Bud Grant: NFL should toughen up, reduce fair catches and kneeldowns

[Vambo]

https://www.foxnews.com/sports/bud-grant-nfl-toughen-up-reduce-fair-catches-kneeldowns

 

Grant apparently believes the NFL has gotten too soft

And Grant did in fact speak — specifically about the rules as they relate to quarterback kneeldowns and the kicking game. Basically, he thinks it’s all gotten too soft. So he would like to see the league find a way to reduce kneeldowns and touchbacks, and yes, even fair catches.

"I would complain to people about the idea that when the trailing team was out of timeouts, the quarterback starts kneeling down and the fans are leaving," Grant told the Minneapolis Star Tribune, adding that the answer was always, ‘There’s nothing that can be done about it.’ I kept thinking about it and decided, ‘Yes, there is. The team on offense has to make a yard — 1 yard — or the clock stops. A few things can happen when trying to make a yard. You can get stuffed. You can fumble. You can get a penalty. And you keep the fans interested."...

 

... "I attended enough meetings to know the NFL wants to avoid admitting Canadian football has a better idea about anything. Yet, they should follow Canada and take away the fair catch," Grant said. "There’s no fair catch in Canada, but the coverage also has to give the returner 5 yards. NFL people hear this and they’ll say, ‘It will increase injuries.’ The 5-yard cushion makes all the difference. My opinion is there won’t be a real increase in injuries, and the punt would become an interesting play."

And don’t even get him started on players kneeling in the end zone on kickoffs.

"Why bother, if your goal is to make the kickoff the most-nothing play in football? They say it’s about safety. Injuries happen on every play," Grant said. "They have made several changes on the way you can block on the kickoff. They can keep those. But you wait three minutes through a timeout, they come back, kick off, walk the ball out to 25."

"It’s ridiculous," he added. "Move the kickoff back 5 yards [to the 30], and if you don’t bring it out, you don’t get rewarded with the 25. You get the ball at the 15."

 

Grant’s ideas are actually pretty decent. But he’s probably right about the NFL not be willing to listen and make things more enjoyable for the fans. After all, the NFL thinks it always knows best. Forget the fact Grant has been around about as long as it has.

 

 

 

[Zombo]

Totally thought he was dead.

Z

[Bob806]

6 minutes ago, Vambo said:

 

 

Grant apparently believes the NFL has gotten too soft

 

 

Grant’s ideas are actually pretty decent. But he’s probably right about the NFL not be willing to listen and make things more enjoyable for the fans. After all, the NFL thinks it always knows best. Forget the fact Grant has been around about as long as it has.

 

 

 

Grant is right, especially on the kickoffs. I can't stand that the kick return & inside kick have basically been deleted in today's game.

 

[Vambo]

5 minutes ago, Bob806 said:

Grant is right, especially on the kickoffs. I can't stand that the kick return & inside kick have basically been deleted in today's game.

 

That was always fun watching the return guys, some of the most exciting plays.

[mjp28]

21 minutes ago, Zombo said:

Totally thought he was dead.

Z

I totally would have lost all bets on that one, just turned 95 last Friday.   6' 3" tough dude. 

Harry Peter "Bud" Grant Jr. is a former head coach and player of American football, Canadian football, and a former player in the National Basketball Association. Wikipedia

Born: May 20, 1927 (age 95 years), Superior, WI

[gumby73]

"Alex... Give me Bud Grant's still alive at 95... for $600" 🤓

The last Bud Grant stories, aware of, was Bud's famous yearly Garage Sales.

.https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2017/may/18/former-vikings-coach-bud-grant-runs-disciplined-ga/

We should all hope for that kind of sharp thinking mind at age 95... Well Done Coach Grant ! this era of paid players, just don't get what the real NFL was like... 

[MLD Woody]

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[Westside Steve]

4 minutes ago, MLD Woody said:

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WSS

[gumby73]

I could see the 5 yard fair catch rule being a constant booth review/challenge... gunners don't watch where the ball is likely to land..

but stopping both's momentum with both restarting? 5-6 yards away? I don't watch the CFL.. Does it work? 

[Gorka]

43 minutes ago, Westside Steve said:

?

WSS

Constrain The Elderly?

You know how Woody feels about the older generations.

[Westside Steve]

3 minutes ago, Gorka said:

Constrain The Elderly?

You know how Woody feels about the older generations.

Haha

[Gorka]

14 minutes ago, Westside Steve said:

Haha

OK I found it.

Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) is a degenerative brain disease found in athletes.

So forcing a team to go all out instead of taking a knee that last minute increases the risk?

Didn't the NFL just add an entire game Woody?

