Voice of the Tigers Jim Hawthorne couldn't believe it, but would it have ever happened these days?

Wedge Block Ban

No more wedge blocking? Kickoffs are pretty violent events as it is. Getting rid of the wedge block might reduce injuries, but guys get hurt running back kicks without anyone touching them sometimes. See exhibit A below. Overall, I could go either way on this change.

Eye Black Word/Symbol Ban

This change is asinine. Tim Tebow wrote Bible verses on his eye black. Reggie Bush et al. opted for their area codes. Some of LSU's defensive players wore a long strip that went across the nose that said "Number 1 Defense" (which I assume was an aspirational statement). For a much more thorough look at the numerous types of eye black designs, see this Paul Lukas Uni Watch article. There were exactly zero (0) injuries from eye black decoration that I've been able to track down. I've never come across any taunting on eye black either...which leads to the third and DUMBEST rule change for 2011.

Celebration/Taunting Penalty

No showboating on the way to the end zone or else your team will lose the score. Would Devery Henderson's ESPY award winning TD in the "Bluegrass Miracle" on the play "Dash Right 93 Berlin" have counted if this rule had been in place in 2002? Well, that all depends on the referees' discretion. And, no one is worried about that right? Right. Henderson put not one, but two (2) arms in the air before crossing the goal line. The referees will actually have to consider whether or not that kind of thing is considered taunting. If so, Saturdays in the Fall are going to lose some of their luster. That Henderson TD caused spontaneous celebrations throughout my entire apartment complex when I was an undergraduate at LSU. I would not like to imagine that the rage that would have replaced that elation had this absolutely ridiculous rule taken away that score.