It seems as though the concept of full contact is being taken away from professional football — a game that is built on just that. One of the biggest reasons fans come and pay to watch games is for the hard-hitting action.

Rules are necessary in any sport; however, the league is getting so in depth with the rules that it is rescinding the very origins on which the sport was created.

There are so many rules being applied to the contact aspect of the game that there is a penalty called on nearly every play. There have been significantly more contact penalties called already this year when compared to the past year at this time.

NFL players are skilled and talented athletes. They prepare and practice full time to make and avoid contact with each other, and they are paid well for it. But players are getting penalized for incidental contact, something that is usually unintentional and unavoidable, and that is just wrong.

Restricting a defensive player’s ability to make contact with an offensive player will mean that fans will have to get used to the idea of the offense scoring on nearly every possession.

Safety is a key issue that must be addressed. But the focus should be more on the equipment and less on the rules. That would solve many issues surrounding pro football and make an impact on keeping it within its traditional ideas.

Scott McClelland, Greene

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