Newsletter

Drew Brees’ hand licking must stop during coronavirus season

NFL quarterback was going to be forced to think about it. And when one confronted the inescapable reality, the door would open for others to follow. On Wednesday, future Hall of Famer Drew Brees officially breached that threshold, admitting that an incessant (and questionably gross) habit will need to be ditched during the COVID-19 era." data-reactid="16">Eventually, an NFL quarterback was going to have to think about it. And when we faced the inescapable reality, the door opened for others to follow. Future Hall of Fame member Drew Brees officially crossed that threshold on Wednesday, admitting that a relentless (and questionable) habit will have to be abandoned during the COVID-19 era.

NFL game." data-reactid="17">Licking your fingers during an NFL game.

football. The very same object that is touched, sweated upon, spit upon and, in rare occasions, even bled upon during the course of play." data-reactid="22">Brees and other quarterbacks engaged in the act thousands of times before a snap, using their tongues to wet the fingers of their throwing hand, giving themselves extra grip on a soccer ball. The same object that is touched, sweated, spat on, and on rare occasions even bled during play.

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees licks his hand before the snap to give his hand to throw extra “sticky power” in order to grab the ball. This practice, during COVID-19 times, will need to change. (Nick Wosika / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

football during the course of a game. Never mind that quarterbacks are also spending their sweaty Sundays high-fiving teammates, slapping them on the rear end (see most of Brett Favre’s career) or regularly tucking their hands into the nether regions of an offensive lineman to take a snap." data-reactid="34">There have sometimes been debates about how disgusting this habit is, given that it is essentially like putting the tongue on a soccer ball during a game. It doesn’t matter that quarterbacks also spend their sweaty Sundays to their five-handed teammates, slapping them in the back (see most of Brett Favre’s career) or regularly tucking their hands into a player’s lower regions. offensive line to take a shot.

To be fair, the placement of that last hand has been toned down by the increase in shotgun formations over the years, but when you see an offensive lineman with a towel tucked into his pants, it’s usually because that the quarterback complained about slipping his hands into a holster. of the swamp butt.

Football League 2020 Today]“data-reactid =” 36 “>[[[[Create or Join a Free Yahoo Fantasy Football League 2020 Today]

NFL quarterbacks often lick their fingers in a game." data-reactid="37">Breathe it all in and consider once again that NFL quarterbacks often lick their fingers in a game.

Once you feel nauseous, take comfort in one of the rare benefits of a pandemic: rethinking some habits that are probably not so hygienic. What Brees apparently is … and more quarterbacks will likely follow.

“The point is to help give your hands a bit of stickiness so that you have a better grip on the ball,” Brees told ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski in an incredibly detailed report on the impact of COVID- 19 on the hygienic aspects of sport in the coming days. “I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately as I started throwing again. Trying to avoid it, but it’s been so common for so long. You don’t realize how hard you touch your face and lick your fingers until COVID hits. “

NFL added in the piece, “It’s so gross, even when there isn’t COVID. And just look where he puts his hands the play before, the play after and the play he’s running when he licks his fingers. Do the math. Honestly, there are a lot of everyday, don’t-give-it-a-second-thought things people are going to have to give a second thought about.”" data-reactid="40">To which Ryan Harris, a former NFL offensive lineman added in the article: “It’s so disgusting, even when there’s no COVID. And just watch where he puts his hands the game before, the game after and the game he is running when he licks his fingers. Do the math. Honestly, there are a lot of everyday things that people are going to have to think about.

Just so that we can remove any ambiguity, when Harris says, “just watch where he puts his hands up the game before,” he’s referring to quarters that operate below the center by pressing their fingers directly against the wet underside of some sensitive anatomical parts. from their offensive center. . Having played the position myself during my high school career, I can promise you that it’s about as bad as it looks.

NFL quarterbacks have occasionally taken to relating their displeasure with what they often refer to “swamp ass,” which is the penchant of a center to sweat ... well ... below deck." data-reactid="44">So much so that over the years, NFL quarterbacks have sometimes gotten into the habit of recounting their discontent with what they often call “swamp ass,” which is a center’s penchant for sweating … well… under the bridge.

Tom Brady has long been known for serial complaining about the swamp donkey – to the point where he’s been known to demand towels pushed into his centers’ pants, or copious amounts of baby powder to use. Brady isn’t alone either. Others also complained. But in 2020, it’s less laughable, as other leagues have attempted to limit fluid contact between players during matches.

Baseball and the NBA have instituted regulations that prohibit the licking of hands between plays. An NFL league office source and an additional source from the union said NFL regulations haven’t gone that far (yet), leaving players to create thresholds of their own." data-reactid="50">In this effort, Major League Baseball and the NBA have instituted regulations that prohibit hand licking between games. A source from the NFL league office and an additional source from the union said the NFL regulations haven’t gone that far (yet), leaving players to create their own thresholds.

However, at the team level there will be some changes. An NFC executive told Yahoo Sports that the smell of salt – which had been used a lot in matches in the past – is now banned on the sidelines of matches. The same goes for sharing water bottles between games, eliminating the age-old view of managers squirting or hydrating players en masse during downtime.

NFL season. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/Getty Images)" data-reactid="68">
Patrick Mahomes’ aquatic breaks will likely get a new look in the 2020 NFL season. (Photo by Daniel Shirey / Getty Images)

“We have eliminated the sharing of any container of fluid,” the NFC executive said. “Players will have their own individual bottles for what they need, and they will be very clearly instructed not to share with each other.”

Time will tell if this lasts, as in the heat of the moment regulations (and the ability to enforce them) are often overlooked. As always, there will be no escaping the cameras on the quarters. This means that we will be able to count whenever the most important player on the pitch takes a risk which means more in 2020 than ever before.

Before this season, licking your hands before a snap was just disgusting. Now there is a legitimate argument that this is completely untenable.

Share this:

Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Trending