Dealing with the Bad Eggs

While the NFL threatens to scratch and claw at the integrity of gridiron football with mindless rule changes to prevent horrific injuries because they're too scared to make the safest available equipment compulsory (wait, isn't there a lockout?), what is being done in soccer worldwide to prevent dangerous plays?

A straight red card and suspension?  Sure, that's the typical punishment for leaving your feet with the spikes up and maliciously attacking another human being.  But does that deter miserable hacks like Manchester United's Johnny Evans from doing that?  No.  Just like a $50,000 fine won't prevent James Harrison from going helmet-to-helmet with someone and getting all dramatic about it the next day.

Until Sepp Blatter or Roger Goodell puts their players in those inflatable sumo suits, injuries will happen as long as idiots like Trevor Gillies continue to do what they do.  But there's no reason to punish an entire league when the problem on our hands should be dealt with on a case-by-case basis, and the powers that be need to figure out a more efficient way of doing so.  I understand that 2010 was the year of the headbutt for the NFL, but that doesn't mean the league (especially when it's barely operational) needs to eliminate all excitement from kickoffs (I can't imagine what it's like to be Devin Hester right now).  That'd be like removing the spikes from soccer cleats, or preventing them from EVER leaving their feet.  Luckily for soccer, the rules are simpler than those of football, so such drastic changes will never happen.

A better comparison might be that of taking those fun wooden blocks from kindergarteners so they don't hit each other with them.  Just because 2% of the class uses them as weapons, that doesn't mean you should take the blocks away from Josh Cribbs, Nicklas Lidstrom or Maicon.

Suspend these neanderthals.  Fine them.  Kick them out.  Eat their children.  But changing the complexion of the game is not prudent.  These athletes have minds of their own.  It is insulting and unfair to the rest of the respective sports to inflict this preemptive nonsense.  The game of football (or soccer, or hockey) isn't broke, so don't fix it.