At Least One NFL Team, Possibly the Packers, are Trying to Get the Tush Push Banned

A few weeks ago, the Chiefs saw their dreams of being considered the NFL's greatest dynasty crushed under the avalanche of points as the Eagles took a 34-0 lead late in the 3rd quarter. In doing so, Philadelphia joined a relatively short list of franchises who've won two Super Bowls in an eight year span. Good on them. 

But what they've just achieved is something far rarer and more significant. The Eagles are now breathing the rarefied air of teams so successful that other, lesser teams are coming crawling to the NFL on their filthy, stinking knees begging the league to change the rules:

And there is reason to suspect we know the identity of the "unnamed team" that's doing so:

Let's not misinterpret what I'm arguing for here. By no means am I to ever be mistaken for a Philadelphia Eagles fan. I'd sooner be called a Communist or a vegan. 

But what I am is a fan of dignity. Of pride. Of the American spirit of manliness in which you stand on your own two feet and take accountability for your failures. Where, when you've been bested, you shake the victors' hands, admit your own shortcomings, and vow to yourself to do better. What you don't do is fucking whine about how unfair it is and ask somebody else to do something about it. 

So if I'm an Eagles' fan right now (in case I wasn't clear enough a paragraph ago, I say again I am not), I'm wearing this like a badge of honor. The Tush Push or Brotherly Shove or whatever the Jordie's of the world are calling it now:

… has put Philly in the elite company of champions who so damaged their vanquished foes that they went running to the Principal's Office in tears, complaining about how they've been bullied and asking for help to make it stop. 

On behalf of all Patriots fans, I welcome Philly to the club. We should make jackets. Off the top of my head, I can only think of one other team that was so successful that someone petitioned the NFL to make special rules outlawing what they're good at, and that was the Steelers of the late '70s-early '80s. Specifically by creating the 5-yard chuck rule to prevent Mel Blount from ragdolling any receiver he could get his hands on. Which was pretty much all of them.

That's just one example. With the Patriots Dynasty, there are at minimum a half dozen. In 2004 the Colts got the league to restrict physical play from defensive backs even further. To an extent that would've gotten Blount arrested charges of Mayhem. Then there 2007 when they suddenly decided to enforce the rule against filming opponents' signals, despite the fact everyone was doing it. The Ravens got them to change Ineligible Receiver rule in 2015. Then circled back when Belichick sent Shea McClellin leapfrogging over the Ravens' center to block a kick. And of course there was the one time only, made up on the spot, never before heard of enforcement of the air pressure guidelines which only appears on the back of the box a Wilson football comes packaged in. That's just off the top of my head. I'm sure there are others. 

But again, this isn't about rules or fairness or whether the Tush Push is "bad for the game." It's about having the integrity to admit Philadelphia is good at this one aspect of the game, and either figure out how to stop it or just take your punishment like a man. Which is apparently too much to ask in this day and age. 

In the 1960s, Vince Lombardi kept running the Power Sweep because no one could stop it:

In the '80s, Joe Gibbs had the Counter Trey. And Buddy Ryan's 46 Defense. Eventually someone figured out a way to scheme around these innovations and they went extinct. But here in the 21st century, we bellyache about how unfair such things are and go running to the Rules Committee like frustrated toddlers. I hope the NFL rejects this proposal. But just the fact it exists at all should have anyone with a sense of pride weeping for our country. 

Anyway, congratulations to the Eagles. You've made it.