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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/sep/26/nfl-trump-rule-changes-concussion
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| The NFL now has a new offensive formation – it’s called Trump | The NFL now has a new offensive formation – it’s called Trump |
| (8 days later) | |
| Contact author | Contact author |
| Tue 26 Sep 2017 20.26 BST | Tue 26 Sep 2017 20.26 BST |
| Last modified on Fri 9 Feb 2018 18.37 GMT | |
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| You can tell it’s about to happen when he pauses and juts his chin out: Donald Trump has decided to stop reading out the mildly crazy things on his autocue in order to say something totally crazy off the top of his head. | You can tell it’s about to happen when he pauses and juts his chin out: Donald Trump has decided to stop reading out the mildly crazy things on his autocue in order to say something totally crazy off the top of his head. |
| He did it again at a rally in Alabama on Friday. Seemingly triggered by the words “respect” and “flag” in his prepared remarks, Trump embarked on that dog-whistle rant about black NFL players taking a knee during the national anthem. The resulting controversy put him on the wrong side of almost everyone. But a Trump tangent is not complete without an even more incoherent rant-within-a-rant, nested there to thwart anyone still trying to follow the president’s train of thought. This time he was further sidetracked by the NFL’s ratings (“down massively”) and some rule changes. “If you hit too hard – 15 yards! They had that last week,” he said. “I watched for a couple of minutes. Two guys, just really, beautiful tackle. Boom! Fifteen yards. The referee gets on television, his wife is sitting at home, she’s so proud of him. They’re ruining the game!” | He did it again at a rally in Alabama on Friday. Seemingly triggered by the words “respect” and “flag” in his prepared remarks, Trump embarked on that dog-whistle rant about black NFL players taking a knee during the national anthem. The resulting controversy put him on the wrong side of almost everyone. But a Trump tangent is not complete without an even more incoherent rant-within-a-rant, nested there to thwart anyone still trying to follow the president’s train of thought. This time he was further sidetracked by the NFL’s ratings (“down massively”) and some rule changes. “If you hit too hard – 15 yards! They had that last week,” he said. “I watched for a couple of minutes. Two guys, just really, beautiful tackle. Boom! Fifteen yards. The referee gets on television, his wife is sitting at home, she’s so proud of him. They’re ruining the game!” |
| Trump seemed to be criticising changes aimed at reducing head injuries, but he’s a little bit behind the curve here. It was in 2010 that the NFL introduced a prohibition on a player “launching himself off the ground and using his helmet to strike a player in a defenseless posture in the head or neck”. In 2013 they made a rule against running backs “lowering the crown” of their helmets in certain circumstances. Violations of either result in a 15-yard penalty. | Trump seemed to be criticising changes aimed at reducing head injuries, but he’s a little bit behind the curve here. It was in 2010 that the NFL introduced a prohibition on a player “launching himself off the ground and using his helmet to strike a player in a defenseless posture in the head or neck”. In 2013 they made a rule against running backs “lowering the crown” of their helmets in certain circumstances. Violations of either result in a 15-yard penalty. |
| Despite these and other precautions, there were 244 concussions in the NFL last season. Autopsies performed on deceased former players have shown that 99% had chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a brain disease caused by repeated impact. In 2015, the NFL settled a lawsuit with more than 5,000 ex-players over head trauma. | Despite these and other precautions, there were 244 concussions in the NFL last season. Autopsies performed on deceased former players have shown that 99% had chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a brain disease caused by repeated impact. In 2015, the NFL settled a lawsuit with more than 5,000 ex-players over head trauma. |
| And Trump’s take? “They’re ruining the game!” His message to players seems to be: respect the flag, and take your traumatic brain injury like a man. As for his insinuation that referees are handing out penalties to impress their wives, your guess is as good as mine. | And Trump’s take? “They’re ruining the game!” His message to players seems to be: respect the flag, and take your traumatic brain injury like a man. As for his insinuation that referees are handing out penalties to impress their wives, your guess is as good as mine. |
| An amicable split | An amicable split |
| The demise of the general ban on split infinitives – apparently their use has increased fourfold over the past few decades – is welcome. As an American I used to split infinitives without thinking about it, but when I arrived in the UK I soon learned that even if I split an infinitive with intent, there was every chance a subeditor would stick it back together for me, often with hideous results. | The demise of the general ban on split infinitives – apparently their use has increased fourfold over the past few decades – is welcome. As an American I used to split infinitives without thinking about it, but when I arrived in the UK I soon learned that even if I split an infinitive with intent, there was every chance a subeditor would stick it back together for me, often with hideous results. |
| The Guardian’s style guide says: “It is perfectly acceptable, and often desirable, to sensibly split infinitives.” But not everyone is so enlightened, and over the years I came up with a rule of my own: when faced with what seems a difficult choice between splitting an infinitive and leaving it intact, nine out of 10 times what you’re actually looking at is an adverb you don’t need. Forget “to boldly go” and “to go boldly”. What’s wrong with “to go”? | The Guardian’s style guide says: “It is perfectly acceptable, and often desirable, to sensibly split infinitives.” But not everyone is so enlightened, and over the years I came up with a rule of my own: when faced with what seems a difficult choice between splitting an infinitive and leaving it intact, nine out of 10 times what you’re actually looking at is an adverb you don’t need. Forget “to boldly go” and “to go boldly”. What’s wrong with “to go”? |
| I tried explaining my rule to some writing students once, but none of them knew what a split infinitive was. Good for them. | I tried explaining my rule to some writing students once, but none of them knew what a split infinitive was. Good for them. |
| Fifty not out | Fifty not out |
| The Turner prize is said to have been revitalised by the abolition of a maximum age limit of 50. Two of the shortlisted artists would not otherwise qualify: Hurvin Anderson is 52; Lubaina Himid, 63. The rule was instituted only in 1991 to give younger artists a chance, and if you’d asked me at the time I might have agreed that anybody looking to win a Turner really ought to have his or her act together by 49. Ever since I turned 50, however, I’ve considered the restriction an outrage. In fact any rule that excludes me on a technicality is an outrage. I’m still irritated that I can never win a first-novel prize because I accidentally wrote a non-prizewinning one a long time ago. Can I not get it annulled? | The Turner prize is said to have been revitalised by the abolition of a maximum age limit of 50. Two of the shortlisted artists would not otherwise qualify: Hurvin Anderson is 52; Lubaina Himid, 63. The rule was instituted only in 1991 to give younger artists a chance, and if you’d asked me at the time I might have agreed that anybody looking to win a Turner really ought to have his or her act together by 49. Ever since I turned 50, however, I’ve considered the restriction an outrage. In fact any rule that excludes me on a technicality is an outrage. I’m still irritated that I can never win a first-novel prize because I accidentally wrote a non-prizewinning one a long time ago. Can I not get it annulled? |
| NFL | NFL |
| Notebook | Notebook |
| Donald Trump | Donald Trump |
| Language | Language |
| Turner prize 2017 | Turner prize 2017 |
| Turner prize | Turner prize |
| Art | Art |
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