and alums screen prospective agents and financial planners, it enables the athlete to make a better choice. But many NFLers are approached on campus by financial planners and agents who offer financial inducements to sign with them. Some financial planners ask players to sign power of attorney enabling the advisor to make investments or withdraw money without prior authorization–this is fraught with peril.

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The NFLPA has tried to protect players financially. They have a program that scrutinizes financial planners and only allows referrals to the planners who they approve. The NFLPA offers education in the financial areas in a variety of ways. The NFL holds a mandatory seminar for draft picks that also tries to warn and protect them. Some athletes do not avail themselves of any of these protections.

2)Supporting a village–Some athletes feel obliged to provide financial support to family, extended family and friends. They are sharing their largess with a large number of others.

3)Divorce–Often cited as the number one challenge, divorce drains funds in legal fees and dissipates assets. The athlete ends up with half of what they earned and may have large and burdensome alimony and child support payments.

4)Lack of awareness of how rapidly a career can end–The athlete forgets that the current rate of compensation is not going to last and can be terminated by injury or skill at any point. Spending habits assume the revenue will be coming forever.

5)Lack of preparation for second career–NFL players have long off seasons they can use to lay the foundation for their life after football. Some athletes do not give it a thought and end up missing the structure and direction that football has given them. The early retirement years can be non-productive.

Image Source: espn.go.com​

There are gifted advisors that an athlete can utilize. The League, NFLPA and agents try and push athletes to use help which also embodies a teaching aspect that can empower awareness. It is up to the athlete to follow the guidance.​

Sports enthusiast Jason Goldblatt follows the NFL. Get the latest football updates here.

REPOST: Tom Brady Laughs at N.F.L. Inquiry Into Deflated Footballs

New England quarterback Tom Brady laughed off accusation that his team used deflated footballs to win against Indianapolis Colts in a rain-soaked AFC Championship game. More about the controversy in the article below.

Deflated balls would have been easier to grip in Sunday night’s wet weather, but Tom Brady laughed off the allegations.

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Sunday night was a smooth joy ride for the New England Patriots, with a 45-7 pounding of the Indianapolis Colts that propelled them into another Super Bowl. But Monday morning was a good deal bumpier, with the disclosure that the N.F.L. was investigating whether the Patriots used deflated footballs to gain an unfair advantage in Sunday’s game.

The game was played in the rain, and deflated balls would have been easier to grip in the wet weather. But Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, who completed 23 of 35 passes for 226 yards and moved the ball up and down the field with ease, was having none of it.

Asked about the accusation during his regular Monday appearance on the Boston radio station WEEI, Brady laughed it off.

“I think I’ve heard it all at this point,” Brady said. “Oh, God. It’s ridiculous.”

He went on to add: “That’s the last of my worries. I don’t even respond to stuff like this.”

Brady said he had been unaware of the issue until Monday morning, and Patriots Coach Bill Belichick, in a conference call with reporters, said the same.

“We’ll cooperate fully with whatever the league, whatever questions they ask us, whatever they want us to do,” Belichick said.

Asked if the Patriots used deflated footballs, Belichick said, “The first I heard about it was this morning.” Asked whether there could be an advantage to using deflated footballs, Belichick said: “Look, you’re asking the questions. I’m just trying to answer them.”

An N.F.L. spokesman, Michael Signora, confirmed that the league was investigating.

Bob Kravitz, a former columnist for The Indianapolis Star who now works for WTHR-TV in that city, was the first to raise the issue, addressing it on Twitter on Sunday night. At the start of the third quarter, the referees did replace one ball with another while the Patriots were on offense.

For every N.F.L. game, each team has at least 12 balls that it has prepared according to the needs of its starting quarterback. The balls are switched out from sideline to sideline depending on which team is on offense.

According to N.F.L. rules, teams are required to inflate balls to 12.5 to 13.5 pounds per square inch and to make them available for testing by the referee 2 hours 15 minutes before kickoff.

The referee is the “sole judge as to whether all balls offered for play comply” with league specifications, according to the rules. Some balls are designated for kicking only.

Patriots players said Monday that they knew nothing about the accusations.

Left tackle Nate Solder, who in the third quarter caught one of Brady’s three touchdown passes, told reporters: “I don’t know anything about that. I’m glad I caught it.”

Wide receiver Julian Edelman told reporters, “I think it’s just a story.”

In November 2012, the Pacific-12 Conference fined and reprimanded the University of Southern California, then coached by Lane Kiffin, for using deflated footballs in a game against Oregon. An investigation by the university determined that one of the student managers had intentionally deflated the footballs, acting on his own. He was fired.

The charge against New England comes a week after the Patriots used trick formations, all legal, to defeat Baltimore, drawing objections from the Ravens.

The former New England linebacker Tedy Bruschi, an analyst for ESPN, dismissed the latest allegations as more sour grapes.

“It does get old,” Bruschi wrote on ESPN Boston. “Coaches complaining they weren’t ready for formations. I’ve heard it all. There is a long line of people who want to find some excuse for how the Patriots have had success for so long, and the bottom line is that it’s good coaching and good players.”

