Owners To Eliminate Kickoffs?

[bubbaramfan]

Listening to the talking heads this morning and they were talking about what was being discussed at the owners meeting. The owners had a long talk about how the move to the 25 yd line didn't lower concussions and discussed eliminating kickoffs entirely.

This is bad news for football. I fear the NFL will soon look just like the Pro-Bowl. Kickoffs are a big part of the game and one of the most exciting aspects of the sport.

 

[The Ramowl]

It would be sad to lose kickoffs. I really hate that players destroy their brains though and I appreciate that they are trying to protect them a bit more.

The thing is changing the helmets would probably have a much bigger impact on reducing concussions, they need to absorb more of the shock and reduce the head acceleration on impact. these helmets aim at protecting from skull fracture, which is important, but have a negative impact when it comes to concussions.

 

[badnews]

Yeah... thats a MAJOR change to the very fabric of the game.
Almost no point in calling it football at that point.

 

[Jacobarch]

Listening to the talking heads this morning and they were talking about what was being discussed at the owners meeting. The owners had a long talk about how the move to the 25 yd line didn't lower concussions and discussed eliminating kickoffs entirely.

This is bad news for football. I fear the NFL will soon look just like the Pro-Bowl. Kickoffs are a big part of the game and one of the most exciting aspects of the sport.

I think eventually the NFL will be ruined because it will turn into a glorified version of the Pro Bowl as a whole, as you stated. Rather than the NFL coming out and saying, "this is football and it's not if you get injured but when." They try to pussy foot around the issue and make all the cry babies happy. Which in turn completely underminds the integrity of the game.
I'm all for making the game safer but at some point you have to ask yourself, to what end.

The NFL needs to realize that like society and politics you can't make everyone happy and to quit pandering to everyone that cries foul.

 

[Jacobarch]

It would be sad to lose kickoffs. I really hate that players destroy their brains though and I appreciate that they are trying to protect them a bit more.

The thing is changing the helmets would probably have a much bigger impact on reducing concussions, they need to absorb more of the shock and reduce the head acceleration on impact. these helmets aim at protecting from skull fracture, which is important, but have a negative impact when it comes to concussions.

Problem is, they have made helmets and pads so safe that they use them as a weapon on the field. I don't think you can make a helmet safer than it is, but instead needing to change the actual design and function is going to be the only way imo

Think about it like this ... Look at the history of football. Every 10 to 20 years there was a major change in way pads and helmets looked and functioned. Lately other than pads slimming down and maintaining movement and safety nothing has really changed much. I think if the owners are smart in the next ten years there should be a major change in the way the helmet and pads look and function. People won't like it but it's a helluva lot better than ruining and changing the game itself

 

[LesBaker]

There has to be a way to reduce the high impacts we see on kickoffs. Maybe a change to how players are allowed to line up?

Something else should be done towards the effort to lower the amount of injuries.

Football is largely a field position sport and the kicking game can be a huge edge. Just look at our Rams. The punter and kicker are both weapons in their own way.

Eliminating kickoffs changes the game way too much.

They have to try something else.

 

[LesBaker]

I don't think you can make a helmet safer than it is, but instead needing to change the actual design and function is going to be the only way imo

Right now there are helmets that are safer, Google it, you'll see.

 

[HellRam]

I think eventually the NFL will be ruined because it will turn into a glorified version of the Pro Bowl as a whole, as you stated. Rather than the NFL coming out and saying, "this is football and it's not if you get injured but when." They try to wuss foot around the issue and make all the cry babies happy. Which in turn completely underminds the integrity of the game.
I'm all for making the game safer but at some point you have to ask yourself, to what end.

The NFL needs to realize that like society and politics you can't make everyone happy and to quit pandering to everyone that cries foul.

I agree....

I wonder why boxing and MMA have not been discussed in the same sense as football. I mean, if it's about head injuries caused by hit's to the head. There are technically more dangerous sports then football. Heck individual's in the motor sports world see loss of life on some what of a regular basis. No one makes a big deal about that.

Nothing wrong with making the game safer, you just don't need to take away the game to do that.

 

[bluecoconuts]

I don't think you can make a helmet safer than it is

The NFL makes something like 10 Billion a year, they can put some of that into R&D, they just don't want to bad enough yet.

 

[The Ramowl]

Rigid helmets are safe against fracture, useless against concussion. Concussions are caused by violent acceleration and or rotation of the skull, rigid helmets are not helping

Stanford guy explaining this very well in 15 min :
View: https://www.ted.com/talks/david_camarillo_why_helmets_don_t_prevent_concussions_and_what_might

 

[Loyal]

I just hope we win a couple of Super Bowls before they make the game so I don't care about it anymore...

 

[dieterbrock]

The solution would be to eliminate helmets, thus leaving players to not willing to use as a weapon, alas....

 

[Loyal]

The solution would be to eliminate helmets, thus leaving players to not willing to use as a weapon, alas....

or leather helmets...I really think this is the answer, but they'll never do it because its a counterintuitive solution.

 

[EasyE]

The solution would be to eliminate helmets, thus leaving players to not willing to use as a weapon, alas....

this......is the answer

also, putting a small bomb under drivers seat of every car and attach the detonating device to the front bumper would change the way people drive....

 

[nighttrain]

The solution would be to eliminate helmets, thus leaving players to not willing to use as a weapon, alas....

in the early days of professional football they had no helmets, and the game was almost banned because of the huge number of deaths
train

 

[LesBaker]

I wonder why boxing and MMA have not been discussed in the same sense as football.

My guess is that getting hit in the head by a large human wearing an incredibly hard helmet running full speed creates harder impact than a padded fist.

I'm only partially being a smartass here and I don't mean to be...........I've actually been surprised that I haven't heard about a death during a match in MMA because of how slowly the refs often stop a fight.

The NFL makes something like 10 Billion a year, they can put some of that into R&D, they just don't want to bad enough yet.

hey don't need to bother, other guys have invented safer helmets.........the NFL has a contract with Riddell who already makes one.

They need to force the players to wear something else.

 

[LesBaker]

this......is the answer

also, putting a small bomb under drivers seat of every car and attach the detonating device to the front bumper would change the way people drive....

I've always wanted front and rear mount machine guns......especially since moving to SWFL.

 

[MadGoat]

The "technology" in these bad boys is over 20 years old and was shown to be a huge improvement over regular helmets. Nobody was willing to wear them though.

 

[Akrasian]

The "technology" in these bad boys is over 20 years old and was shown to be a huge improvement over regular helmets. Nobody was willing to wear them though.

There's much more awareness of the dangers now than there was 20 years ago. Besides, make it mandatory equipment. The NFL has to take real steps to reduce the danger - the existence of the league playing in a recognizable way depends on it. Better to have goofy helmets and still have kickoffs.

 

[nighttrain]

what about something similar to Highway Patrol motorcycle helmets?
train