There are plenty of sports that mandate helmets. I couldn't imagine somebody suggesting that race car drivers ditch the helmets to encourage more courteous driving. Football is a violent "contact" sport. That's part of the appeal. It will never be perfect. People like Marc Buoniconti can never be fully protected against injury.
Pro hockey never mandated helmets at first. Until the early 60s nobody wore helmets including all but a handful of goalies. By the 70s all the players opted to wear them though it still wasn't mandated. Craig McTavish of the Edmonton Oilers was the last player to play without a helmet.
I don't think this idea is going anywhere.

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The Clown Show Continues



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I wonder if this is just a jab at the NFL for "feminizing" the officiating.

Didn't Marc Buoniconti get injured because he was attempting to spear a player? It was a long time ago so I could be wrong.. Since you were there is that what really happened or am I remembering it wrong?

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All things are subject to interpretation whichever interpretation prevails at a given time is a function of power and not truth.
Nietzsche

I suffered five documented concussions, two very serious, while playing ball in school. I believe the head injury trend and societys hyper awareness of it could possibly spell the end of high school football as we know it.

I was recently approached at random by a lawyer who was getting former high school players from my old team together to sue the school for the injuries we incurred. I sent him off without so much as a handshake as I thought it was disgusting what they where doing. Once schools start to lose millions in law suits, they're going to shut down the programs because the risk will be too great. And many a kid who gets his shit together because football gave him an after school outlet for his anger, will continue to show their social angst in negative ways in life.

Such a damn shame.

Hooligan2 Wrote:
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> There are plenty of sports that mandate helmets. I
> couldn't imagine somebody suggesting that race car
> drivers ditch the helmets to encourage more
> courteous driving. Football is a violent "contact"
> sport. That's part of the appeal. It will never be
> perfect. People like Marc Buoniconti can never be
> fully protected against injury.

Yes, there are plenty of sports that mandate helmets. But is there any other where the helmet is being used by some (unsafely) to deliver a blow to an opponent?

You're right, football is a violent sport which cannot be fully safeguarded from injury. But I wonder if players would play the game in a safer manner if they weren't wearing helmets.



Crowder52 Wrote:
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> Didn't Marc Buoniconti get injured because he was
> attempting to spear a player? It was a long time
> ago so I could be wrong.. Since you were there is
> that what really happened or am I remembering it
> wrong?

Yes, Marc led with the crown of his helmet and suffered paralysis because of it. "Spearing" is dangerous for the tackler and the ball carrier. If Marc wasn't wearing a helmet, would he have attempted such a tackle? I wonder.

Ever watch a pro rugby or Australian rules football game? Brutal...no helmets.

JoeFootball Wrote:
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> Ever watch a pro rugby or Australian rules
> football game? Brutal...no helmets.


Are they dressed the same way as in soccer?

If so, then it's not a fair analogy because, sure the soccer players are just in pants,
and tee shirts. That's less body armor but by the same token that same body armor that protects you is the same armor that injures you when worn by the other guy to protect HIMSELF.

So I think that playing American football is far more dangerous even though we wear pads and soccer players don't.

ChyrenB Wrote:
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> I think that playing American football is far
> more dangerous even though we wear pads and soccer
> players don't.

Aussie rules football isn't much like soccer at all. I've seen it and Joe is right...b-r-u-t-a-l.

The simple laws of physics (mass X acceleration) is what makes American football dangerous. What I wonder is if the risk of concussions and the practice of spearing are sharply reduced without helmets. When I watch old time videos of football games, tackling was much more fundamentally sound then vs. what we see in today's game.

Do they wear paddings and helmets? That's the question I asked.


Could you please say how they are dressed. I've never seen OR EVEN HEARD OF Aussie and/or rugby but I've seen soccer and even if there was contact, which there is not, the injuries would be far less serious.

What makes American football more dangerous is the protective gear.

Let me break it down to the elementary level. If me and my pals decided to go out to an abandoned field and play football in street clothes, there would be far less danger of serious injury because like I said, the padding and the helmets make the risk of serious injury as well as supposedly protecting from it because you can't cover your body 100% and even those parts that are covered, the head, can still sustain internal and external damage from impact.

I'm waiting for your answer, Joe. How are they dressed?

Okay, I went and googled it. They're dressed the same way as soccer guys. No helmets or pads. Yeah, your body is more exposed but the only thing that can hit you is another guy's body.....NOT ANOTHER GUYS BODY WEARING A HELMET OR HARD PLASTIC SHOULDER PADS.

That's only brutal compared to playing basketball.

Don't get carried away. No way as physically dangerous as NFL, college, or high school, or even jr. high school football.

cshashaty Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ChyrenB Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I think that playing American football is far
> > more dangerous even though we wear pads and
> soccer
> > players don't.
>
> Aussie rules football isn't much like soccer at
> all. I've seen it and Joe is right...b-r-u-t-a-l.
>
> The simple laws of physics (mass X acceleration)
> is what makes American football dangerous. What I
> wonder is if the risk of concussions and the
> practice of spearing are sharply reduced without
> helmets. When I watch old time videos of football
> games, tackling was much more fundamentally sound
> then vs. what we see in today's game.

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The NFL doesn't know how to tackle anymore, although I have seen a few really good tackles. Nowadays, they mostly "hit" the ball carrier instead of taking him down with a tackle. That is why we see so many long runs after contact.

That's true, too, Cap. They are all looking for the highlight reel and looking for the young folks sitting around the TV screen to yell "ooooh!"

Another gripe I have along the same theme is that I have seen a player, whether a RB or WR or QB, break into the open for about 30 yards and get to the opposing 15 when someone behind him grabs him and instead of holding on to the ball for dear life, he struggles WITHOUT PAYING ATTENTION TO BALL SECURITY, and the tackler knocks the ball out of his hands and it is recovered by the tackler's team.

I think I even remember Tanny doing it. I think so because I was wishing I was a coach on the sideline who could have approached him and said,

"Now that you're sitting on the bench and the other team has the ball, let me ask you a question, 'Would you rather still be here right now or would you rather have let that guy tackle you at the 15 and still have the ball????'"

Bottom line, players just don't THINK nowadays and when they do, they only think about the headlines.