There has been nothing within the orbit of the National Football League that has created more hysteria this offseason than in the surprising passing of a new rule that would seek to ban hits on the field from all players that utilize the lowering of the helmet to strike a blow to an opponent.
Many have taken this as something of a sign of the football apocalypse, the first of the four horsemen that will carry the sport to its eventual doom. Perhaps even the second or third horseman. But the truth is that we have no way of knowing what sort of impact this rule will have, and history actually suggests that it won’t be as big of a change as many fear (which is usually the case).