15 yard penalty for use of a certain word

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

A kid's game?  Putting your body on the line everyday is a kid's game?  Poor way to try and debunk an argument.

Yes it is a kids game.  Children play the game for free, in fact their parents pay fees so the kids can play this game.  Stop making it sound like NFL players are doing something noble -- the military, firefighters and cops put their life on the line everyday -- football players get paid millions to do what millions of children would gladly do for free. 

And ethnic slurs are not tolerated in today's military. 

[Tenshot13]

Yes it is a kids game.  Children play the game for free, in fact their parents pay fees so the kids can play this game.  Stop making it sound like NFL players are doing something noble -- the military, firefighters and cops put their life on the line everyday -- football players get paid millions to do what millions of children would gladly do for free. 

And ethnic slurs are not tolerated in today's military. 

Don't put words in my mouth. I never said it was noble and would never compare an NFL athlete to our military men and women, police or fire fighters. I was stating the FACT that these guys do put their bodies on the line everyday for a boat load of money and to entertain.  To say this is a children's game is beyond foolish. There is a huge difference between Pee Wee football and the NFL.  I expected a more cerebral argument from you, not this comparison to actual heroes to support your flimsy argument when that was never implied.  There really is no reason to even discuss this with you further.  We are never going to see eye to eye because I know the NFL is not and will never be like any other business, while you believe differently.

[Dave Gray]

Every place I have ever worked, the penalty would be substantially higher for such an offense  -- fired.

I don't agree.  I hear this word daily and I work in a professional setting.  It's all about context and tone.

[Brian Fein]

^^ REALLY? Where do you work?

(Note: its rhetorical,  I know where you work, which is why I'm surprised)

[Dave Gray]

Friends talk to each other colloquially.  I hear, "mah nigga" or "nigga please" all the time.  Granted, it's not when doing business or talking to the public or anything.  But this has been true wherever I've worked.

[EDGECRUSHER]

I have heard it a lot too, but not in a racist sense. Honestly, I don't think I have ever worked at a place where we have not threatened to rape one another on a daily basis. This goes from office settings, law firms or restaurants. Only the media gets appalled by this language.

[CF DolFan]

So does this mean they won't be playing "My Nigga" in the stadiums?

[Tenshot13]

My issue is how are they going to regulate this?  Is it only when a non black player calls a black player the n-word?  What if a black player calls another black players the word?  Isn't it racist to not allow a black man to use the n-word if they so choose?  Is it discriminatory that a black person can use the word, but another race cannot?

So a player is fined this year on the field for using a racial slur.  You can see any other penalty on the field as a fan via replay expect this unless you're a lip reader.  So we as a viewer have to take the word of the ref that said player made a racial slur, he names the player in front of tens of thousands of people for a 15 yard penalty.  Player will obviously refute the penalty, and claim he never said it.  Then it becomes a he said, she said.

Do you see what I mean by opening a can of worms?

[CF DolFan]

My issue is how are they going to regulate this?  Is it only when a non black player calls a black player the n-word?  What if a black player calls another black players the word?  Isn't it racist to not allow a black man to use the n-word if they so choose?  Is it discriminatory that a black person can use the word, but another race cannot?

So a player is fined this year on the field for using a racial slur.  You can see any other penalty on the field as a fan via replay expect this unless you're a lip reader.  So we as a viewer have to take the word of the ref that said player made a racial slur, he names the player in front of tens of thousands of people for a 15 yard penalty.  Player will obviously refute the penalty, and claim he never said it.  Then it becomes a he said, she said.

Do you see what I mean by opening a can of worms?

You can't only punish white people for saying it or else it becomes only a white man's penalty. We would have players with DNA tests confirming they were a certain percentage of black so they could say it too.  Can we say this is the time frame the NFL started to die?

[Brian Fein]

3 players standing in a group on the field, all wearing helmets.  How can you be sure which of the three players said the word?

A 15-yard penalty could be a game changer.

This is a terrible rule.

[Fau Teixeira]

it's unsportsmanlike conduct ..  . .. if you say it and a referee hears/sees you say it .. then you get a penalty .. i don't know how hard it is to comprehend .. will it be missed some times .. of course .. as will holding calls .. but it's an entirely preventable penalty ....

[Brian Fein]

The game should be decided by how the players play on the field, not what language they use.  Preventable - yes, but why bother?  Why care?  What players say to each other is no one's business, and shouldn't translate to yardage penalties.

If you want to fine players for using that word, then I am fine with that.  But I don't want to see any team line up on a critical 4th and 1, inside 2 minutes, and have their first-down run nullified by a "he said a naughty word" penalty.  That's ridiculous.

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

Friends talk to each other colloquially.  I hear, "mah nigga" or "nigga please" all the time.  Granted, it's not when doing business or talking to the public or anything.  But this has been true wherever I've worked.

So if you and a friend are in the break room (or locker room) and you say it and nobody who is likely to get offended hears it, then you won't get punished.  However, if you did it in front of customers, clients ( or fans) you will be fired ( or get a 15 yards penalty)

A 15-yard penalty could be a game changer.

This is a terrible rule.

Unlike pass interference, holding or other rules that are not bright line, this one is extremely avoidable.  With most other penalties a case can often be made the player was playing hard and went past a not so bright line.  With this one the offense is extremely obvious and extremely avoidable.  

[Brian Fein]

fans cannot hear what conversations players have on the field.  Is that your argument?  Offending the customers?

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

fans cannot hear what conversations players have on the field.  Is that your argument?  Offending the customers?

If it is loud enough for a ref to hear it, it is possible for a fan in the front row to hear it or for it to be picked up by one of the on field mikes (granted the networks do a good job at editing that out, they should not have to) plus calling an opposing player a racial epathat is unsportsmakelike. 

Is your argument that the rule will sometimes be unenforceable?