Changes Football Needs Soon

[MNHawkeyeFreak]

Absurd - iowamike21 if you actually agree with that nonsense you posted you should be required to wear a bra and panties every time you want to post on this forum.

Ahhhh PJ... You gotta watch the girlie slams. I usually post in the above attire unless I'm posting from the bathtub! To equate the bra/panties wearers with people that want less violence in football is stereotypical. My two favorite sports are football and ice hockey. I'm not watching them because I like guys in Lycra pants and ice skating.

Well okay... I do like muscular guys in Lycra and I do like ice skating but it's the physical aspect of the games I enjoy the most.

 

[tm3308]

The biggest hits come from guys much less than 275.

Maybe they could just remove tackling alltogether and change it to the NFFL?

Removing the facemasks would result in blood all over the field, wouldn't really create a less dangerous image.

Nobody who runs faster than a 4.7 gets into the league

 

[DesMoinesHawki]

I think the OP brings up a very relevant topic. The game has become more dangerous and more violent. As fans, we enjoy the hard hits and highlight reals on ESPN. But I do think the game may be headed down a slippery slope.

Players are becoming stronger and faster. Nowadays you have lineman who are just as fast as linebackers were in the 90s. When you have 300 + pound linemen clearing the way there are apt to be injuries.

Take a look all the way down to youth football. Some of these kids are so big standing next to some of their peers that you wonder how they can be the same age.

I don't know how to slow down the locomotive. The NFL is as popular as ever. Football, in general, is as popular as ever.

It is a violent game and it is easy for some to sit back and say bring on the blood and violence. That being said, that same sentiment might not hod true if it was your son, brother, friend on the receiving end of that highlight reel.

It really is a double-edged sword. How do you "fix" a sport that has become so popular.

Twenty years ago a lineman over 300 pounds was considered a monster. Nowadays, a lineman under 300 pounds is considered small. Add speed and agility to a 300 + person and you have a recipe for hard hits and injuries.

I had the opportunity to attend a Pittsburgh Steeler/Kansas City Chiefs game and I had field access during the warmups. I could not believe how big these guys were. On tv, the dbacks always look small. In person, they looked like linebackers.

I am not a small guy (6 foot 1) and I felt very small standing out there. These guys are elite athletes. When you toss in the training these athletes receive (compared to 20 years ago) the result is finely-tuned athletes who are strong and agile. Training is now even down to the pee wee level.

There will come a point in time where something needs to be done. Fining NFL players is a start but the problem is bigger than simply cutting down on hard hits in the NFL. What do you do at the college, high school ... and junior high levels?

You hear too many stories of former NFL players who are crippled in one form or another (headaches, back pains, bad knees, necks, etc., etc.) for the rest of their lives.

It's sad because many of those former players are not even 50 years of age yet.

 

[tm3308]

I think the OP brings up a very relevant topic. The game has become more dangerous and more violent. As fans, we enjoy the hard hits and highlight reals on ESPN. But I do think the game may be headed down a slippery slope.

Players are becoming stronger and faster. Nowadays you have lineman who are just as fast as linebackers were in the 90s. When you have 300 + pound linemen clearing the way there are apt to be injuries.

Take a look all the way down to youth football. Some of these kids are so big standing next to some of their peers that you wonder how they can be the same age.

I don't know how to slow down the locomotive. The NFL is as popular as ever. Football, in general, is as popular as ever.

It is a violent game and it is easy for some to sit back and say bring on the blood and violence. That being said, that same sentiment might not hod true if it was your son, brother, friend on the receiving end of that highlight reel.

It really is a double-edged sword. How do you "fix" a sport that has become so popular.

Twenty years ago a lineman over 300 pounds was considered a monster. Nowadays, a lineman under 300 pounds is considered small. Add speed and agility to a 300 + person and you have a recipe for hard hits and injuries.

I had the opportunity to attend a Pittsburgh Steeler/Kansas City Chiefs game and I had field access during the warmups. I could not believe how big these guys were. On tv, the dbacks always look small. In person, they looked like linebackers.

I am not a small guy (6 foot 1) and I felt very small standing out there. These guys are elite athletes. When you toss in the training these athletes receive (compared to 20 years ago) the result is finely-tuned athletes who are strong and agile. Training is now even down to the pee wee level.