In 2007, the Patriots were stripped of their 2008 first-round draft pick after the N.F.L. determined that the team had violated league rules when a Patriots staff member videotaped signals by Jets coaches during the season opener at the Meadowlands. In what has come to be known as Spygate, New England was also fined $250,000, and Belichick was fined $500,000.

Hello, I am Jason Goldblatt, a crazy football fan who lives for the thrill of the sport. Check out my blog for more of my musings from the bleacher and enter in the ultimate fan experience with a daily dose of sports news and updates from around the world.

REPOST: Longtime football official ready to retire stripes

Larry Honeycutt is retiring as a football referee after holding the position for 47 years. The 70-year-old umpire has always believed that doing a good job means getting through a game without notice but after almost five decades of officiating football and other sports events, he’s apparently not as anonymous as he used to be. The Washington Times has his story below:

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WILMINGTON, N.C. (AP) – When watching a sporting event in person, Larry Honeycutt tries his best to remain anonymous.

He’d rather not be noticed – true to his referee form – but realizes that’s not so easy anymore.

“As old as I am, as long as I’ve been doing it, people know who I am,” Honeycutt said. “So if something happens out there, what do they do? They turn and look at me and go, ‘Honeycutt, what did you see? What about that call?’ So I try to get away from the people who are gonna ask me questions.”

It will soon be more difficult to avoid those awkward moments, as he is retiring after 47 years. Honeycutt called his final regular-season football game last week at Legion Stadium but has at least one more week on the gridiron; he’ll call a Class 2A playoff game tonight in Jacksonville between Northside and Croatan. He’ll continue to officiate basketball and soccer through the rest of the school year.

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In his almost five decades officiating high school sports, the 70-year-old Honeycutt has called nine state championships. He’s earned the respect of his peers to be in charge of the biggest games in the state, which is all the recognition Honeycutt desires in this thankless job.

“If you’re gonna try to put a measuring stick to him, you can’t,” said Jim Rouse, one of nine regional supervisors in the state. “He’s loyal, and his integrity is beyond reproach. Does that mean he gets everything right? No, none of us do. But you can count on Larry.”

Honeycutt won a state football championship at Broughton High School in Raleigh and played baseball at Wilmington College from 1962-66. He moved here permanently in 1970 and has used officiating as a way to show his appreciation for the positive effect sports has on his life.

He still continues that outreach, helping inexperienced referees. Rouse assigns Honeycutt, who also officiated lower division college football and basketball until 2009, to younger crews for that reason.

“Larry is a detailed guy,” said Mike Safrit, a longtime friend who officiates in the Atlantic Coast Conference. “He’s very demanding on the field. He wants it right. He wants perfection.”

For Honeycutt, doing a good job means getting through a game without notice. Disagreements happen, but that’s all part of the complicated relationship between official and coach.

“When you saw his name on the official’s sheet, you knew you were getting a guy who would do his best to always get the call right,” longtime Hoggard football coach Scott Braswell said. “If (the calls) are going against you, that kind of tests your relationship a little bit. But I think he and I have always done well together.”

Honeycutt is meticulous. Braswell said he’d regularly request game film to review his work. He watches referees on television, searching for pointers he can implement with his own crews.

He’s stern on the field – he doesn’t appreciate coaches calling him by name or anyone touching him – but calm. Perhaps the only time Honeycutt cracks his stolid demeanor is when singing the national anthem, which he’s been known to do before games.

“I love to sing,” Honeycutt said with a laugh. “I’m a tenor in my church choir. I really enjoy it.”

Although he’s retiring, Honeycutt will still be active in local sports. He’ll continue to assign officials for private-school events, which he’s done for 15 years. He might attend football games to observe the officials and give feedback.

Stepping back also will give Honeycutt more time to hang around Trask Coliseum, where he loves to watch the UNCW basketball teams – though he’ll likely have more appeals from people wanting to pick his brain.

Image Source: uncw.edu

Whether he likes it or not, Honeycutt won’t be invisible anymore.

“He did it the right way,” New Hanover football coach Kevin Motsinger said. “From teaching at UNCW to officiating on Fridays, Saturdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Mondays and if they’d let him, on Sundays I’m sure. Just a first-class human being and he’s as good as they come.”

Hey folks! Jason Goldblatt here, your official football blogger. Follow me on Facebook for the latest football news and updates.

REPOST: NFL players’ head-injury win at risk: Column

The National Football League is known for its parity and competitiveness. Unfortunately, it is also notorious for players who suffer brain and neurological trauma. Veteran footballers Kevin Turner and Shawn Wooden note in this USA Today article that NFL players should continue asserting for the compensation and medical care they deserve.

Kevin Turner, right, a former NFL fullback now suffers from Lou Gehrig’s disease.
Image Source: usatoday.com

As former NFL players, the excitement of a new football season always brings back memories of our own time in the league, which left its mark on all of us. Even years later, our former teammates (and rivals) remain close friends. The sport of football, as it still does for so many today, taught us enduring lessons about character, teamwork and responsibility.

