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Post by Bruinsfan on Aug 24, 2015 15:46:14 GMT -6
If you took away the padding it wouldn't help. Yes guys wouldn't launch themselves as much. But they what you'd gain in that you'd lose in extra injuries because of less padding. Bottom line is when 300Lb plus guys run into each other it's not healthy and NOTHING is going to change that. In the early years football was almost canceled because it was too rough and guys were outright dying(I'll find the article later). look at rugby which has 300lb men, the game has less charging (also its illegal to charge) I think football needs a wrap tackle requirement that would take awa shoulder launches
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Post by mikecubs on Aug 24, 2015 20:57:07 GMT -6
The problem just isn't shoulder launches. It's the small little hits that add up(the linemen bang heads on every play) just not the monster hits. Unless someone VERY VERY freaking smart can design a special helmet I think the game is in long term trouble. What the NFL should do is do they best they can by eliminating some of the monster hits, not rush guys back, make rules after so many concussions you MUST retire, maybe term limits on how many years a guy can play at certain spots(if you play linebacker say 15 years you will have trouble-Junior Seau) and privately offer to make some scientist VERY rich(offer billion+ dollar rewards for the genius who can come up with that special helmet).
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Post by mikecubs on Aug 25, 2015 0:42:13 GMT -6
Why Leather Football Helmets Could Provide a Better Defense Against ConcussionIf we want to cut down on football concussions, should we bring back the leather helmet? Not quite, says a new study in the Journal of Neurosurgery, though the noggin-protectors of yore do at least as good of a job as modern helmets at staving off concussions. Modern helmets do a much better job of preventing deadly skull fractures. But on the type of lower-impact hits to the head you typically see in college and high school games — the constant subconcussive blows that can also cause brain damage — leatherheads do a comparable, and sometimes better, job of reducing concussion risks than today’s helmets, according to Cleveland Clinic researchers. “The fact that leather helmets were even in the neighborhood with modern helmets was surprising,” says Adam Bartsch, the study’s lead researcher and director of the Spine Research Laboratory at the Cleveland Clinic’s Center for Spine Health. To reach this conclusion, Bartsch says his team basically “smashed some helmets together.” In the experiments, 11 widely-used high school football helmets and two vintage turn-of-the-century models were placed on the heads of crash-test dummies. The researchers simulated head impacts at gravity-force (Gs) levels of 75 Gs or less, which are typically encountered in high school and college games. They simulated impacts at different angles – a head-on collision, a hit to the side of the head, a hit to the back of the head – and measured their effects on skull rotation, neck force, neck torque and other head movements. This data was input into a software program that estimates risk of brain contusions, acute subdural hematoma (bleeding on the surface of the brain), and diffuse axonal injury (DAI), which causes the shearing of nerve cells within the brain. “Overall,” the study concludes, leather helmets and modern helmets provide a “similar protectiveness profile” during subconcussive hits. In fact, under one testing scenario, a leather helmet provided a lower level of DAI risk than any of the modern helmets. How could a leatherhead possibly be more protective? One reason, Bartsch says, probably has to with the stiffness of today’s helmets. While these helmets are effective shields against catastrophic skull fractures, they don’t do as good a job absorbing energy from a lower impact hit. These hits might not break the skull, but they can cause the brain to shift a little bit within the skull. And such jiggling causes concussions. Bartsch offers a useful analogy: Think about hitting your thumb with a hammer. If you put, say, a piece of a padded gym mat on your thumb, that padding will absorb the impact from the hammer, and dull the pain. Now, imagine putting a two-by-four on top of your thumb. Whack the hammer against that stiffer surface; your thumb will probably hurt more than the gym mat. Think of the leatherhead as the gym mat, and a plastic helmet as the two-by-four. The hammer is like a football hit, while the thumb is like your head. Still, we won’t be returning to the leather helmet days; no one wants fatalities on the football field. Yet it’s worth considering whether today’s football helmets might benefit from a slightly softer outer shell. For inspiration, Bartsch suggests that the sporting-goods industry look at car companies. “Unlike cars, in which seat belts, airbags and crumple zones make the choice between a 1920s Model T and the modern mini-van a no-brainer,” said Bartsch in a release that accompanied the study, “these results tell us that modern helmets have ample room to improve safety against many typical in-game hits.” healthland.time.com/2011/11/07/in-football-leather-helmets-could-provide-a-better-defense-against-concussion/
