Remember when the National Football League starred hard-hitting players like Lawrence Taylor, Dick Butkiss and Mike Singletary? I don’t either.

Those players played long ago, and what is troubling is that the likes of those players might not be remembered if they played in today’s NFL. That type of player, those that hit as hard as they can without regard to who they are hitting or what method they use to tackle opposing players, are labeled as dirty and accumulate many fines.  Taylor, Butkiss and Singletary, as a result, may not be Hall of Fame caliber players in today’s NFL, because they would be limited by the stringent rules of the league.

Penalties and fines are given to players that overstep the boundaries set to protect players. In order to protect the NFL’s fan base, the NFL needs to find the balance between protecting players with presenting a product that is entertaining to watch. Without keeping an adequate balance of those two facets, the NFL will not only limit the fun its players have on Sundays, but the NFL may also limit the amount of fun its fans have on Sundays.

The NFL began monitoring contact more carefully after the New England Patriots defensive backs continuously interfered with the Indianapolis Colts wide receivers during the 2003 AFC Championship.  Looking back, the footage shows New England bumping, pushing and grabbing Indianapolis throughout the game. The fallout occurred when Peyton Manning, Reggie Wayne and Marvin Harrison complained that they couldn’t operate and lost because of the overly physical defense of the New England Patriots.

In the following season the NFL vowed to strictly monitor illegal contact between defensive backs and wide receivers. Strict moderation was needed to form a more competitive league, but since the NFL’s proclamation to strictly monitor illegal contact, illegal contact has grown to be extremely broad. Defensive linemen must carefully sack opposing quarterbacks so not to be flagged for roughing the passer. Linebackers must be careful not to tackle ball carriers by the top of the shoulder pads or jersey to avoid being penalized with a horse collar tackle. Defensive backs must meticulously plan exactly how they will hit a receiver in fear that they will illegally hit the receiver in the head. Each of the aforementioned penalties draw a certain fine from the NFL.

My point is not to criticize the rules of the NFL, but instead, to point out that what the NFL now asks players to do is virtually impossible. The speed of the game is too fast and the players are too good. While the rules are necessary to protect the players, the rules should offer discretion to officials to measure the intent of “illegal” hits. In addition, the NFL should use more discretion in levying fines to players that are called for the aforementioned penalties.

Illegal contact penalties and fines in response to them are peaking in the NFL this year, and much is made of whether the NFL is presenting professional football in its purist form.

Recently, the NFL rescinded the $7,500 fine imposed on New York Giants defensive end Jason Tuck for his hit on Dallas Cowboys quarterback Brooks Bollinger. Reasoning behind the rescinding fine was stated by NFL spokesman Greg Aiello, “Not every penalty deserves a fine, and this is one of them.”  Tuck and the New York Giants were still penalized for the play and the Cowboys were awarded a first down because of the hit on Bollinger. The NFL should consider that not every hard hit deserves a penalty.

The NFL must work to ensure the safety of its players, but the recent steps the league has taken are detrimental to the quality of football presented by the NFL. Football is a violent game and injuries are a sad, but unavoidable occurrence. Anybody who plays on Sundays takes the risk of being injured. As the rules on illegal contact stand now, the NFL is becoming what Troy Polamalu describes as, “more and more [like] flag football, two-hand touch. We’ve really lost the essence of what real American football is about.”

Football fans agree. Troy, and players like Taylor, Butkiss and Singletary likely agree too. Instead of the National Football League, the NFL is starting to more appropriately stand for the No Fun League.

Derek Sangston is a senior political science and pre-law double major. He can be reached for comment at [email protected].