The NFL is Absolutely Ridiculous

I just finished watching the final game of the Steeler's season, and I was pretty extremely pissed off during the later portion of the game. It began when James Farrior completed a masterful hurry by driving Bengal's quarterback, Carson Palmer, into the ground (we call this a tackle). Given my sometimes boisterous nature, I started yelling my approval and undying allegiance to James, when I saw the yellow flag fly. I thought maybe it was pass interference, maybe it was holding, maybe Bill Cowher's chin had stuck out so far that they counted it as an extra man on the field. Much to my dismay and undeniable chagrin, they had called roughing the passer on Farrior.

This was met with a slew of obscenities and an all-out sprint down the hall; why I felt the need to run this one off is something of a mystery to me, but it most likely had to do with my mounting frustration that has pent up throughout the season with the new rule that essentially states that defensive players cannot hit the offensive team's quarterback.

What the fuck?

That is like telling Tucker Max he can't be disrespectful to a girl!

It's a travesty, a sham, and a mockery, and I won't stand for it! These are grown men playing the sport of football! The main objective is to hit, or tackle, the opposing team to prevent them from scoring points. Last time I checked, the quarterback was a pretty crucial element in the scoring of points in a football game...now they can't even hit him.

I have been complaining about this unjust rule to my friends and family, or anyone who would watch a football game with me, for the greater part of the season, and today it finally culminated. Without that penalty, the Bengals would have been up shit creek without a paddle, no fuck that, without a a boat! Instead, they get a first down, because someone on the other team did their job.

I feel really angry about this because I spent three falls of my life playing junior high football...as the back-up quarterback. To anyone who doesn't know, one of the responsibilities of a back-up quarterback is to play the position with the entire second string offense against the tenacious, rabid, frightening first string defense. Not only was this not a very prestigious spot on the roster, it was pretty painful. These kids were allowed to hit me as often as they wanted, and when your center weighs somewhere around 96 pounds, and the other members of the line suffer from extreme incompetence, you tend to get smacked pretty often.

Many people might use this opportunity to argue with me something like "Well...those NFL players are bigger and stronger than an 8th grader!" to which I reply "No shit, but Carson Palmer is a lot fucking bigger than I was in the 7th grade too."

Case closed. The NFL would find it in their best interest to change this rule, being that it is extremely stupid. It makes no sense, and there is no point. People that play football should know what they're getting into, and take the hits. If a quarterback gets hit, it's the offensive lineman's fault. It's not fair to penalize a player for making an exceptional play.

The only consolation I can find in all of this is that the Steeler's did end up winning this game, and it was the way in which they won it that I find my solace. The catch and run from Roethlisberger to Santonio that climaxed with a diving leap into the endzone...IN OVERTIME. Maybe the referees had a premonition...

Happy New Year, I'll see you in 2007...