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Post by mikecubs on Aug 25, 2015 0:51:57 GMT -6
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Post by wolfmannick on Aug 25, 2015 2:36:46 GMT -6
The problem just isn't shoulder launches. It's the small little hits that add up(the linemen bang heads on every play) just not the monster hits. Unless someone VERY VERY freaking smart can design a special helmet I think the game is in long term trouble. What the NFL should do is do they best they can by eliminating some of the monster hits, not rush guys back, make rules after so many concussions you MUST retire, maybe term limits on how many years a guy can play at certain spots(if you play linebacker say 15 years you will have trouble-Junior Seau) and privately offer to make some scientist VERY rich(offer billion+ dollar rewards for the genius who can come up with that special helmet). You and I know full well if that is implemented guys will not report their concussion syndromes and we will be taking a huge step back. What they need to do is set up a program like UFC. If you get a concussion no workign out or playing AT ALL for a certian number of days. Guys still goto the gym and practice and that makes the concussions worse. If that is made a rule then if anyone goes out and hits the gym or practices their tackles, their and idiot and any furthur injuries sustained may cost them their jobs.
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Post by mikecubs on Aug 27, 2015 0:38:25 GMT -6
The problem just isn't shoulder launches. It's the small little hits that add up(the linemen bang heads on every play) just not the monster hits. Unless someone VERY VERY freaking smart can design a special helmet I think the game is in long term trouble. What the NFL should do is do they best they can by eliminating some of the monster hits, not rush guys back, make rules after so many concussions you MUST retire, maybe term limits on how many years a guy can play at certain spots(if you play linebacker say 15 years you will have trouble-Junior Seau) and privately offer to make some scientist VERY rich(offer billion+ dollar rewards for the genius who can come up with that special helmet). You and I know full well if that is implemented guys will not report their concussion syndromes and we will be taking a huge step back. What they need to do is set up a program like UFC. If you get a concussion no workign out or playing AT ALL for a certian number of days. Guys still goto the gym and practice and that makes the concussions worse. If that is made a rule then if anyone goes out and hits the gym or practices their tackles, their and idiot and any furthur injuries sustained may cost them their jobs. Ya, but then again if you had UFC rules guys will report their concussions less. NFL owners need maybe to let up on the win at all cost and tell guys hey if you have a concussion don't rush back we won't cut you. Still though the problem just isn't concussions. It's the sub-concussive blows that are a major problem too. I fear unless some genius comes up with a new special helmet the game is doomed very long term.
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Post by mikecubs on Sept 18, 2015 14:38:28 GMT -6
New: 87 Deceased NFL Players Test Positive for Brain DiseaseA total of 87 out of 91 former NFL players have tested positive for the brain disease at the center of the debate over concussions in football, according to new figures from the nation’s largest brain bank focused on the study of traumatic head injury. Researchers with the Department of Veterans Affairs and Boston University have now identified the degenerative disease known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, in 96 percent of NFL players that they’ve examined and in 79 percent of all football players. The disease is widely believed to stem from repetitive trauma to the head, and can lead to conditions such as memory loss, depression and dementia. In total, the lab has found CTE in the brain tissue in 131 out of 165 individuals who, before their deaths, played football either professionally, semi-professionally, in college or in high school. Forty percent of those who tested positive were the offensive and defensive linemen who come into contact with one another on every play of a game, according to numbers shared by the brain bank with FRONTLINE. That finding supports past research suggesting that it’s the repeat, more minor head trauma that occurs regularly in football that may pose the greatest risk to players, as opposed to just the sometimes violent collisions that cause concussions.But the figures come with several important caveats, as testing for the disease can be an imperfect process. Brain scans have been used to identify signs of CTE in living players, but the disease can only be definitively identified posthumously. As such, many of the players who have donated their brains for testing suspected that they had the disease while still alive, leaving researchers with a skewed population to work with.Even with those caveats, the latest numbers are “remarkably consistent” with past research from the center suggesting a link between football and long-term brain disease, said Dr. Ann McKee, the facility’s director and chief of neuropathology at the VA Boston Healthcare System.