Its Fall, and it’s time again for the American tradition of football to kick off. Through the excitement, the intensity, and the love of the game I have begun to see the impact of how much the sport has changed over the years.

Over the past decade the NFL has implemented new rules designed to protect their players. They have added new a concussion protocol to ensure that their players’ mental state is protected when they grow older.They also added numerous penalties and fines for certain hits. These unnecessary hits are classified as hitting a “defenseless receiver”, a late hit on the quarterback, and now for slamming down a player to the ground when their forward progress is stopped.

I am all for sportsmanship. I do not believe in shenanigans after the whistle has been blown or slamming somebody down when they are out of bounds. However when the ball is in play, anything should go.

When the concept of this sport was conceived it was meant to be a warrior sport. Even when I played, I knew the risk I was taking with my body when I stepped on that field. I knew the the real possibilities of life-altering injuries and the long-term effects to my mind and body.

I see no reason why we should change this physical sport into something softer, just because the league is afraid to see their players get hurt. For example, back in 2008 the starting quarterback for the New England Patriots, Tom Brady was handed a season ending injury because he took a blow from below his knees. That following year, the league instituted a new rule about below-the-knee hits.

Quite frankly with all of these constant changes throughout the years, the passion, excitement, and love I had for this game come up short each time.