Las Vegas Legion Cap Hit and KCKolbe Bet

[ErMurazor]

I'm new to the league, and I recognize that many of you aren't. So, I make any and all comments with all due respect. I will not attack anyone personally. These are my thoughts:

Those of you arguing against this ruling have made clear two positions, as I see it. I will discuss each separately.

1. These rules were never enforced before. As a result, enforcing them now is unfair.

This argument makes little sense under scrutiny. Is it unfortunate that these rules were not enforced in the inaugural seasons of the NSFL? Sure, it absolutely is. Does that mean we should never enforce these rules, ever, at all? Of course it doesn't. While some people will decry the timing of this decision, it has to be made at some point. And at that point, regardless of when it is, people will take issue with it. It has to happen. It will suck for someone whenever it does. It sucks for some people that it will happen now. But this is an unfortunate side effect of a necessary step.

2. These rulings are punishing a team that is already bad. As a result, punishing this team is unfair.

Again, this is an argument that holds little weight. What should the league do instead of handing down these rulings now? Must they wait for a good team to break the rules before upholding them? It's unfortunate that a bad team is the one breaking the rules. But the rules are in place, and their enforcement is paramount, even if it was not done before (see above point). It's unfair to say that the Legion are "being made an example of." That would be the case if the punishment being handed down was more drastic than it should be, or will be in the future. Instead, what's happening is that a team has broken the rules at a time when the rules are going to start being enforced.

Anyone remember James Harrison's reaction when the NFL started cracking down on shots to the head? He was furious. He had played his whole career hitting players in the head. It was kind of a trademark of his. It was unfortunate for him that the rules changed while he was playing, and in the later stages of his career. Nevertheless, the rules were always going to be put in place (or, in this case, be enforced) when it would impact someone negatively. If it's not now, it's going to be some other time, and the people impacted then will think it's unfair.

Head office is attempting to make the best of a bad situation. We can all lament that they have to do these things, now, under these circumstances, but to pretend that these things don't have happen is not fair to the league in either its present or its future state.

I've been trying to avoid commenting on this further because I don't think having a flame war with the head office or anybody else is good for the league either.

1. It isn't an issue of unenforced rules. The teams that previously violated this rule did not receive THIS punishment (and in reality no real punishment). All 3 instances of cap space abuse occurred under the same set of rules, but one team is receiving a different punishment. I am completely on board with harsher rules being put in place for failing to abide by the salary cap, but these changes should be done proactively, not retroactively. For example, the Legion broke a rule. They will receive the same punishment as the other teams that broke the rule. Going forward, this is going to be the new punishment for breaking this rule. The "necessary step" still occurs without the "unfortunate side effect."

2. Personally, I don't think that it's unfair to punish the worst team in the league. I think it is unfair to punish them differently than other teams in the league. I think you also have to approach punishments in this league differently than those in the NFL. This is for fun and we all depend on each other to have that fun. The league is better when we have more invested, active people in it. Decisions put forth should be weighed on that scale. Is thing going to make the league better or worse? Is this going to make people in the league have more fun? I still stand by the point that NOBODY in the league is going to benefit from the Legion having a cap space penalty. I think many of the people who are not satisfied with this ruling would completely support a rule change that punished any cap violations after the rule was established more harshly.

The difference between the James Harrison reaction and NFL safety rules is this: James Harrison was hitting people in the head. One day a rule was established that informed him those types of hits were going to receive X punishment. THEN Harrison hits somebody and that rule is applied to him. What is happening here is: James Harrison is hitting people on the head. One day he hits somebody on the head the same way he was in the past and is penalized for it differently. After he is penalized he is told that those types of hits are going to receive the new penalty he just received going forward.