“People think that we’re blowing this out of proportion, that this is a very rare disease and that we’re sensationalizing it,” said McKee, who runs the lab as part of a collaboration between the VA and BU. “My response is that where I sit, this is a very real disease. We have had no problem identifying it in hundreds of players.” In a statement, a spokesman for the NFL said, “We are dedicated to making football safer and continue to take steps to protect players, including rule changes, advanced sideline technology, and expanded medical resources. We continue to make significant investments in independent research through our gifts to Boston University, the [National Institutes of Health] and other efforts to accelerate the science and understanding of these issues.” The latest update from the brain bank, which in 2010 received a $1 million research grant from the NFL, comes at a time when the league is able to boast measurable progress in reducing head injuries. In its 2015 Health & Safety Report, the NFL said that concussions in regular season games fell 35 percent over the past two seasons, from 173 in 2012 to 112 last season. A separate analysis by FRONTLINE that factors in concussions reported by teams during the preseason and the playoffs shows a smaller decrease of 28 percent. Off the field, the league has revised safety rules to minimize head-to-head hits, and invested millions into research. In April, it also won final approval for a potential $1 billion settlement with roughly 5,000 former players who have sued it over past head injuries. Still, at the start of a new season of play, the NFL once again finds itself grappling to turn the page on the central argument in the class-action lawsuit: that for years it sought to conceal a link between football and long-term brain disease. The latest challenge to that effort came two weeks ago with the trailer for a forthcoming Hollywood film about the neuropathologist who first discovered CTE. When the trailer was released, it quickly went viral, leaving the NFL bracing for a new round of scrutiny over past efforts to deny any such connection. The film, Concussion, starring Will Smith, traces the story of Bennet Omalu, who in 2005 shocked the football establishment with an article in the journal Neurosurgery detailing his discovery of CTE in the brain of former Pittsburgh Steelers center Mike Webster. At the VA lab and elsewhere, CTE has since been found in players such as Hall of Famer Junior Seau, former NFL Man of the Year Dave Duerson, and Indianapolis Colts tight end John Mackey, a past head of the player’s union. While the story is not a new one, for the NFL, it represents a high-profile and potentially embarrassing cinematic interpretation of a period in which the league sought to refute research suggesting football may contribute to brain disease. From 2003 to 2009, for example, the NFL’s now disbanded Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Committee concluded in a series of scientific papers that “no NFL player” had experienced chronic brain damage from repeat concussions, and that “Professional football players do not sustain frequent repetitive blows to the brain on a regular basis.” In the case of Omalu, league doctors publicly assailed his research, and in a rare move, demanded a retraction of his study. When Omalu spoke to FRONTLINE about the incident for the 2013 documentary, League of Denial: The NFL’s Concussion Crisis, he said, “You can’t go against the NFL. They’ll squash you.” In a conversation with FRONTLINE, McKee said that her biggest challenge remains “convincing people this is an actual disease.” Whatever pockets of resistance still exist, she said, have primarily come from those with a “vested interest” in football. “People want to make this just Alzheimer’s disease or aging and not really a disease,” according to McKee. “I think there’s fewer of those people, but that’s still one of our major hurdles.” www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/sports/concussion-watch/new-87-deceased-nfl-players-test-positive-for-brain-disease/
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Post by mikecubs on Sept 20, 2015 20:27:09 GMT -6
Will Smith's new movie "Concussion" terrifies the NFL. Here's the trailer.The NFL's concussion crisis is going to hit the big screen with the film Concussion, due out Christmas Day. It stars Will Smith as Bennet Omalu, the real Pittsburgh forensic pathologist who first discovered a neurodegenerative disease called chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in the brains of football players. CTE is the result of repeated brain trauma over time and causes depression, dementia, and other behavioral changes. Omalu's 2002 finding — and the subsequent discovery of CTE in dozens of deceased football players — has transformed the football world, leading many to question whether football can ever be a truly safe sport. That means the NFL is not happy about Concussion — so much so that Sony actually edited the script to make it less antagonistic towards the league, though it seems to still portray