Ravens safety Ed Reed was suspended one game for an illegal hit on a player in the 2012 season. So this raises the question, has the administrator's of the NFL ruined the game of football by overly protecting players? They have changed the rules, and how many players really get hurt? How many people still watch the Super Bowl?

The rules in 1990 were much different then rules today. They were more lenient and were less safe but more watchable. Players, more specifically defense, didn’t have to worry as much about hitting someone too hard, high, or low. Today’s rules however, have put the offense at the advantage. Since 1941, the rules have changed forty times, according to Bleacher Repot. A defender can’t hit a defenseless player and can’t facemask. This is the best part of football too. These are just very few of the rules. The NFL needs to stop changing the rules before it is not even a sport anymore.

In the 2007 league year, the NFL began requiring that every player undergoes a baseline neurological test, according to Heinonline by Shane Mecham. I do not disagree with doing this. It is essential to to check to see if a player has something wrong with his head before sending him out to get hit. In 2012 there were 39 injuries through the whole year, but in 2000 there were 3.7% injuries a week. That’s a lot of injuries for that year. So, it is obvious that the rules they are putting in are helping the players. But, is it for the cost of viewers?

In 1990, 79,510 people watched the Super Bowl. While in 2009, 106,476 people watched the Super Bowl. But, in 2009 they had 43% more televisions per household than 1990, according to blog.nielsen. 1990’s had a much bigger disadvantage than 2009, but would it have really made a 26,966 difference?

The administrators have changed the rules a lot and there is no doubt of it. The quantity of injuries are not that high, and a lot more people are watching the NFL now than then. They have ruined NFL football for me, because there is weak hits and a flag every two seconds. But it is definitely for the better of players safety.