THE FRONT ROW with Jason Elliott June 13, 2012

Practice.

They're talking about practice.

Not a game, but practice.

IN A contact sport such as football, someone is bound to get hit during practice.

It doesn't matter if it's not supposed to be contact or during a game, if someone gets hit - no matter when it is, they feel it the same way.

Last week, during some OTAs (organized team activities), the Seattle Seahawks were fined by the NFL for excessive offseason workouts.

Isn't that what those are for?

With the new collective bargaining agreement some new rules are in place, which limits live contact during those OTAs.

As punishment, the team had to forfeit two practices and another workout day - but are still paid for those days.

Interesting.

What tipped the league off to the activities was a fight between a couple of the players.

With a couple more days off, a few of those players even came to the area to participate in the Michael Roos Foundation Fish and Chip Celebrity Weekend in Worley.

Considering how last year ended, it's nice to see a competitive fire so early in the season.

If it remains throughout the season, I'd say it was well worth it to miss a couple days.

BUT WHAT else can the NFL really do about it?

I realize that the league could be one of, if not the most popular sports leagues in the world.

But if you don't practice how you play, won't the level of competition eventually start to go down?

Not that you'll see games with absolutely no defense this season, but players are just as likely to get injured during a practice than in a game.

What's next - to limit against pitchers' arms getting hurt late in the season, teams in major league baseball are allowed to use a pitching machine instead?

Between two basketball teams, if one is going to the playoffs and the other isn't - should the one with something to play for ask for a running clock in the second half, you know, so that nobody gets injured?

Teams are going to practice hard, no matter what time of the year it might be.

Asking teams to take it easy in the offseason is one thing, but when it comes to practices - just because two teams have been caught doesn't mean that they're not the only ones bending the rules.

Calling off a couple of practices won't likely keep these kinds of things from happening, and neither will suspending players.

EVEN IN the last two weeks, some area football teams have begun camps and their version of offseason activities.

Nobody is supposed to hit each other in those camps as well, instead holding those kinds of drills until practices in early August.

If there's too much worry about the way teams are competing at this time, why not make them wait until then.

We are just talking about practice - right?

Jason Elliott is a sports writer for the Coeur d'Alene Press. He can be reached at 664-8176, Ext. 2020 or via email at [email protected].