the events accurately. How Bennet Omalu discovered football's dangers for the brain Though the events in the Concussion trailer seem to be somewhat dramatized, they basically depict Omalu's discovery as it happened. For nearly a century, doctors knew that boxers who were repeatedly punched in the head could develop symptoms of severe brain damage, eventually leading to dementia. But it wasn't until Omalu examined the brain of former Pittsburgh Steeler Mike Webster (who'd suffered from severe depression and dementia before dying from a heart attack at age 50) that anyone suspected the same thing could happen to football players. When Omalu cut slices from Webster's brain and looked at them under a microscope, he was surprised to see tangled proteins and other characteristic signs of CTE. A year later, Omalu examined the brain of Terry Long — another Steelers legend, who'd killed himself at age 45 by drinking antifreeze — and saw the same picture. "This stuff should not be in the brain of a 45-year-old man," Omalu later said. "This looks more like a 90-year-old brain with advanced Alzheimer's." Webster and Long weren't alone. Doctors at Boston University's CTE Center have since examined 79 deceased NFL players' brains and found CTE in 76 of them. Many died by suicide or had dramatic changes in personality after retirement. Still, the overall rate of CTE in all players is unknown — it could be an epidemic or a relatively rare problem. The NFL tried to cover up Omalu's discovery For years, though, the NFL tried its best to hide the evidence about football and brain trauma. The league established a committee to examine the long-term effects of concussions on players’ health, but it released findings that were deeply inconsistent with those of other neurologists. Among other things, the committee called concussions "minor injuries," told players there was no problem with a concussed player returning to a game, and declared there were no long-term health issues associated with the injuries. Independent researchers sharply criticized these statements.Omalu expected the NFL to be alarmed at his findings, but as the Concussion trailer depicts, league staff instead tried to discredit him, accusing him of fraud. "They went to the press. They insinuated I was not practicing medicine; I was practicing voodoo," Omalu later told Frontline. He was barred from league meetings on football and the brain, along with other doctors who later worked on CTE.The NFL now wants to make football safe — but it might not be possible In 2009 — after Congress grilled NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell during hearings — the league abruptly changed course, finally acknowledging the problem. It's since made some rule changes to reduce the number of players' concussions, put new protocols in place to make sure concussed players are properly diagnosed, and donated money for concussion and CTE research. Still, it seems unlikely that these moves will halt development of CTE entirely. Scientists don’t really understand how repetitive brain trauma causes the disease, but Ann McKee of Boston University, among others, suspects that milder, subconcussive hits can cause CTE over time. If that's the case, then nothing short of eliminating contact might make football truly safe.Even as the NFL has worked to cut down concussions, it has fought a public relations battle, trying to convince fans and parents that football can ultimately be a safe game. But the league has had to contend with all sorts of people — from President Obama to former quarterback Brett Favre — saying they wouldn't want their children to play football because of the health risks. If enough parents keep their kids away from football, it could pose a threat to the long-term popularity (and profitability) of the sport. The last thing the NFL wants, as its season is about to start, is a Will Smith blockbuster about how football is dangerous. Indeed, Ken Belson at the New York Times found several emails in the Sony hacks that show Sony preemptively edited the film to avoid angering the league."Will is not anti football (nor is the movie) and isn’t planning to be a spokesman for what football should be or shouldn’t be but rather is an actor taking on an exciting challenge," wrote Dwight Caines, the president of domestic marketing at Sony Pictures, to studio executives. "We’ll develop messaging with the help of N.F.L. consultant to ensure that we are telling a dramatic story and not kicking the hornet’s nest." www.vox.com/2015/8/31/9232191/will-smith-concussion-movie-trailer
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Post by mikecubs on Sept 20, 2015 20:37:25 GMT -6
