No Happy Returns

Devin Hester thinks the NFL should run away from the new return rule.
Hester has made a career as a return specialist and could go down as one of
the best return men ever to play the game.

It appears the No Fun League is at it again.

Instead of dealing with important issues like dealing with the collective bargaining debacle and getting players on the field in 2011, the NFL took a little time to make some rules adjustments – namely regarding kickoffs.

To "ensure players' safety" the NFL has decided to move kickoffs from the 30 to the 35-yard line, while keeping touchbacks at the 20-yard line. The NFL also debated eliminating the two-man wedge, but that was shot down like a bird out of the sky by the coaches.

Essentially, the latest installment from the No Fun League has eliminated one of the most exciting and momentum-grabbing plays in all of sports. Rarely will we see the likes of Devin Hester or Josh Cribbs weaving their way to the end zone.

Hearing the rule change Hester told Waddle & Silvy of ESPN 1000 in Chicago, "They might want to put up the arena nets, because there are gonna be a lot of balls going in the end zone."

Unfortunately, Hester is right. Tuesday's decision could change the game forever. The sport will become nothing more than a glorified game of backyard football. Although backyard football is fine for Thanksgiving with the relatives, no fans want to see teams slug it out in a three-yards-and-a-cloud-of-dust style. Fans go to the games hoping to see lightning in a bottle.

The other option for teams with strong kick coverage is to pooch the ball inside the 20 and hope to surround the returner before he has a chance to get going.

Again, this sounds like it might cause more injuries than prevent them. Without an extra five-yard head start, players won't be as exhausted getting down the field. That and the combination of the ball arriving just as the defenders do may have Hester and Cribbs tightening their chinstraps a little more.

The point is, Arena Football doesn't have nearly the amount of fans as the NFL for a reason. From the time these players lace up their cleats for the first time in the league, they know what they're getting into – football is a contact sport. Sometimes it's just best to leave well enough alone and understand that in football – as with any sport – injuries are bound to happen.