Unfortunately, for many, NFL football also left a legacy of brain and neurological trauma. Young, otherwise healthy men were diagnosed with serious neurological conditions. Thousands more, concerned that years of hard hits had turned their minds into ticking bombs, feared they too were at risk of becoming sick. Indeed, just recently we learned the sad news about former NFL player, Tim Shaw, who played seven seasons in the league ALS. Kevin was diagnosed with ALS many years ago and is now suffering through the advanced stages of the disease.

Suing the NFL was not an easy decision, but it was the right decision. It took years of legal fighting, during which time too many men were diagnosed or passed away from neurocognitive conditions, but the NFL finally agreed to take care of those who made the game as successful as it is today. Once approved by the Court, the revised class action settlement announced last July will finally give all retired NFL players the care, compensation and peace-of-mind they need and deserve.

Retired players diagnosed with conditions ranging from dementia to Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and ALS will receive substantial financial compensation. And, because the compensation fund is uncapped and guaranteed for 65 years, retired players can rely on the certainty that if — God forbid — they develop one of these conditions, this settlement will be there for them.

The settlement also provides a free neurological and neuropsychologicalexamination, offered through a nationwide network of world-class physicians, which will help players safeguard their health going forward. Those diagnosed with a moderate neurocognitive impairment will receive benefits to help them treat and manage their symptoms.

Add it up, and this deal represents a tremendous victory for all retired players: compensation, care and medical exams for those who need it today, protection for all of us over the long-term.

Federal Judge Anita Brody will hold a hearing later this year in Philadelphia to determine whether to approve the settlement. In the meantime, we’ve spent the last few months speaking to our fellow retired players about the settlement; the vast majority of them agree that it represents the best possible outcome and are eager to see it finalized. While we caution against it, class members have the right to opt out or object to the settlement. However, a very small but vocal contingent of former players—who did not stand with the nearly 5,000 of us who sued the NFL originally — not only oppose the agreement but have already taken steps to appeal it in court.

We disagree strongly with this approach. If those opposing the settlement manage to delay its approval — or worse, derail the agreement entirely — the consequences could be disastrous. Men who suffer from debilitating neurological diseases will not receive the compensation their families desperately need. Thousands of former players would remain in the dark about their own neurological well-being. Others whose symptoms are just beginning to emerge will be denied medical benefits to hopefully delay the worsening of that condition. The protections guaranteed for the next 65 years would evaporate.

We understand the desire felt by these few players to keep fighting. But “fighting,” in this case, really means denying benefits for thousands of their fellow retired players, for months if not years. Furthermore, it is foolish to think the NFL, which stonewalledall of us for decades over this very issue, has any intention of offering more than they have already. Considering the legal defenses the NFL has at their disposal (which Judge Brody acknowledged in her order granting preliminary approval of the settlement), it’s remarkable that we are on the cusp of receiving these tremendous benefits in the first place. We urge those who would appeal this agreement to reconsider. Do not risk derailing this hard-won and carefully crafted settlement.

At the beginning of a new football season, it’s worth remembering why we sued the league in the first place: for decades, the NFL denied former players the very compensation and medical care that we sought to achieve with this lawsuit. Now that the league has finally agreed to this settlement, these benefits are finally within our reach. We urge our fellow retired players to embrace them.

Kevin Turner spent eight seasons in the NFL playing for the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles. Kevinis currently suffering from ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. Shawn Wooden spent nine seasons in the NFL playing for the Miami Dolphins and Chicago Bears. Both are subclass representatives in the NFL concussion litigation.

Jason Goldblatt is a sportswriter and football aficionado. Follow him on Twitter for the latest NFL updates.

REPOST: Slap Ya Mama drops red-zone sponsorship ahead of Ravens game

Days after its red-hot appearance at last week’s pre-season game, cajun seasoning brand Slap ya Mama smacked out of its red-zone sponsorship deal. What could be the reason? Find out in this CBS Sports article.

Image Source: cbssports.com

 

It was hard to miss the “Slap Ya Mama” red zone image superimposed on the Superdome field during the Saints’ preseason game last week against the Titans, but the Cajun seasoning company won’t be advertising during New Orleans’ final preseason matchup next week against the Ravens.

Image Source: katc.com

 

Slap Ya Mama, which is based in Ville Platte, Louisiana, said in a statement Saturday (via the New Orleans Times-Picayune) that it agreed to pull the in-game sponsorship “in light of the domestic violence issues facing the NFL.”

 

Specifically, we imagine, Ravens running back Ray Rice, who has been suspended for the first two games of the regular season after a physical incident with his soon-to-be-wife at an Atlantic City hotel earlier this year.

Image Source: twitter.com

 

Slap Ya Mama’s decision follows the league’s mandate that no virtual on-field advertisements or sponsorships will be allowed during NFL telecasts. According to the Times-Picayune, “The league made the decision due to an increased number of local ads appearing on national broadcasts, mainly thought the syndication and re-airing of games on the NFL Network.”

I’m Jason Goldblatt, a San Francisco-based sports writer and a diehard football fan. Follow me on Tumblr for more awesome football discussions.