ARE WE GOING TO SEE A DECLINE IN TALENT IN THE NFL?Early retirement from football has been a recent trend for football players due to the negative effects from the game. Recently the following players have retired at an early age from the NFL citing injuries: Chris Borland(1 year), Jake Locker (4 years), Patrick Willis (8 years), Jason Worilds(5 years) EDIT On Worilds, his was due to knee. Injuries in the game have gained attention in recent years due to players seeking compensation from the league for not being informed enough regarding the negative effects from playing, former players coming forth with injury concerns, and even the suicide of Junior Seau in 2012 . There are many statistics that have been coming out regarding how NFL players lives are effected following their playing careers with injuries such as CTE, Alzheimer’s(more than 30% suffer), ALS, and other brain diseases. Now I will state this question to you all, have we seen the golden age in the NFL? Will we now see a decline in talent in the NFL and the rise of other sports such as soccer, baseball, and basketball? I know there will always be people who will step in and play the game but I am questioning the the talent level. Will the next JJ Watt, Calvin Johnson, Aaron Rodgers, Luke Kuechly, Richard Sherman be going to other sports? Many parents of recent have been deciding they will not allow their sons play football due to injury concerns. Did a little bit of research on concussions and from an article by Forbes in 8/14/2014, it stats that from the 3 weeks of the NFL Preseason in 2014 alone had 35 concussions which was more than the NBA and MLB season combined for 2013. I know the numbers may be slightly skewed due to the numbers of players and the more physical game but these type of concerns are being brought up by many. www.elevenwarriors.com/forum/other-sports/2015/03/51399/are-we-going-to-see-a-decline-in-talent-in-the-nflEDITOverall MLB had 2431 games during the 2013 season(not everyone plays 162 games. ZIf a game gets rained out and it doesn't make a difference in the standings and it's too late to make it up they don't make up the game) The NBA had 1230 games in the 2013-14 season
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Post by wolfmannick on Sept 21, 2015 0:38:41 GMT -6
^ I am interested where the NHL would fare against the NFL with regards to concussions. They have been becoming a regular occurance in the NHL and several high profile cases of players committing suicide as a result of them and many other players ending careers early or just dealing with the effects of concussions in a high profile way. NHL has a big problem with concussions as well.
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Post by phillymike on Sept 22, 2015 10:03:31 GMT -6
ARE WE GOING TO SEE A DECLINE IN TALENT IN THE NFL?Early retirement from football has been a recent trend for football players due to the negative effects from the game. Recently the following players have retired at an early age from the NFL citing injuries: Chris Borland(1 year), Jake Locker (4 years), Patrick Willis (8 years), Jason Worilds(5 years) EDIT On Worilds, his was due to knee. Injuries in the game have gained attention in recent years due to players seeking compensation from the league for not being informed enough regarding the negative effects from playing, former players coming forth with injury concerns, and even the suicide of Junior Seau in 2012 . There are many statistics that have been coming out regarding how NFL players lives are effected following their playing careers with injuries such as CTE, Alzheimer’s(more than 30% suffer), ALS, and other brain diseases. Now I will state this question to you all, have we seen the golden age in the NFL? Will we now see a decline in talent in the NFL and the rise of other sports such as soccer, baseball, and basketball? I know there will always be people who will step in and play the game but I am questioning the the talent level. Will the next JJ Watt, Calvin Johnson, Aaron Rodgers, Luke Kuechly, Richard Sherman be going to other sports? Many parents of recent have been deciding they will not allow their sons play football due to injury concerns. Did a little bit of research on concussions and from an article by Forbes in 8/14/2014, it stats that from the 3 weeks of the NFL Preseason in 2014 alone had 35 concussions which was more than the NBA and MLB season combined for 2013. I know the numbers may be slightly skewed due to the numbers of players and the more physical game but these type of concerns are being brought up by many. www.elevenwarriors.com/forum/other-sports/2015/03/51399/are-we-going-to-see-a-decline-in-talent-in-the-nflEDITOverall MLB had 2431 games during the 2013 season(not everyone plays 162 games. ZIf a game gets rained out and it doesn't make a difference in the standings and it's too late to make it up they don't make up the game) The NBA had 1230 games in the 2013-14 season i don't consider MLB or NBA contact sports. NHL and certainly the NFL are contact sports. A decline in talent? Maybe? It all depends on ones definition of talent. Look at the 70's/80's in the NFL. Raider's/Steeler's/49er's/Giants/Bears. Down right mean brutal defences. They were out to hurt people! Recently we've have Ravens/Texans/Seahawks. Notorious in their own right. The game is changing, and what we expect year to year is changing as well. I don't think we will see a decline in talent, but our vision of great has changed. Legion of Doom, compared to the Steel Curtain. The Steel Curtain was mean! Legion of Doom was/is more of a brash refined defence. We've changed the way we watch the game. Used to be; an opponent was knocked out cold, people cheered! Now (that we realize the damage). There is an initial cheer, then silence hoping the opposing player is ok.