[D Bone]

10 hours ago, Gorka said:

OK I found it.

Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) is a degenerative brain disease found in athletes.

So forcing a team to go all out instead of taking a knee that last minute increases the risk?

Didn't the NFL just add an entire game Woody?

Don't muddle this thread with facts. Nobody likes that guy. 

[DieHardBrownsFan1]

11 hours ago, MLD Woody said:

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Ageist.

[Orion]

Bud Grant was/is a thick headed hard-ass.   Frozen outdoor games in Minnesota.....the opponents could have heaters on the sidelines to thaw their feet and hands.....but not the Vikings....nope.....thick-head wouldn't allow them on his Vikings half of the sidelines.  YOU'LL STAY WITH FROZEN FINGERS AND TOES....AND LIKE IT!!

[Dutch Oven]

Here's Bud Grant, playing for the Eagles vs the Browns, 1952.

[mjp28]

Bud Winnipeg Blue Bombers End 1953.

 

[ballpeen]

Bud was a tough SOB.  A few years back he went out for a coin flip outdoors when it was -6 outside.

 

Not sure why the game was outdoors then...maybe it was when the Dome up there collapsed under the weight or snow, or maybe it was rain and had to close for a period of time for repairs..

[Dutch Oven]

10 hours ago, ballpeen said:

Bud was a tough SOB.  A few years back he went out for a coin flip outdoors when it was -6 outside.

 

Not sure why the game was outdoors then...maybe it was when the Dome up there collapsed under the weight or snow, or maybe it was rain and had to close for a period of time for repairs..

I think it was when they tore down the Metrodome and were building their current dome in the same spot, and played a few seasons at the U of Minnesota's outdoor stadium.

[ballpeen]

23 hours ago, Dutch Oven said:

I think it was when they tore down the Metrodome and were building their current dome in the same spot, and played a few seasons at the U of Minnesota's outdoor stadium.

Thanks...that was it.  I couldn't remember the details.

[Neo]

So why not just put the kickoff back to where it was just don't give the players a running start. Can't start running until the ball is in the air. They robbed us of the Devin Hester's and Joshua Cribbs of the return game.

[mjp28]

38 minutes ago, Neo said:

So why not just put the kickoff back to where it was just don't give the players a running start. Can't start running until the ball is in the air. They robbed us of the Devin Hester's and Joshua Cribbs of the return game.

They HAD to try cut down on the full speed collisions, concussions, disabled players and of course the CTE cases.....which the NFL had to finally admit were real.

Of course a lot of fans love those dramatic runs and high speed collisions and the ooohs and aaahs  -but-  the NFL had to take the lead on this.

It's not the 1960s and 1970s anymore,  the glory years of NFL football. 

[calfoxwc]

7 hours ago, mjp28 said:

They HAD to try cut down on the full speed collisions, concussions, disabled players and of course the CTE cases.....which the NFL had to finally admit were real.

Of course a lot of fans love those dramatic runs and high speed collisions and the ooohs and aaahs  -but-  the NFL had to take the lead on this.

It's not the 1960s and 1970s anymore,  the glory years of NFL football. 

I miss the Josh Cribbs returns, too, but your answer is excellent. But the way it is now, Schwartz had that serious collusion on a return last season, straight up the field, between two blockers, didn't see the guy who hit him until he hit him, and Schwartz ended up with a concussion. Seems that the way it is now, gunners can get past the blockers before the returner catches the ball. Maybe moving the line back gives more time to set up a return. Or not. Maybe only cut down on the number of head on collisions...not a solution ?

[mjp28]

12 hours ago, calfoxwc said:

I miss the Josh Cribbs returns, too, but your answer is excellent. But the way it is now, Schwartz had that serious collusion on a return last season, straight up the field, between two blockers, didn't see the guy who hit him until he hit him, and Schwartz ended up with a concussion. Seems that the way it is now, gunners can get past the blockers before the returner catches the ball. Maybe moving the line back gives more time to set up a return. Or not. Maybe only cut down on the number of head on collisions...not a solution ?

Solution quit playing professional tackle football.   But these steps help not 100% cure the problems here. 

.......edit add, it's not normal for 40 year old former NFL players to be walking around with one or two canes or 40-50 year olds to not remember where they lived or recocnize family members.   CTE can only positively be identified in an autopsy but nearly 100% of NFL players who had their brains examined showed CTE in their brain from repeated contact hitting and concussions. 

The NFL does not deny this and has made one huge settlement with probably more to come in the future.  Sad but true and some of this can be traced back to college and even high school.  

This is not new news.

