Football too Dangerous? Concussion discussion.

Sun Jan 31, 2010 3:44 pm

Good article here. Worth the read.
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article ... -1,00.html

Sun Jan 31, 2010 7:49 pm

MrTitleist wrote:Good article here. Worth the read.
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article ... -1,00.html

I had my share of concussions - one time I was out for over 15 minutes - maybe that's why I'm so dumb. They didn't make helmets as good back then as they do now though. I just watched a program on tv a week or two ago that showed how helmets are made and tested now. There is a tremendous amount of testing and science that goes into designing and making helmets today. The reason I had to quit football though was because of a broken leg I got playing football. It was so bad I came within a knat's eyelash of losing it - then I had to live with it for the next 50 years.

Sun Jan 31, 2010 8:33 pm

WYCowboy wrote:
MrTitleist wrote:Good article here. Worth the read.
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article ... -1,00.html

I had my share of concussions - one time I was out for over 15 minutes - maybe that's why I'm so dumb. They didn't make helmets as good back then as they do now though. I just watched a program on tv a week or two ago that showed how helmets are made and tested now. There is a tremendous amount of testing and science that goes into designing and making helmets today. The reason I had to quit football though was because of a broken leg I got playing football. It was so bad I came within a knat's eyelash of losing it - then I had to live with it for the next 50 years.

haha.. wow. You had an intense football career. What level did you play at? HS or college too? Like the article mentioned, just because the helmet is tested doesn't mean that it's bulletproof. While the helmet protects the exterior of the head, the interior is certainly subject to punishment due to whiplash type of blasts. Afterall, the brain is just swimming around inside of your cranium, so it can hit the sides of the skull and still bruise. The article, IMO, was very eye-opening.. something really needs to be done to protect these players.

Sun Jan 31, 2010 8:41 pm

Compared to sports where you are not allowed to wear headgear? Nope. And I have done some of them. I do karate (actually, a mix of many styles, but heavily influenced by Kenpo), and 2 of my instructors are MMA fighters. The one you can beat him in the face until it looks like hamburger, and still be conscious, the other was KOed 3 times in 4 months by 1. a shot to the temple in a cage match 2. during belt testing another student accidentally kneed him in the head while attempting an armbar 3. pulled me into him while grappling, attempting to do a throw, screwed it up, and landed on his temple. FYI, I'm 5'11 270lbs (doctors thought I looked like football player due to my build) while he is 5'6 155. So in comparison to other contact sports, and non-contact sports (basketball for example), I would say it is a safe sport. But injuries will happen no matter what though.

Mon Feb 01, 2010 8:25 am

fromolwyoming wrote:Compared to sports where you are not allowed to wear headgear? Nope. And I have done some of them. I do karate (actually, a mix of many styles, but heavily influenced by Kenpo), and 2 of my instructors are MMA fighters. The one you can beat him in the face until it looks like hamburger, and still be conscious, the other was KOed 3 times in 4 months by 1. a shot to the temple in a cage match 2. during belt testing another student accidentally kneed him in the head while attempting an armbar 3. pulled me into him while grappling, attempting to do a throw, screwed it up, and landed on his temple. FYI, I'm 5'11 270lbs (doctors thought I looked like football player due to my build) while he is 5'6 155. So in comparison to other contact sports, and non-contact sports (basketball for example), I would say it is a safe sport. But injuries will happen no matter what though.

I'd have to disagree that Football is safer than most other sports, such as bball. Retired NBA players aren't having to check themselves into brain damage units at the age of 50 like so many retired NFL players have to. Football is safer than contact sports such as Boxing or MMA, where the sole objective is to knock out the other person, but I'd say its certainly the most dangerous of the mainstream sports.

Doesn't change the fact that I love it. But the NFL, and NCAA do need to look into coming up with some safer rules with regards to concussions, such as you experience any symptoms of a concussion, you're out of the game for at least 2 weeks or so.