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Post by mikecubs on Sept 24, 2015 0:03:21 GMT -6
ARE WE GOING TO SEE A DECLINE IN TALENT IN THE NFL?Early retirement from football has been a recent trend for football players due to the negative effects from the game. Recently the following players have retired at an early age from the NFL citing injuries: Chris Borland(1 year), Jake Locker (4 years), Patrick Willis (8 years), Jason Worilds(5 years) EDIT On Worilds, his was due to knee. Injuries in the game have gained attention in recent years due to players seeking compensation from the league for not being informed enough regarding the negative effects from playing, former players coming forth with injury concerns, and even the suicide of Junior Seau in 2012 . There are many statistics that have been coming out regarding how NFL players lives are effected following their playing careers with injuries such as CTE, Alzheimer’s(more than 30% suffer), ALS, and other brain diseases. Now I will state this question to you all, have we seen the golden age in the NFL? Will we now see a decline in talent in the NFL and the rise of other sports such as soccer, baseball, and basketball? I know there will always be people who will step in and play the game but I am questioning the the talent level. Will the next JJ Watt, Calvin Johnson, Aaron Rodgers, Luke Kuechly, Richard Sherman be going to other sports? Many parents of recent have been deciding they will not allow their sons play football due to injury concerns. Did a little bit of research on concussions and from an article by Forbes in 8/14/2014, it stats that from the 3 weeks of the NFL Preseason in 2014 alone had 35 concussions which was more than the NBA and MLB season combined for 2013. I know the numbers may be slightly skewed due to the numbers of players and the more physical game but these type of concerns are being brought up by many. www.elevenwarriors.com/forum/other-sports/2015/03/51399/are-we-going-to-see-a-decline-in-talent-in-the-nflEDITOverall MLB had 2431 games during the 2013 season(not everyone plays 162 games. ZIf a game gets rained out and it doesn't make a difference in the standings and it's too late to make it up they don't make up the game) The NBA had 1230 games in the 2013-14 season i don't consider MLB or NBA contact sports. NHL and certainly the NFL are contact sports. A decline in talent? Maybe? It all depends on ones definition of talent. Look at the 70's/80's in the NFL. Raider's/Steeler's/49er's/Giants/Bears. Down right mean brutal defences. They were out to hurt people! Recently we've have Ravens/Texans/Seahawks. Notorious in their own right. The game is changing, and what we expect year to year is changing as well. I don't think we will see a decline in talent, but our vision of great has changed. Legion of Doom, compared to the Steel Curtain. The Steel Curtain was mean! Legion of Doom was/is more of a brash refined defence. We've changed the way we watch the game. Used to be; an opponent was knocked out cold, people cheered! Now (that we realize the damage). There is an initial cheer, then silence hoping the opposing player is ok. That's the point, NBA and MLB aren't contact sports and they are relatively safe(other than the occasional line drive at the pitchers head in baseball). With what we know about CTE (so far) maybe the human body/brain isn't able to withstand contact sports all that well. Look at boxers. I think right now the NFL is better than ever talent level wise!!! I agree with you on what you write about the teams of the past vs. today. They aren't TRYING to hurt people say compare to the old bears but keep in mind too they are bigger and faster so while they aren't as nasty as the old Bears you are still dealing with the increased size/speed. The Refrigerator William Perry would be considered small these days. The game is changing, it's way more passing now and the NFL has TRIED to make football as safe as you possible can. You can't launch yourself head first at a receiver who caught a pass up the middle and blow him up. They have concussion spotters at games. Concussions DID go down 25% last year. The problem very well may be even with all the changes and future ones football may very well still have too many brain injuries unless you make it flag football. I'm not just talking about concussions either but the repetitive sub concussive blows too that add up over time. I really think very long term either there will need to be a special helmet that no one has thought of yet or science saves the day and figures out how to reverse CTE. The reason I say talent could slip is because if parents don't let their kids play football or high schools/small colleges drop football because of liability a lot less people will play which means a smaller talent pool. Look at how youth participation in pop warner has already slipped. We are just beginning with this brain injury/concussion thing. Consider for example too how many of the great big pass catching tight ends were college basketball power forwards. What if the next Antonio Gates/Tony Gonzales figures I will play basketball only, football is too dangerous. Then you have less talent. Also if the early retirement trend catches on and guys figure I will play a few years and