Oddly when players with various injuries were asked if they'd do it again the majority said yes.  So there you go.  Just the facts. 🏈

[Neo]

17 hours ago, mjp28 said:

They HAD to try cut down on the full speed collisions, concussions, disabled players and of course the CTE cases.....which the NFL had to finally admit were real.

Of course a lot of fans love those dramatic runs and high speed collisions and the ooohs and aaahs  -but-  the NFL had to take the lead on this.

It's not the 1960s and 1970s anymore,  the glory years of NFL football. 

I think you're missing what I'm saying. I'm saying move it back to where they used to kick it off but the kicker is the only one allowed to get a running start. So it would basically be like it is now, just a few yards back so the ball doesn't always get kicked out of the endzone. The gunners can't run until the ball is in the air going downfield. 

[mjp28]

43 minutes ago, Neo said:

I think you're missing what I'm saying. I'm saying move it back to where they used to kick it off but the kicker is the only one allowed to get a running start. So it would basically be like it is now, just a few yards back so the ball doesn't always get kicked out of the endzone. The gunners can't run until the ball is in the air going downfield. 

Some proposals had eliminating  all  kickoffs and just putting the ball around the 25 yard line and that may come back again in the future. 

No more returns of any kind including those dazzling ones by some of favorite one tool players would be gone too.

The other measures like contact foul penalties, some equipment improvements and other are trying to lower the amount of serious injuries and keep playing American Tackle Football. 

We'll see what happens in the future.  

[Orion]

Returning kickoffs is borderline madness.  Guys running full speed trying to smash a guy running full speed.   And now-a-days players wear really small pads....no knee pads...no thigh pads (or minimal).  And it doesn't matter if players can't run until the ball is kicked, they're still gonna be running full speed.  

For us, with the number of illegal blocks we get, putting us inside the 10.....just take it on the 25 whenever you can.  

[Neo]

I understand that players need to be healthy and safe on the field but at what point does this cease to be football? There is a certain amount of DANGER associated with this sport. Any sane person with any common sense would know this, and especially someone WHO HAS BEEN TRAINING since pee wee. They let players beat the shit out of each other in hockey. I am sure there are ways to make this sport safe without taking away what makes it great. They might as well start strapping tampons to their shoulders instead of shoulder pads.

[mjp28]

1 hour ago, Neo said:

I understand that players need to be healthy and safe on the field but at what point does this cease to be football? There is a certain amount of DANGER associated with this sport. Any sane (?) person with any common sense would know this, and especially someone WHO HAS BEEN TRAINING since pee wee. They let players beat the shit out of each other in hockey. I am sure there are ways to make this sport safe without taking away what makes it great. <--- Not really unless they play in big plastic bubbles....but the plastic might cause cancer or something. 

They might as well start strapping tampons to their shoulders instead of shoulder pads. <--- I don't think any of us would want that.     

We've always loved America's most popular sport tackle football   -but-  in recent decades it's been exposed just how dangerous the sport really can be 9n the human body.  And backyard football for the love of the game is one thing.

As far as any sane person well it's a risk/reward thing and for most all of the professional players especially with today's paydays  it's worth the risk.  When asked many injured players say they'd do it again.   And like you said these players started in pee-wee football, 

I got my first helmet and pads in 5th grade and my dad was all for it, I played through 11th grade when I hurt my knee football over.   But I would have pursued college football if I could.   Eh those are the breaks.  Instead I got a job in a steel mill and worked my way through college.  I knew the football risks, but would I do it again ? Hell yes, I loved it !

So there you go....   

[Orion]

2 hours ago, Neo said:

They might as well start strapping tampons to their shoulders instead of shoulder pads.

Ya know, you used to be able to sneak around and block a DE in the side of his knee.  You know, the direction that your knee does not bend.  Without him knowing you're coming.  My cousin said, "I knew that just wasn't right all the way back in the 70's when I played DE for the high school team."  When a receiver was leaping to make a catch, you could zero in on him and smash him with no regard for where the ball was.   That was never 'right'.  ( a defenseless receiver )  

They've taken some of the stuff that just 'wasn't right' out of the game.  The same now with the helmet rule.

Here's the deal, if you want football to continue into the future...and you want parents to allow their sons to play football...then you better keep striving to make it safer.

My two grandboys (8 & 6 yrs old) are finishing up their first flag football season.  I've enjoyed the hell out of them playing, watching how they went from knowing next to nothing to being key touchdown makers on their respective teams (the kindergartener tallied 3 rushing TD's last week and the older one had a pick-6 and a rushing TD).  But I still told them last night, Papa doesn't want you to play anymore once the flags come off.