The future of the NFL with head injuries

[illinicb]

Originally Posted by pizzaman

Several years ago a lineman of the 49ers had some sort of "overhelmet" that fit over his hard shell helmet. It would get pulled off occasionally and he would need to put it back on. It was for his protection and I'm not sure whether it was hard or soft. I thought it was like a bicycle helmet that fit by friction over his regular helmet making his head protection larger than anyone else.

It seems to me that there could be improvements to the helmet that would reduce head injuries without changing the game at all. Simply having a more resilient outer surface on the helmet would absorb some of the impact.

There weill likely be many more improvements in equipment and medical care over the years, but I think at the core, you have to deal with the increasing size and speed of players today. Ron Guether was an All Big Ten center! If you stood next to him you'd wonder whey he would have even tried out at his age. Many QBs today are bigger than lineman were not that long ago and it is only going to escalate. I personally think the NBA is less entertaining of a game today due to the size, speed and strength of today's players. It is not an injury issue in the NBA, but for me I'd prefer to see four on four or the basket raised a foot or the court made bigger or perhaps all three. It likely will never happen for a zillion reasons, but I think I would find the game more interesting.

As for NASCAR, I don't follow it closely, but I suspect the "protect your investment' factor is at play there too. Back before the explosion in popularity, other than a couple of the huge names, most of those guys were not the corporate assets they are today. If Jimmy Johnson or Carl Edwards get killed in a crash, there are some corporations that just lost their "brand" in the racing world.

[illinicb]

Pop Warner football is making changes hoping to limit head hits.

Pop Warner Safety Emphasis

[pizzaman]

Originally Posted by illinicb

There weill likely be many more improvements in equipment and medical care over the years, but I think at the core, you have to deal with the increasing size and speed of players today.

Technology has made a difference that affects speed. In the old days, all the pads you wore weighed a ton and slowed you down. So did real grass and those long heavy spikes. I haven't had pads on for about 50 years so I don't know what they weigh today but I'm sure it is significantly less than it was years ago.

I play tennis with guys over 60 and we all talk about how we learned with the old wood racquets. Today's graphite and titanium racquets weigh nothing and have a huge sweet spot. I doubt any of us could be playing anymore with the old wood and I'm sure I could not have hit the serves I hit today. Major league baseball has been wise to prohibit aluminum bats.

[KBLEE]

Council Rock school board member calls for banning HS football

Comparing high school football to the gladiator fights of ancient times, Council Rock school board member Patty Sexton has called for banning the sport at the high school level.

Sexton, also a Philadelphia public school teacher, made her comments late at Thursday night’s Council Rock board meeting.

She said continuing the sport at schools funded by the general taxpayer base is inappropriate. It has become too dangerous and carries too much of a risk of lasting effects from injuries, especially concussions, Sexton said.

“It’s no longer appropriate for public institutions to fund gladiators,” she said. “I am very, very concerned about putting these student-athletes in the position of getting a concussion. Football has gotten faster, harder and more dangerous with each passing year. I’m extremely scared we will eventually be sued over injuries suffered in sports.”