What do you guys think about the new rules brought about by the past weeks craziness? I love physical play, but I think it is long overdue. Guys are leaving this game with destroyed brains cutting years off their lives. Helmet to hewlmet hits have no place in the game when they are done with the crown of the helmet. Look at when they did autopsy on 26 year old Chris Henry. He already had massive etiological changes in his ventricles and he was that young. Maybe Joe Pa was right, get rid of the hard helmets and guys will be less apt to use their head. Look at rugby, very physical, no where near the head injuries of american football.
full pads = full speed
american football is a game of full speed
who cares if they die - so long as we get the points…
Survival of the strongest 
This is something that I have thought about for a long time. No technology advancement will ever solve the issues. It only makes people play harder and faster. The only way to truly make the sport safe is to take away the helmet and types of pads so people wont lunge directly into another player at full speed. I am also personally biased as I have expereinced head trauma from football hits and wished I would have been more aware of the reprocussions.
Additionally, the taking extra time out for concussions is pointless. It is not accomplishing anything. The real damage from those hits is not what occurs hours or days later, but years down the road when the players start to get all sorts of neurological disorders and the early onset of alzheimers, etc.
It’s funny you posted this. I was looking at a short video on Brian Demarco the other day and his story was so moving that I don’t like football anymore. Period. Football is nothing more then a refined gladiator spectacle similar to what they did in ancient Rome.
It’s discusting to me, you have a bunch of young athletically gifted men destroying their bodies (many not FULLY aware of this) all while a bunch of intoxicated people who work for slave wage cheer on.
Anyhow, Brian Demarco needs a cane at 35, and as he stated, he no longer has a quality of life because he gave it all away to the NFL. He says a wheel chair is soon to come for him. And he’s only 35!!!
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/12/sports/football/12nfl.html?_r=1
http://www.nytimes.com/packages/khtml/2007/06/12/sports/20070612_NFL_FEATURE.html
I recently had some personal experience on brain injury. One of my kid who I have trained since 10th grade just recently was told he is done for his 5th year senior season due to concussion syndrome. Kid was an absolute animal on the field. He brought wood on every hit. He was a head hitter. He was suffering from problems like his entire left side went numb for 3-4 hours. He also has hand tremors. I told him I hope he never pads up again. he can apply for a medical red shirt. I said why? He has the highest GPA on team and is pre-med major. I love him like he is my own son, so I want him to say enough is enough. Another of my highschool kids spent 7 days in ICU with head injury. The game is pretty scary lately. A knee, an elbow, or a shoulder heals. Brains are never the same. I love the game, but I feel like it has gotten to big and fast to be hitting with you helmet like a battering ram. I doubt anyone playing now is any tougher than Bronco Nagurski, but he played without a helmet. I am starting to think they need to get rid of helmets and go to the rugby or soccer soft head gear.
Conrad Dobler was so right. Wow, what a tough man he was. Gene Upshaw should roll in his grave knowing he sold his soul to the devil and for what?? NFL needs to sack up and pay for these guys. These guys now need to understand that they are making money because these guys laid the ground work for them. These guys built the game for a pittance of what these guys bitch that they get paid. Sad. That why I watch college. Not a pro fan, and even less so now.
Guys I had a chance to talk extensively to Mike Gittleson (yes the old S&C coach of michigan, yeah I know alot of people on the forum are not fans of his) but we were at the Michigan state S&C clinic and he has given many talks to coaches about concussions and his theory about making the neck (traps, rhomboids) area bigger and stronger. I think they did a study on doin this and they supposedly found no evidence stating that it will help eleviate the problem. Granted Im a former spartan but listening to the presentation he made some valid points. I think I shared this info with some of you on the forum. Granted Im far from a expert on this prediciment but I would love to hear everyones take in his theory.
is a Riddell rep. He said the majority of concussions are suffered through the jaw. Their company has put a lot of work into their helmets to reduce head trauma. The Revo Speed is a good helmet. My kid who has concussion syndrome played in Schutt DNA. I really don’t think it matters too much which helmet you wear if guys continue to use the crown of the helmet as a weapon. i had a few nasty helmet to helmet hits in college, most often with FS. They get a nice run up to take on RB’s. I think the neck and trap theory can help, but most of these hits are just massive concussive force. When players are just falling limp from a hit, thats scary. Much like Mike Tyson could do, it seems straight shots to head can be absorbed better with better neck and trap strength. The rotational injuries are the worst, and traps will do little to keep a rotational brain acceleration from happening.
nfl not for long. including your life after. they better start saving that cash to pay for medical care cause the nfl cant afford to take care of you after they are done with you.
Chris, it is sad but the play on words is true. Sucks that the richest sports league in the world can’t help it’s former players. The current players bitch about not giving money to the older guys, but one day, it will be them who need help. They better hope the NFLPA takes better care of them than they want the association to do with their retired peers
how much do mouth guards help? I used a very thin mouth guard and I could talk completely fine with it in. Does a mouth guard need to be big to work against concussions? Should the NFL mandate them?
I think that all the evidence for mouthpieces and concussions is a bunch of crap. Its advertising propaganda to sell ridiculously expensive mouth guards. Mouth guards will not make a significant difference with head injuries in football. Ive tried them all…useless IMHO
Not to dispute you at all my man but whats funny is underarmour and somebody else ( i cant remember) spent like $2500 on mouthpieces for some of there players. But I do agree with you, I dont think a mouthpiece will help concussions.
Look at this; happened not too long ago.
http://www.dotsperiod.com/2633/rutgers-player-paralyzed-video-eric-legrand-collision/
Look at this; happened not too long ago.
http://www.dotsperiod.com/2633/rutgers-player-paralyzed-video-eric-legrand-collision/
good insight to the matter
http://www.cbc.ca/fifth/2008-2009/head_games/video.html
side note:
it may or may not be mentioned in the first video but theres a documentary on what happened to chris benoit which is similar to what is happening to football players.
here the documentary on that.
http://www.cbc.ca/fifth/fighttothedeath/video.html