An Open Letter to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell

You bet I am...bro...

Dear Mr. Goodell:

I am writing to you today to express my extreme displeasure with the NFL’s new penalty focus. As a former defensive player, it feels as if you’re taking the football out of football. From what I can tell, it’s like the League would rather have teams that score 45, 50, 55 points in a game where defenders have to play pattycake when they tackle the other team. It seems like the League believes all of those points would energize the fan base and bring more money into the team’s pockets.

Au contraire…

All you are doing is pissing off the true fan. All you are doing is making students of the game pissed off with your unbalanced penalties. Sure, protect the quarterback, but all of these defenseless player crazy calls are turning football into woosball.

All because you’re afraid of a little hard contact? 

THIS IS FOOTBALL. These players are getting paid millions of dollars and they KNOW WHAT’S AT STAKE when they signed their contracts.

You are tying the hands of defensive backs all around the League. When Hall of Famers like Ronnie Lott and Warren Sapp have gone on record saying how offensively lopsided the League has become, shouldn’t you listen? Future HOFer Ray Lewis vents about it every single week.

At what time do you decide the penalties are too much? At what time should you MAN UP and let the defense play defense? Defenders are taught to drive through a defender in a LEGAL way, and you're not giving them a chance.

If these shenanigans continue, I will no longer be a fan of the League. I don’t like shootouts. I prefer slugfests where it actually take skill and cunning to make the right defensive play to stop the other team. Being a lifelong NFC East fan, three yards and a cloud of dust is MUCH better than teams running for 842 yards. 

Offense wins games, but defense wins championships. Or so they used to say…I guess not so much in today's NFL.

Please reconsider the balance in penalty calling, and protect the defense just as much as your precious offense.

Sincerely yours,

Brother JDub