PETA urges NFL to call audible on term 'horse-collar tackle'
The horse-collar tackle is banned in the NFL, and players who do it are penalized
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is urging the NFL to call an audible.
On Wednesday, PETA said in a news release the NFL should change the name of the "horse-collar tackle" penalty which the animal-rights organization said "makes light of using tight harnesses to exploit horses for labor."
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Ahman Green (30) of the Green Bay Packers breaks away from Roy Williams (31) of the Dallas Cowboys during a game at Lambeau Field Oct. 24, 2004, in Green Bay, Wis. (Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
PETA said the league should change the name of the penalty to the "Goodell Grab," "back-collar tackle" or the "Roy Williams tackle." Williams was a fearsome Dallas Cowboys defensive back whose play prompted NFL owners to ban the horse-collar tackle. The banishment was originally called the "Roy Williams Rule."
"Words matter, and the term ‘horse-collar tackle’ trivializes an old-style contraption that exploits horses for labor," PETA President Ingrid Newkirk said in a news release. "You could score a touchdown for horses by instead converting it to the ‘Goodell Grab’ or ‘back-collar tackle,’ as neither of these terms normalizes animal abuse."
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Washington Redskins cornerback DeAngelo Hall (23) commits a personal foul penalty for a horse-collar tackle on New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham (13) at FedEx Field Nov. 29, 2015, in Landover, Md. (Jonathan Newton/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
PETA said its letter was addressed to NFL Competition Committee Chair Rich McKay, who is also the president and CEO of the Atlanta Falcons.
The NFL Annual Meeting is set to take place March 27-30. It’s unclear whether a name change to the rule will be on the table with other important issues the league must tackle.
NFL teams have reportedly submitted rule changes for overtime. The overtime rules came under fire during the postseason. The Tennessee Titans, Philadelphia Eagles and Indianapolis Colts have all submitted overtime rules change proposals, according to Pro Football Talk.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell speaks to the media during the Super Bowl LVI head coach and MVP press conference at Los Angeles Convention Center Feb. 14, 2022, in Los Angeles. (Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)
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The Titans’ propsal suggests each team should get an offensive possession in overtime unless the team with possession first scores and converts a two-point conversion. The Colts and Eagles just want both teams to get a chance to possess the ball in overtime.