There will come a point in time where something needs to be done. Fining NFL players is a start but the problem is bigger than simply cutting down on hard hits in the NFL. What do you do at the college, high school ... and junior high levels?

You hear too many stories of former NFL players who are crippled in one form or another (headaches, back pains, bad knees, necks, etc., etc.) for the rest of their lives.

It's sad because many of those former players are not even 50 years of age yet.

So just because some players are too good, there's a problem? I agree that safety is becoming more and more of a critical issue, but that's the way it is. You can't eliminate players because of their size/speed/whatever to solve it. The best players should be playing, regardless.

Athletes are bigger, stronger and faster now than they've ever been. That's a fact. And the same held true in the 90's, 80's, etc. It's not reason to drastically change the game.

 

[thejumper5]

I love the idea of weight limits. It would give players an incentive to cut weight, which we all know from wrestling is a safe, normal eating practice.

 

[drew003]

I do think we need to make sure the game is as safe as possible. I don't want to passionately support a game that leaves its players as cripples with brain issues at the age of 55.

I think the macho fan culture is a bit insensitive. I'd look at any rules that make the game safer. I'd agree I'm not sure weight limits is that way to do this, as I'm not sure it really makes the game safer.

 

[Hawke]

Instead of making the players smaller let's make the field bigger. Like in Canada.

 

[tm3308]

Instead of making the players smaller let's make the field bigger. Like in Canada.

I like this idea in principle. Soccer is similar in some ways to hockey, but I can't watch a soccer game because even though the players might be fast, they have so much ground to cover that the game just crawls along. Hockey has similar rules but is on a very small surface, making the game much more intense.

But is it feasible? I'd imagine there would be some stadiums that couldn't hold a larger field, especially in the college ranks (Kinnick sure as hell couldn't hold a bigger field without serious renovations).

 

[Hawke]

In soccer the fans get excited because their team got into position to score, but failed. Again.

 

[Iowafarmgirl]

In soccer the fans get excited because their team got into position to score, but failed. Again.

Umm, you know in American football, the offense typically revolves around slowly advancing up the field looking for a scoring opportunity too.

 

[tm3308]

Umm, you know in American football, the offense typically revolves around slowly advancing up the field looking for a scoring opportunity too.

Pretty much the story of any sport except for maybe golf. When they hit a shot that gets the crowd excited, it's usually pretty much a gimme putt after that.

 

[edr247]

I don't think things like instituting weight limits, etc would be a good idea, but I'm not too excited about all the people here assuming that making changes to better ensure the safety of football players would make this a wussy sport. I mean, if you're really concerned about how 'manly' this sport is, why have pads and a helmet? And what's with the tight pants and all the *** slapping?

No, the sport has become bigger and faster, and while technology has been put in place to allow bigger athletes to move faster, I'm not sure things like helmet or pad technology has matched that to provide adequate safety. Nowadays, a big defensive back or linebacker moving at full speed crashes headlong into a big receiver also moving at full speed, and we cheer because of the big hit. But what we don't really think about too much is the sheer amount of force that is being concentrated on a relatively small portion of the body.

No, what football needs is:
1) Better protective and safety equipment that takes into account the speed and size of the players.
and
2) Coaching that emphasizes safe hits. From the first day a kid puts on football pads and a helmet, they should be taught on the proper and safe way to tackle somebody and how to take a tackle. And that should be pushed at every level after that. That way, players won't be dropping their heads, and snapping their necks trying to tackle somebody, nor will you see players dropping their helmets when they're about to get tackled.

Will this lead to a sport where nobody gets seriously injured, ever? Of course not. Football is a violent sport, and injuries (and perhaps even deaths) can and probably will happen, no matter the precautions we put in place. However, if there's a chance that we can eliminate preventable causes, then I do believe we should go for it.

 

[PJHawk]

Ahhhh PJ... You gotta watch the girlie slams. I usually post in the above attire unless I'm posting from the bathtub!

I was under the impression we had no female posters around here (IFG?) but with a post like yours the arousal factor around here just went up exponentially

 

[MNHawkeyeFreak]

I was under the impression we had no female posters around here (IFG?) but with a post like yours the arousal factor around here just went up exponentially

You have a short memory.
http://www.hawkeyenation.com/forum/football/16734-throwback-uniforms-were-awesome-2.html
Re: Throwback Uniforms were Awesome
Quote:
Originally Posted by MNHawkeyeFreak
Come on PJ. It's okay. Don't freak out. I'm a girl....well.. a woman

My bad Are there other posters of your gender on this site?

