I don't say this real often but I agree with you. I'm a pretty big dude and played football at most levels (not pro) and can tell you that the ONLY people in an uproar over this are people who have never played (if they did it was in Jr High and they stood on the sidelines) and can't understand how violent of a sport it is. If it was easy, everyone would do it and it would be boring to watch.. like baseball!
To be honest with you MyTjSux; the ONLY thing that I disapproved of from what they've released of the coach's speech was the part where he talked about about going after the ACL of Frank Gore. That part you've quoted and the part the media is going after is where he talks about turning Gore's head sideways. Taken out of context they seem like he's calling for them to injury people. The truth of the matter is he was talking about the other team's injury report the night before and they were going down the list. He said that if the player has a concussion we're going to see if he really should be playing or if he's a decoy. The way you find out is hit them HARD early on and if they want out... they're still injured and you know it was just a front. This sort of gamesmanship occurs at ALL levels. Coaches claim certain players are good to go when in reality they aren't and they do that so the other team has to prepare for that. Not that you need a reason to hit someone hard but that's the person you focus on before the game. If they're not healthy, they shouldn't be playing. If they are then it's just like hitting someone else so it's nothing the defense coach was doing that isn't done by EVERY other coach. The part where he talks about taking the head he's speaking metaphorically. Frank Gore is a beast and at the time was considered the head of the monster. It's a common statement to take the head and the body will fall and is often used to describe the best player of a team. He talks about turning his head sideways and this is, again, football speak. As a defense you don't want a running back running downhill. You want them running sideways so you can swarm and stop them. Saying to turn their head sideways and running them sideways is pretty common. Again, out of context. There's a LOT to this speech that's being left out because it creates ratings. The part about the ACL was also talking about the injury report but ANYONE who plays football will tell you that the easiest way to injure someone is the knees and you're always worried about your knees. You want to piss someone off enough to throw punches? Go for their knees. You can hit them anywhere else (even the head) and football players won't care a bit because it's part of the game.
If this was truly about player safety and health then why does the NFL deny ALL claims for health benefits & workman's comp? 100% are denied and it's up to the players and past players to jump through hoops and fight the system to get what they are due. Why are they talking about 18 game seasons when it's been proven that this will significantly decrease the strength and health of the players? The simple answer is that they don't give a shit about the health of the players other than to keep the ambulatory to keep making money off of them. They're protecting themselves from future law suits is the ONLY reason for all of this. If the NFL had law suit immunity from previous players we wouldn't be having this conversation right now.
They were warned against this and lied and covered it up. For that they deserve to be punished. An example should be made. At the same time the punishment for the cover-up was WAY too steep and if it was for the bounty then I guess we just need to take next season off because it happens on EVERY team. Most of the time it's informal in the locker rooms and it's not too often a coach gets involved or organizes it but it does happen. The funny part is if it was that big of an incentive or that big of a deal to the players (remember those guys?) we would see EVERY player diving for knees on EVERY play and you almost never see it. It's just incentive to HIT someone HARD which is what you try to do every play. You will hear players when asked by the media say that they never want to hurt another player. I can tell you that that's a lie. You hit with the intention to take someone out of the game on EVERY play. You literally want to remove someone from the game and if you don't then you don't have the drive it takes to play the game and do it well. You'll wash out at an early age and then talk on internet forums about how people out there are playing paddy cake most plays. When a player says that they don't mean to hurt them they mean from means that could be construed as dirty such as going for someone's knee or something. Everything else is just a hard football hit. End of story. It's a man's sport and real men play it and if that bothers you then find another sport to watch.
I hate having this conversation with mamby pambies who don't know what football is really like so I usually choose not to.
I am a fan of the NFL. I pull for the Panthers so my opinion may be biased since this turn of events is potentially beneficial to my team next season and I am sure our rookie QB had a price on his head when they played NO. Sure had his career been ended it would have been fair because that is part of the game...and there is no way he could ever have made more than that measly bounty in the rest of his career. 
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