NINTH SEASON: WEEK SIX

Well, the concussion issue finally has hit the boiling point, hasn't it?  There were six or seven vicious hits in the NFL, mostly helmet to helmet.  All of this on the same weekend as a Rutgers player getting paralyzed from a tackle.  So the NFL finally makes a real effort to protect its players.  They plan on starting suspensions for illegal helmet to helmet hits.  So it seems to be a serious effort.  Everyone should be happy, right?  Nope.  In something I didn't see happening at all, the players have revolted against the changes.  Brian Urlacher said the NFL should become a flag football league.  Heath Evans, fullback for the Saints, tweeted that he was worried about what they were doing to the league.  Ray Lewis, Joey Porter, Charles Tillman, Channing Crowder, Scott Fujita were among the list of players that ridiculed or questioned the new league policies.

Honestly, this reminds me of the legislation to force people to wear helmets on motorcycles.  I've seen a poster before that said, "The Helmet Law is to protect a brain to stupid to realize it needs protecting."  It seems the same way with the football players.  There is an overwhelming amount of evidence showing that head injuries lead to major lifelong problems.  Shortened life expectancy.  Memory loss.  Alzheimers.  Depression and suicide.  So now the people in charge are trying to take efforts to protect these players.  And the players are rebelling against it.  Are these the same players who are willing to shut down the league because they want better protection and security in their retirement?  They want medical coverage when they are older.  They want the NFL to pay for their knee replacements and back surgeries.  And, I'm pretty sure they also will want coverage for things like Alzheimers and brain injury - now that those things have been linked to playing football.  But they aren't willing to take protective measures to lessen those long term problems?

I really think that we have kind of hit a tipping point with football.  The players got bigger, faster, stronger.  They have outgrown the equipment and the rules of the game.  The thing is, they are at risk because the game can't support the new style of player.  We are at a point where something really bad is going to happen.  And the changes will be forced onto the whole sport - like when industry had to implement security measures decades ago.  Someone is going to die.  At that point, there is no hiding any more.  Changes will be forced down their throats.

NFL NOTES:

• I know I'm supposed to hate him, since he's on the Patriots and is married to a super model and dumped a really hot actress after knocking her up and he has girl hair.  But I really like Tom Brady.  I think he's a super quarterback.  I also like his willingness to be mouthy to other teams when necessary.  "They talk a lot for a team who has beaten us once in the last nine years."  He's mouthing off at the RAVENS?!?  I mean, this is a team whose captain killed a guy - allegedly.  That's just ballsy.  But it's obvious he has those - knocking up celebs all over the place.  ZING!
• Well, Heather's theory about the Gators/Jags proved wrong this week.  Both of them lost.  But, Tebow scored a touchdown, so maybe that pulled all the joy out of the fan base.
• I love it when "experts" are proven wrong.  Last week, everyone and their mother's hairdressers were saying Atlanta was the top team in the NFC.  Then they played the Eagles.  I heard hospitals in Bristol were overrun with people who broke their ankles and blew out their ACLs jumping off that bandwagon.  
• Going back to my football coach disposal guesses from a few weeks ago, I would like to place Dallas and San Diego on the definite list.  At least they have nice weather there.

COLLEGE NOTES:

• It is nice to see that I can still count on Ohio State to choke.  I got nervous there for a while, when the Buckeyes were making their charge.  I was watching the game with my father in law and two of Heather's uncles.  In the fourth quarter, the Wisconsin defense was running Pryor so ragged, we just kept saying, "An interception is coming.  He's getting hammered."  Sure enough, pick.  Wisconsin's offense looked amazing in that game. 
• I am constantly amazed at the fair weather mindset in Gainesville.  According to my calculations, this is a team that has won two national titles in the last five years.  They are having a bad year this year.  But to hear a lot of Gator fans, they are in the midst of a epic losing streak.  "FIRE THE OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR (who kept the team going when Urban was 'retired')!"  Some extreme people want Meyer fired.  What the what?  A little perspective here, people.  I know you aren't used to losing.  But look at Alabama, Oklahoma, Nebraska, FSU.  They've all gone through lulls.  If possible, UF fans are more annoying when they are losing.
• You have to give UCF some credit.  Two straight Wednesday night games on ESPN.  The amount of exposure they got in those two weeks is amazing.  That doesn't include stuff like the highlights the next day on the two million ESPN shows.  Pretty smart.  And they play on Friday coming up here, too.  Even better.  
• Let's look at the state of Florida teams again, shall we?   FSU 6-1, UCF 4-2, UM 4-2, UF 4-3, USF 3-3. And still no one cares about the rest. (FIU, FAU, FAMU are a combined 6-11.)   Yes, I did put that because UCF is ahead of everyone but FSU.  Hee hee.
• There seems to be a weeee bit of discrepancy between the SEC East and West this year, it seems.  The East is 19-20 combined.  The West is 32-8.  Just a smidgen of difference.
• Boise State/TCU Update:  You all doubt, but it's going to happen.  Get on board.  Ohio State and Nebraska were kind enough to take a dive this week.  So that cleared the road even more.  I know some of you are going to get nervous because the BCS rankings tossed the overrated Oklahoma up top.  But this is a marathon, not a sprint.  Give it time.  I posted a full length article on this (which I'm sure you already read).  The games that could help out this week is when Oklahoma loses to Missouri, when LSU and Auburn eliminate one or the other (I'm hoping Auburn loses because LSU is the worse team), and if UCLA could knock Oregon out.  
• In case you are wondering why I am so adamant about TCU/BSU and not Utah/BSU, here's why.  Utah joins the Pac-10 in a few years.  So, the argument could be, "Well, it wasn't an actual BCS team, but it is going to be one.  That's okay."  It needs to be two teams that have no shot at a BCS conference and who would obviously get run out of town in a bracket championship system.  Broncos & Froggys it is.  

SFL NOTES:

• No close games this past week.  Kind of surprising.  There seems to be a kind of separation going on in the league between the top half and the bottom.  Teams 1-4 (Gators, Ferrets, Odious, and Bus) have been riding pretty high lately.  The 3-3 teams are very inconsistent.  And then the bottom three are dropping like rocks.  
• The biggest game this weekend is Odious Repercussions and Gator Greats.  They are two of the strongest teams and seem destined to a mega-showdown.
• Ferrets are in their typical early season explosion of wins.  If the usual trend continue, they should rattle off another five or six wins and then tank right when the playoffs start.  
• Toss in the Towel.  Most accurate name ever.