 

[LG210]

Just saw a report on football injuries, including a comment from Troy Aikman in which he said if he had a 10-year-old son, he wouldn't want him to play football. Teddy Roosevelt threatened to ban football when severe injuries were so common around 1900. The rules were different then, and that was the change made to save the game then.

Now may be time to save football again. How?

* Gradually introduce a weight limit until, within five years, no one over 275 pounds can play college football. (See wrestling)
* Change to softer helmets and no face masks. (Mike Ditka has advocated this for awhile, among others.)

Right now many skilled players cannot play major college football because they just aren't big enough. So anyone who suggests weight limits would be "unfair" is simply wrong. It would be more fair than the situation we have now.

In addition, weight limits would reduce the need for such grueling off-season workouts. The game was played that way until around 1980 and quality did not suffer.

By removing the emphasis on gargantuan, artificial sized players, the incentive to use HGH, steroids and other substances is mostly eliminated.

The concussions occur because bigger and bigger players are colliding with greater and greater force behind the weapon of the hard plastic helmet and face mask. Redesign the helmet, remove the face mask and that will change tacking techniques that will reduce both the number and severity of concussions.

When high school teams around the country are filled with linemen at or over 300 pounds, something's wrong. It wouldn't be too hard to fix it.

Are you advocating that the exterior of the helmet be soft, rather than hard plastic?

If that measure were taken, you would see a TON of neck injuries. The helmets need to be able to glance off of each other and not stick together.

 

[ThunderHawk]

We need to just drop the pretense and get back to gladiatin'. With lions and tigers and chariots and everything else.

 

[FCAS]

Good idea. Because when something is at its most popular, it is good to change it radically.

Maybe while you're at it, you should tell Justin Bieber to shave his head and record some Gregorian Chants, and American Idol should turn into a wacky Sit-Com featuring a mean mother in law.

While I may not agree with some of the OP's ideas, I think it's something worth a serious discussion. Why the smartass response?

Just because something is currently at its most popular does not mean it shouldn't be looking at change (even radical change). Baseball used to be the most popular sport in the US. Now, the more athletic kids gravitate towards other sports, which is a significant reason for the decline in popularity. MLB did not adapt.

If football does not change, more parents are going to steer kids away from the sport. People will listen to what Aikman and other pros are saying. Fewer kids playing football now will eventually lead in a decline in popularity.

 

[edr247]

While I may not agree with some of the OP's ideas, I think it's something worth a serious discussion. Why the smartass response?

Just because something is currently at its most popular does not mean it shouldn't be looking at change (even radical change). Baseball used to be the most popular sport in the US. Now, the more athletic kids gravitate towards other sports, which is a significant reason for the decline in popularity. MLB did not adapt.

If football does not change, more parents are going to steer kids away from the sport. People will listen to what Aikman and other pros are saying. Fewer kids playing football now will eventually lead in a decline in popularity.

Quoted for the truth.

It appalls me that people are just shrugging off the very real and very preventable risk of serious and long-lasting neural damage. Perhaps the OP isn't going about addressing the concern in a realistic manner, but he is at least addressing it.

 

[hawkfan340]

While I may not agree with some of the OP's ideas, I think it's something worth a serious discussion. Why the smartass response?

Just because something is currently at its most popular does not mean it shouldn't be looking at change (even radical change). Baseball used to be the most popular sport in the US. Now, the more athletic kids gravitate towards other sports, which is a significant reason for the decline in popularity. MLB did not adapt.

If football does not change, more parents are going to steer kids away from the sport. People will listen to what Aikman and other pros are saying. Fewer kids playing football now will eventually lead in a decline in popularity.

Totally agree. Sure, there were some dumb ideas in the OP, but good lord, there's a lot of vemon in this thread.

The safety of football players needs to advance if the sport is going to remain popular. I love football, but I have worries about the long term effects of playing on my children even at the high school level. I doubt I'm alone.

 

[hawkfan340]

Are you advocating that the exterior of the helmet be soft, rather than hard plastic?

If that measure were taken, you would see a TON of neck injuries. The helmets need to be able to glance off of each other and not stick together.

I don't follow this at all. Why would they have to stick together if they're soft.

Rugby players have no helmets at all. I don't know how many neck injuries they get, but I don't it's substantially more than football.