Eagles

NFL’s Brotherly Shove Messaging is Pragmatic and Antithetical to Fake News Media Maneuvering

By Kevin Kinkead

Published: Dec 14th, 2023 · 10:42 AM EST

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Brotherly Shove hater Diana Russini reported earlier this month that she was “told by a league source that (NFL Commissioner Roger) Goodell wants to see this play removed from the game permanently.” Reminder that Russini is a push hater and took a rare L when she tweeted this in September:

Should there be a limited number of tush pushes per game?

— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) September 26, 2023

A league executive came out recently and disputed Russini’s report, saying that the NFL hasn’t taken any kind of stance on the play.

That was confirmed/elaborated on by Goodell and Troy Vincent this week:

Roger Goodell said he hasn’t taken a stance on the “tush push”. He wants more information about the play and hear the different perspectives on it and that’s obviously going to happen. “I’m sure we’ll have a position on that come March.”

— James Palmer (@JamesPalmerTV) December 13, 2023

More Vincent on the Tush Push: “Philly does it better than everyone else; that’s a fact. … You don’t want to punish anyone for doing something well.”

Not enough data to substantiate a greater injury risk on the play.

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) December 13, 2023

Goodell noted at the owners’ meetings that the competition committee had varying views of the play last offseason. He’d like to hear how they feel about it in 2024, but reiterated that he himself does not have any kind of personal stance. To enact a shove ban, it would require 24 teams to vote, and based on what we’ve seen floating around out there, the push complaints are coming more from fake news media like Joe Schad, rather than the players or teams themselves.

Even Jerry Jones is on the right side of history:

Despite the #Eagles being so effective at it, #Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said at the owners’ meetings that he does not want to see the tush-push play banned.

However, Jones would like to see the hip-drop tackle eliminated for safety reasons. pic.twitter.com/nIVR5bhZIJ

— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) December 13, 2023

Timothy Rapp at Bleacher Report also noted this:

“the NFL’s executive vice president of communications, Jeff Miller, said that a league investigation turned up “nothing notable” regarding the potential for increased injuries on “Brotherly Shove” plays”

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Goodell suggested other considerations would be taken into account beyond just the injury risks, however.

“Are there other aspects of it that we need to think about?” he said. “A lot of coaches talked last year about (how) innovation would come off of that play. I’d like to take a look back at that; has that really occurred? It’s important to hear the different perspectives and let the committee do their work. I’ll be able to participate in that. And I’m sure we’ll have a position by (the owners’ meetings in) March.”

I appreciate the NFL taking a measured and pragmatic approach to this. Blocking out the noise from the fake news media and push haters. We commend the National Football League.