no more nfl within 30 years?

Football has constantly evolved to make it safer for the players since Teddy Roosevelt held a summit about it. It will continue to evolve. And meatheads will bitch about it.

 

Maybe there need to be neutral parties on the sidelines to judge these things. Doctors who aren't paid by the team, almost like referees or replay judges.

 

I believe the league mandated this after the McCoy situation, but they didn't give them any real authority.

 

Funny you mention auto racing, because Simpson, maker of race drivers' helmets, has come up with a football helmet that it claims will reduce concussion risk.

http://www.usatodayhss.com/news/article/new-football-helmet-made-using-auto-racing-tech-could-decrease-concussions--1

 

I think a lot will come down to making sure that these players are cleared by doctors before they go back in. I think there will always be guys who lie or someone like Brett Favre, who grabbed his helmet and threw a touchdown pass that he later didn't remember doing... A guy gets knocked out, he's pulled until the doctors clear him.

 

I saw something on the news about a padding that players were wearing under helmets that would dramatically reduce concussions. They kind of look like the old-time leather helmets and the people they were interviewing about them said they were very comfortable.

 

I think we'll also see helmets with technology that tracks hits. Kinda like a radiation detector, but this one monitors on an ongoing basis how hard you've been hit and when it reaches some critical level, no more football for you.

ALSO, I think with the penalties for blows to the head, etc., we will get to the point that, rather than 15 yards, your perpetrator gets ejected. Multiple offenses will lead to suspensions (without pay).

 

Smith didn't get knocked out, though. I don't think Vernon Davis did either. Most guys don't.

Diagnosing a concussion is difficult, much more difficult than some would have us believe.

 

I noticed President Obama weighed in at the end of the article, noting if he had a son, he'd have doubts about letting him play football.

Well, I do have an eighth-grade son who has played junior tackle football the past three years. If he continues in high school (very likely), I will worry more about concussions because the speed and size gets bigger.

However, when you have 13 and 14 year old boys who are out playing (very rough) pickup basketball games, riding bikes, horsing around before and after school, etc., you'll drive yourself crazy if you constantly worry about them injuring themselves.

I'm all for the latest and best safety measures in football, but you also have to let kids be kids.

 

Pollard makes a good living hurting people, at considerable risk to his own health. Naturally, he objects to safety rules, as those disproportionately affect the defense. But the idea the NFL won't find a way to improve safety without altering the basic nature of their product is foolish.

 

Very true and no system will be perfect, but even with the awareness where it is now is a huge improvement over where we were even five years ago.

I know I've seen more of the "concussion helmets" being worn in the last two years than in years past and I know there were players wearing the new "Xenith helmets" last year that absorb more of the hits than a regular helmet.

 

This is just an insanely inadequate false equivalency. Very rough pickup basketball games do not involve repeated straight-on ramming of each other's heads. Riding bikes does not involve repeated slamming of the head against the pavement.

Football is a different category.