Future of the game

[burghboy]

The injuries around the league is of epic levels. Its getting to be totally out of hand. High schools around the country are already thinking about cancelling football because of serious undetected injury to kids later on in life. Something has to be done. But what? Rule changes won't help, the game is too fast. Any ideas?

[Ravens2006]

I think the game is getting "faster" because in large part the rule changes are allowing better and better athletes to move faster. The suits in NY think that the SportsCenter highlight reel is what makes the NFL great... the 50 yard TDs followed by goofy endzone dances are all people care about to them. They don't consider that the league exploded in popularity when it was a much slower and less "flashy" game.

15 or 20 years ago, media would often criticize QBs who left their WRs out to dry with dangerous throws down the middle of the field. Now they've changed the nature of the game to where we assume the WR owns the right to the middle (and everything else), has no responsibility to maintain awareness of his surroundings, and we penalize defenders for hitting a guy who is running around with reckless abandon.

As for helmets, I'm certainly not a material engineer of some sort, but I have a hard time not believing that softer (and maybe bigger) lighter-weight helmets that are some combination of layers of foam / foam-like material wouldn't do a better job of absorbing sudden impact. Fighters don't box with gloves that have rock-solid outer shells. They don't wear headgear that has a rock-solid outer shell. They don't hit punching bags with super hard outer shells. Gymnasts don't fall on mats with hard shells. Stunt men don't fall on hard shell cushions. I just don't see how the hard shell is the optimal solution for the nature of football hits. On the play Pitta got a concussion on last week, you can see his head snap down when Timmons comes across to make the tackle and their helmets meet. The whiplash that comes with two hard helmets glancing off each other seems like it would do more harm than if the two helmets were softer and did more to absorb the contact instead of deflecting it and setting the neck / head in a new direction.

[burghboy]

Great post! I think technology in equipment is the way to go. Until then,injuries are going to mount. the NFL will become a substitute/bench system if something isn't done. There is already talk about increasing rosters because of injuries. How on Earth is the league going to increase games if this continues? When key players are out in rivalry games it[or any game] franchises will be evaluated on their bench players not solely on their starters. Do you agree?

[mythoughts]

Much of what has made the game more dangerous is the same think that has made the game faster and more high scoring. Most of this is on NFL and major College Football and TV deals to that encourage rules changes to make the game faster.

The way I see to make the game is to first get rid of artificial and field turf and require games to be played on grass - and even safer mud (when it rains). Also allow Defenses more contact with WRs at the line and for the first 10 yards. This will cut down violent collisions because the WRs won't be able to ran at full speed after just 2 or 3 steps. It would also cut down on blitzing because defenses won't feel they need to on just about every play. They can play more straight up football. This will be safer for QBs. Finally make pads bulkier and don't allow any players to not use them or use smaller ones. Of course none of this will ever happen.

[jamesdean]

Maybe Ed Reed's dream will come true one day...that the NFL will become one big flag football tournament. Outside of some currently unknown material or change in equipment technology, what else can you do? Force grown men to get smaller and slower? It's a foregone conclusion that hoards of these players are on PED's and nothing is ever done. That would be a start. But good luck with that one. On a brighter note, Ed has been playing flag football all year and he's still out on the field.

[jessup270]

Head injuries are very serious business.

The problem is that a player can suffer a head injury and not even be aware that he was injured. It may show up months or even years later.

I know smart engineers are working on better helmets, but I really think a soft flexible exterior shell on a helmet would be a start.

[Far from home]

Flag football.
or robots.

[Steveg85321]

It may be counter intuitive, but what if players wore LESS protection? I'm just thinking that with all their armor, they feel like they can do anything they want (like crashing their head into someone at full speed), while if they had like the old leather helmets and soft shoulder pads they would have to be less reckless with how they throw themselves around. I know it would make the game less of a spectacle to watch, but these are people we're talking about, who hopefully will have long healthy lives after they leave the game. Maybe they mostly need to have some respect, or actual healthy fear, for their bodies and those of the other players.

[burghboy]

Much of what has made the game more dangerous is the same think that has made the game faster and more high scoring. Most of this is on NFL and major College Football and TV deals to that encourage rules changes to make the game faster.

The way I see to make the game is to first get rid of artificial and field turf and require games to be played on grass - and even safer mud (when it rains). Also allow Defenses more contact with WRs at the line and for the first 10 yards. This will cut down violent collisions because the WRs won't be able to ran at full speed after just 2 or 3 steps. It would also cut down on blitzing because defenses won't feel they need to on just about every play. They can play more straight up football. This will be safer for QBs. Finally make pads bulkier and don't allow any players to not use them or use smaller ones. Of course none of this will ever happen.

The continuance of artificial turf MUST be outlawed. Why the NFL doesn't insist on it is mind boggling.What you said on allowing defenses more contact with receivers was genius. Why nobody thought of that before is even more mind boggling!. You really did your homework!

[burghboy]

It may be counter intuitive, but what if players wore LESS protection? I'm just thinking that with all their armor, they feel like they can do anything they want (like crashing their head into someone at full speed), while if they had like the old leather helmets and soft shoulder pads they would have to be less reckless with how they throw themselves around. I know it would make the game less of a spectacle to watch, but these are people we're talking about, who hopefully will have long healthy lives after they leave the game. Maybe they mostly need to have some respect, or actual healthy fear, for their bodies and those of the other players.

This reminds me of what Mike Ditka said about cutting down on head first tackling. He said to get rid of helmets. When I first heard him say it, I thought he was goofy,but now it kinda makes sense.

[DkBlue]

I think the game is getting "faster" because in large part the rule changes are allowing better and better athletes to move faster. The suits in NY think that the SportsCenter highlight reel is what makes the NFL great... the 50 yard TDs followed by goofy endzone dances are all people care about to them. They don't consider that the league exploded in popularity when it was a much slower and less "flashy" game.

15 or 20 years ago, media would often criticize QBs who left their WRs out to dry with dangerous throws down the middle of the field. Now they've changed the nature of the game to where we assume the WR owns the right to the middle (and everything else), has no responsibility to maintain awareness of his surroundings, and we penalize defenders for hitting a guy who is running around with reckless abandon.

As for helmets, I'm certainly not a material engineer of some sort, but I have a hard time not believing that softer (and maybe bigger) lighter-weight helmets that are some combination of layers of foam / foam-like material wouldn't do a better job of absorbing sudden impact. Fighters don't box with gloves that have rock-solid outer shells. They don't wear headgear that has a rock-solid outer shell. They don't hit punching bags with super hard outer shells. Gymnasts don't fall on mats with hard shells. Stunt men don't fall on hard shell cushions. I just don't see how the hard shell is the optimal solution for the nature of football hits. On the play Pitta got a concussion on last week, you can see his head snap down when Timmons comes across to make the tackle and their helmets meet. The whiplash that comes with two hard helmets glancing off each other seems like it would do more harm than if the two helmets were softer and did more to absorb the contact instead of deflecting it and setting the neck / head in a new direction.

Interesting regarding your comment on the media. Gruden just criticized Foles for throwing to Celek back into the teeth of the defense.