New NFL Rules

I think the NFL made great strides with their approval of the following new rules:

1. What is now being called the "Hines Ward Rule":
Despite being a Steelers loyalist, I still understood what it meant when Keith Rivers got his jaw broken by a somewhat reckless Hines Ward block. Ward is no doubt an admirable blocker and deserves a lot of respect for his willingness as a Wide Receiver (WR) to throw blocks for his team. He has gotten particularly good at it so sometimes it is tough to reprimand him for throwing a block. However, nobody deserves to have their jaw broken over a block. As a brother, son, and compassionate human being, I can only say that it is fair for the League to make illegal any blindside block that comes from a blocker's helmet, forearm or shoulder and lands to the head or neck area of the opponent player. Football is a physical sport and anyone can get hurt at anytime but "keeping your head on a swivel" should not be a life or death situation. The last thing anyone wants to see is a dead football player on the football field. This is not exactly a Gladiator sport.

2. The On-side Bunching rule:
This rule mandates that teams kicking off must have 4 players on each side of the kicker with three lined up outside each inbounds line. I can understand the excitement that this rule might bring for next season; especially during the closing of games. Whether or not this rule will be appreciated or actually have a positive impact on the game remains to be seen.

3. No more than 2 players are allowed as a wedge during kickoffs and;

4. Another favorite of mine: Hits to a defenseless receiver cannot be made by a defender's helmet, forearm or shoulder to the head.
This rule again reflects the effect of the physical disposition of the Pittsburgh Steelers. After watching Wes Welker get tagged by Ryan Clark and then watching Willis McGahee get blown up by Clark again, it is not surprising that the League would address the dangers of allowing these kinds of plays to continue. The argument that were made last year by the players involved in these kinds of plays was that it was perfectly within the rules to make those kinds of hits but while that might have been true, no one can honestly deny the risks involved. Consider the hit on Anquan Boldin last year or the McGahee hit, how many parents, families, communities do you think were turned off by those hits? As I mentioned before, no one wants to see death in Football games.