save my money you will have a decrease in talent. What if say every team loses a youngish starter every offseason to retirement? Not good. I have a hard time seeing long term the current number of people playing football at the lower levels if we are hit with a constant drum beat of guys killing themselves or being diagnosed with CTE. Or for that matter movies like concussion coming out. Kids will move to other sports and football won't be seen as so glamorous. Look at how popular boxing was compare to now. Its great the crowds realize the damage. It's was also nice when I read the comments on ESPN.com the vast majority of fans supported Chris Borland and the reason why he quit football. It's great the NFL is trying to solve this the best they can. Still I think the game is in trouble long term UNLESS science saves the day. I think once more and more studies are done and we know a lot more about CTE it's only going to get worse for football and all contact sports and some very uncomfortable questions will be asked like is it worth it to play these sports. I hate to say that because I love football! No football/football as a nitch sport means a door is opened for soccer too But sporting interest change over the long term. Look at how popular boxing and horse racing used to be. Way back in the day "bear-bating" was a very popular sport. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bear-baiting
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Post by mikecubs on Sept 24, 2015 0:25:39 GMT -6
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Post by mikecubs on Sept 28, 2015 8:08:53 GMT -6
Evan Murray dies after on-field injury in New Jersey high school gameA New Jersey high school star quarterback died after suffering an injury on the field, school officials said Saturday. Three-sport athlete Evan Murray of Warren Hills Regional High School died after he was hurt in a game against Summit High School on Friday night. Murray had been the football team's starting quarterback for three years. A statement from interim Superintendent Gary Bowen said the school community is "deeply saddened" by his death. Bowen declined to take questions from reporters Saturday, saying a cause of death has not yet been determined. Authorities said an autopsy was planned. People who attended the game said the 17-year-old Murray walked off the field under his own power after taking a hit in the backfield late in the second quarter. A short time later, he apparently collapsed. Murray felt "woozy" after the tackle but tried reassuring his teammates he would be fine as he was lifted on a gurney and taken to a hospital, witnesses told the New York Daily News. "He tried giving a thumbs-up to the rest of the team, and all of us cheered," said Kaitlin Bell, 16, a junior varsity cheerleader. "Our coach was telling us he was going to be all right. We didn't expect anything would happen." Coaches, students and community members gathered at the school's football field Saturday for a memorial. Members of the school community said they were shocked by Murray's death. "I can't comprehend what happened," said one parent. Taylor Coughlin, a 16-year-old junior at the school, told The (Easton) Express-Times that she had first met Murray in the seventh grade. She said he was "an amazing student and an amazing athlete. He stood out in his athletics, his academics -- everything." Coughlin said many students first learned of Murray's injury and death through social media postings. "A lot of people were in disbelief and didn't want to believe it," she said. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and the New York Jets football team were among dozens of people and groups from around the country who posted condolences via social media Saturday. Summit schools Superintendent June Chang said he and other district officials met with the Summit football team on Saturday morning, so the coaches and players could speak about what happened. They also provided them with information on support services. espn.go.com/moresports/story/_/id/13743575/evan-murray-high-school-football-player-dies-being-hurt-game
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Post by maniaaron on Sept 28, 2015 10:12:20 GMT -6
The problem just isn't shoulder launches. It's the small little hits that add up(the linemen bang heads on every play) just not the monster hits. Unless someone VERY VERY freaking smart can design a special helmet I think the game is in long term trouble. What the NFL should do is do they best they can by eliminating some of the monster hits, not rush guys back, make rules after so many concussions you MUST retire, maybe term limits on how many years a guy can play at certain spots(if you play linebacker say 15 years you will have trouble-Junior Seau) and privately offer to make some scientist VERY rich(offer billion+ dollar rewards for the genius who can come up with that special helmet). what about a helmet that is a bit larger with a soft impact absorbing shell outside of the hard shell? someone has already invented it. of course its looks weird www.guardiancaps.com/theguardiancap/this is also worth a look www.popsci.com/science/article/2013-08/helmet-wars-and-new-helmet-could-protect-us-all
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