Zippy

Dave, I agree that the likes of Robert Craft, jerry Jones, Jeffery Lurie, the Maras and the rest of the owners will scream bloody murder if there are any restrictions on them. I do think the sea change will come from parents who want to preserve their children's futures. I do believe that it will move to a "regional" sport. Texas, Oklahoma, and the deep south have football in their cultures, very deeply, and they will continue with the "Friday Night Tykes", and "Friday Night Light" mentality, but in many areas of the country, big football will spectator sport stocked with folks from the "football" cultures, until there is no more.

CTE is preventable, just stop getting hit in the head by a 300 pound lineman running at full speed wearing body armor. I followed Kevin Turner Kevin Turner, former NFL player, diagnosed with CTE - CNN with his battle and passing away in his 40's. I watched Andre Water, and followed Junior Seau, and reports of countless others. This is a disease of greed, but it will end someday. Just my opinion.

gomarlins3

We had a player who was taken to the hospital by ambulance last night after a helmet to helmet collision last night. Severe concussion, unconscious for 5 seconds, blurred vision in one eye and loss of hearing in the ear on that side. Better today and getting better by the hour.

tof

Flag until 16. No pads. Probably different, lighter helmets. Save the full contact until the kids are high school juniors when their brains are fully formed. Meanwhile keep studying. JMO.

Matt_in_VA

As a former National Sales Manager of Bell Helmets Motorsports Division I know a bit about helmets and how they protect the head. So, IMHO, the key is better helmet technology. Helmets are designed to provide protection that is application driven. In other words, a helmet that is designed for high speed / high G impacts are designed differently than those that are designed for lower speed / lower G impacts. With that stated: The two major factors in designing helmets are based on two major factors: G impact and duration. IMO, based on experience that is one of the reasons that Bell never entered the football helmet market. However, IMO they understand that different applications require different technology. That is evident IMO, based on their Motorsports Helmets. Be it for motorcycle racing and the difference between road racing (high speed) and Moto Cross (relatively low speeds). Boat racing versus bicycling. Equestrian versus bomb squad helmets. They all require a different shell strength (layers of material) to spread the impact over a greater area, and density of the polystrene (including the size of the beads) to decelerate the impact.

The way that I used to explain this to customers was fairly simple. Think of me placing a single piece of paper on one's chest and then hitting you as hard as I could with a pencil point. I would not only likely give you a stab wound, but at best a hell of a bruise. Now, let me do the same thing with a telephone book over the same area. Layer after of layer would spread the impact out and one would hardly feel it. Now that one has spread the impact out the next stage is decelerating that impact. Thing of this stage as dropping a bowling ball into a big carton full of eggs. The more levels of eggs there are and their size (density) will determine how they will slow (decelerate) the force of that impact upon the skull (brain). Given either the proper density or layers the bowling ball would never reach the bottom of the box. Because as each egg is crushed it would absorb and decelerate the impact before it ever reached the bottom of the box (brain).


IMHO football helmets have not evolved as quickly as technology. Technology is the key IMO to the future of Football.

boltonblue

A few quick thoughts.
The head doesn't have to have direct impact for the brain to get sloshed around violently.
A severe lateral hit will snap the head violently to the side.
How many plays to a player go through like that during the course of their career including practice and game time.

Another thought is how does the presence of steroids, ( not that any of the players took them) fold into the equation.
Assuming CTE is scar tissue, do steroids change how the repairs occur in the brain?

dlq04

I can't predict the future but my guess is football is not going away anytime soon. And here's four reasons why I say that:

(1) Pro Football is Still America’s Favorite Sport. Pro baseball and college football continue to round out the top three.
Sports - Pro Football is Still America’s Favorite Sport

(2) American football takes the first place in sports in America. They not only center around the football matches when they are at their homes, but also that they love to visit the stadium and enjoy the game to the fullest extent.
https://fanspeak.com/steveospeak/201...mericans-love/

(3) Fans are coming by the thousands to watch games on stadiums. In 2012 the league had an average attendance of 67,604 fans at each game. That is more than any other sport league in the world. With the Attraction of Money and Fame, Football is the Most Popular Sport in America. https://sporteology.com/top-10-most-...ts-in-america/

(4) Top 10 most popular Youth sports - there are more than 45 million children ages 6-17 who currently participate in at least one sport, with basketball being the most popular choice (more than 9.5 million players). What else are kids interested in playing? Number 2 is soccer. Number 3 is basketball. Number 4 is tackle football (3.5 million).
Most Popular Youth Sports | Youth Sports Leagues Milford

Emil St-Hilaire

What about hockey...???

Go Habs Go.

Zippy

I agree 100%, head contact is not necessary for concussions to take place, all you need is a violent collision. Body armor (pads) gives a sense of invulnerability so the hits are so much more violent since no one gets hurt, but as you so succinctly put it, the head still does slosh around.

I am not sure if CTE is scar tissue (seems reasonable), but I have not seen it described that way, but does seem quite reasonable. And I not read anything regarding the effect of steroids on the disease.

Human heads did not evolve like a woodpecker, it was never intended to be used as a tool or weapon.

s2000Junky

Exactly, blunt force trauma to the head has two effects, the external impact force which is absorbed by the helmet, and then the internal brain impact against the skull which happens regardless, which has bearing on brain damage which cannot be addressed by helmet technology no matter how good it is. Its the internal forces from the impact that needs to be emphasized.

Run of the mill steroids are a pro hormone that elevates the levels of testosterone in the body, which allows repair of muscle tissue at a much more rapid rate then someone with normal testosterone levels. Brain tissue is not part of the beneficiary. Now HGH (Human growth hormone) may have some short term benefit, but thats debatable. It does have an effect on all living tissue in the body, and long term use such as with body builders have shown an increase in size of all tissue, increase in hand/feet size, facial structure, their organs ie enlarged heart, intestines etc. Not a good thing.

But when you have millions of dollars based on your performance, the highest level of human performance and recovery time is key and the pressure for many pro athletes to "dabble" in the use of these pro hormones is there. Its extremely prevalent/available these days, more then its ever been not just with pro athletes, but to the high school kid that wants big muscles.

boltonblue

I can add that I would not be shocked in the upcoming lawsuit in regards to the Hernandez estate to see the NFL play up and dramatize the unsanctioned use of steroids by an individual.
With that said, I am sure that Roger Goodell simply wants to see the truth come out.