Rule # 12: Rules that were meant to be broken shouldn't have been created.

Growing up with five older male cousins toughens you up. I learned at a young age I wouldn't get anywhere playing dolls with the girls. On arrival at my nonna's one day I entered the hallway to find that my favorite doll had apparently "hanged herself" from pull-down string for the attic. After that I manned up, because there's no crying in domestic abuse. When I swing a playful punch now, I know to throw the right hook while protecting my face with my left arm because my 30-something cousins, most former army officers, will retaliate if antagonized. I may dish out trash talk dirtier than Paris Hilton's panties, but it's only because I've been seasoned to take it. Sensitivity is a learned feeling, born from overprotectiveness. Two words in the english language least associated with sports. Especially football. So after Sunday's game in Foxboro, my question: is Gisele practicing diaper changes on Tom already?

Since Columbus "discovered" America, we've been missing the boat on correct accreditation (no pun intended). So let's get things straight, Tom Brady's opening game knee injury last season was not penalized as an illegal tackle. This year's stricter roughing the passer penalties, so gratuitously nicknamed "The Brady Rule," is a misnomer worse than referring to Jose Canseco as a loyal teammate. Owners are not worried about their QBs' safety or the sanctity of the game; they're worried about falling cash flows. Regarding the new rule change, Patriots' owner Robert Kraft told the Boston Globe in an article last March what keeping quarterbacks protected meant to him and the league. He said, "I think the whole NFL suffers....It's not good for the league. What makes it special is special players. It's like going to see a great movie and the star isn't in it. It's the same principle."

After last weekend's performance though, Brady may be guilty by association for different reasons. After two extremely questionable roughing the passer penalties were called against the Ravens' defense led to two Patriot scores, outrage can only be expected. Especially after Flacco was hit hard at least six different times and the men in stripes reached in their pockets on just one of the six plays. 

Although the stricter rules have been strongly supported by owners in an attempt to protect their money players, the high profile QBs, it is the NFL's competition committee who actually overlooks rule changes. Owners are more concerned with revenue than sportsmanship. According to a Dan Steinberg article in the Washington Post last September, Brady jersey sales dropped to fourth in the league after his injury, after Favre, Romo, and the Giants' Manning.  Referring to rule changes in years past, the Steelers' Troy Polamalu said, "It has more to do with money and not really with our safety. ...[Football] just loses so much of its essence when it becomes like a pansy game." Co-chaired by the Falcon's president Rich McKay and the Titan's coach, Jeff Fisher, the competition committee has let referees take the brunt of the recent media and fan firestorm on roughing the passer controversy. According to NFL.com's website, the NFL's vice president of officiating explained that legal hits on the QB only range above the knee and below the neck. Anything more results in a 15-yard penalty, and/or personal fines.

In a world where schools are banning teachers from using red ink to grade papers because it "emotionally scars students," football seems steps away from using purple ink in their play books as well. Ray Lewis put it best in a post-game interview describing his opinion on the calls in question (statements against officials that were surprisingly not fined), 

"It's embarrassing to the game....A personal foul and he [Brady] isn't even touched. He's a man. They can be hit, just like us. We stop them and then you look back and see a flag or a personal foul and Tom Brady is laughing. It wasn't no personal foul if he's still smiling."

Although Ray Lewis runs his mouth a fair amount of the time, he is no T.O.; his outbursts are usually merited and prompted by a respect for the game. (It was also a bit more eloquent than teammate Terrell Suggs' burn stating, "Maybe next year it'll be two-hand touch to get a sack.") And with Brady's postgame excuse ridden reaction statements, he isn't gaining much sympathy from third-party players and fans alike.  Referring to the calls, Brady said, "We're unprotected, just sitting there defenseless, so they've got to stay away from me." 

Note to Tom: if you're left unprotected it's not the opposing team's defenses' problem. This is TACKLE football. 

Brady may come through in the clutch and be one of the game's greatest QBs, but it seems he's getting soft with age. Tom might have to take some advice my cousins have (physically) ingrained in me (other than "Laura, you can't play sports, you're a girl"),  "Shut up and play the game." Hopefully the Bronco's undefeated defense will do just that this Sunday.