Twitter
Facebook
Reddit
Digg
Tell us what you think!Send a letter to the editor about this or any other article in The Maine Campus.
The NFL has become the best showcase of athleticism that you can see anywhere. Players have bulked up compared to the early days of the game and are only getting bigger.
As the style of play evolves, so do the rules. The hottest topic as of late concerning the NFL has been the abundance of concussions and what to do about them. The growth of these athletes is endangering the health of their peers.
Yet, another change may be necessary in the NFL. Fields need to widen to accommodate the behemoths that play the game.
According to an ESPN article, “the average weight in the NFL has grown by 10 percent since 1985 to a current average of 248 pounds. The heaviest position, offensive tackle, went from 281 pounds two decades ago to 318 pounds.”
The growth of players in the NFL has become ridiculous and calls for a change. The width of an NFL field is 160 feet — that seems pretty wide until you put into perspective the size and skill of the current NFL athletes. Take Julius Peppers for example. Peppers is a defensive end for the Chicago Bears. At 6-foot-7-inch and 290 pounds, Peppers can run the 40-yard-dash in 4.68 seconds.
Before you realize it, the player’s size is going to congest the field. The problem with widening the field is the millions of dollars it would cost to alter stadiums. Teams may lose seating and a wider field may cause a fuss with maintenance. With a looming lockout in the future, there could be plenty of time for construction.
The potential for making the most visually entertaining sport more exciting is too much to fathom. The NFL continues to grow in popularity with its evolution to a passing league. A wider field would make offensive coordinators smile with glee.
For example, the option offense, which has been strictly used at the collegiate level and gawked at in the NFL, would become more effective with a wider field and possibly change the NFL game completely.
Maybe it is just a dream, but soon a wider field in the NFL will be inevitable.
