The annual NFL Owners Meetings have concluded and based on the list of rule changes, 2008 will be a much different season than last year. The more notable rule changes include: - The elimination of the force-out rule. All players must have both feet inbounds on receptions or interceptions. - The defense will be allowed to have one player on the field with a radio to receive defensive plays. - Instant replay will be allowed for field goals. - The five-yard face mask penalty has been eliminated. Any facemask penalty will be for 15 yards. One rule that didn?t get passed during the meetings was players must keep their hair from covering the name on the back of the jersey. It has been tabled until meetings next month. That rule should be paired with one to keep uniforms clean. If a player gets dirty during the game, they must change into a spare jersey and pants. If a player exits the locker room following halftime with mud, it?s a 15-yard fashion faux pais. The competition committee has too much time on their hands for to write up a rule like this. What does hair have to do with playing football? Is it a competitive advantage to have long hair? Does a player become invisible when the name is covered? That means New England?s Laurence Maroney will run for 2,500 yards. Dallas? Marion Barber would do the same if he didn?t always look to run defenders over. I thought this issue was over and done with way back when Ricky Williams? dreadlocks were bouncing on his shoulder pads in Miami. Then-commissioner Paul Tagliabue said it was ok to tackle Williams or any other long-tressed player by the hair. That sounded fair. If you want you put style over safety, wear your hair at your own risk. Cowboys' safety Roy Williams would become famous for the hair-pull instead of infamous for the horse-collar. But watching Kansas City running back Larry Johnson tackle Pittsburgh safety Troy Polamalu by his mane in 2006 sparked the Chiefs' organization to try to prevent a similar hair pull from happening again. In all fairness, the league isn?t demanding that players cut their hair. It isn?t an image thing. Before Tennessee?s Adam ?Pacman? Jones and Dallas? Tank Johnson (released by Chicago at the time) appeared in court for separate transgressions, they discarded dreads. Former Atlanta Falcon Michael Vick did the same to his braids. The change in appearance may have made them look less like thugs to ignorant people, but it didn?t make them any different as a person. The NFL won?t institute an appearance code like the NBA created a dress code. The league?s quick solution to keeping hair out of the way is to tuck it into the shoulder pads. It might be possible to do that, but what are the chances of the hair staying tucked in during the course of the game? It won?t take a quarter before most, if not all, of the hair bounces out and onto the pads. Does the league intend to develop a hair curtain that connects the helmet to the pads, keeping hair from seeping out? They can enlist a company to develop a Dreads Lock or Braids Bra but will the players use the devices? I would wait in high anticipation for the next intense, aggressive Under Armor commercial promoting these products (We must protect this hair!!!). With dreads and braids becoming more and more common, it?s easy to jump to a racial conclusion about the origin of this rule. Long golden locks or brunette curls don?t blanket names like the thick ribbons wooly hair produce when twisted together. But this isn?t about singling out African Americans. Chiefs' Coach Herman Edwards is a proponent of the rule, and he?s a black man. He wants the appearance of all uniforms to be, well, uniform. But what?s so important about the name being visible? During the game all players are identified by the obvious numbers on the front and back of the jerseys. Some teams even have numbers on the shoulders or on the sleeves. When calling a penalty, referees point in a direction and say a number. Most fans can recognize players by the color and number on the jersey. The networks airing the games always have a graphic of each player?s name and number ready to be displayed at all times. The name on the back of the jersey doesn?t provide any additional relevant information during the course of the game. While waiting until the next set of meetings in May, the players will get a chance to view the proposal and voice their opinions about the rule. They should have a say considering it is their hair. If the players say anything besides ?no?, it would be a surprise. This rule shouldn?t even get this far. There are far more important rules to decide. Randolph Charlotin writes a New England Patriots' blog that now includes a first round mock draft posted on April first. The mock draft, and more, can be viewed at http://www.newenglandpatriotsnews.com/randolphc/weblog/. Please send comments to lordrc@netzero.net.