To: Roger Goodell, Commissioner of the National Football League
Ban the offensive face mask in the NFL.
Ball carriers have zero consequence when stiff-arming to the face mask, but meanwhile, an inadvertent defensive face mask gets a 15-yard penalty. The era of no consequence for a blatant face mask by a ball carrier is over.
Why is this important?
A ball carrier in football needs to be held accountable for stiff arms to the face mask. Not only is it dangerous for the defender, but it also creates a unique, unfair advantage for the runner. There is consequence for "grabbing" the face mask but simply pushing a defensive player's face mask while carrying the ball is completely legal under the current NFL rules. Ball carriers need to be held to the same standards as their would-be tacklers. I say throw a flag and take this play out of a ball-carrier's arsenal!