NFL 2016-17 Week 1 Thread: Your Team is Bad, and You Should Feel Bad.

[Cail]

And only 1 was flagged...

[Wulfgang]

why haven't they developed some kind of "soft" helmet yet that provides protection but isn't extremely hard and damaging when weaponized?

seems like adding some sort of cushion to the outside of the current helmet would be an improvement

They actually used to have something like this; believe it was a procap or something similar. I just remember Steve Young rocking one after his 87th concussion:

[Krandor]

The short version is that most of those designs look dumb, and the players are more concerned about looking cool then protecting their brain.

[Moss]

They actually used to have something like this; believe it was a procap or something similar. I just remember Steve Young rocking one after his 87th concussion:

lol never seen that before

The short version is that most of those designs look dumb, and the players are more concerned about looking cool then protecting their brain.

while that's the case with baseball pitchers wearing protective hats/helmets, I think they could be made acceptable aesthetically and widely used. the NFL needs to push it themselves, but I'm sure they're scared to death of any tacit admission of CTE risk. pushing a wholesale change in head protection would be pretty damning but hey, it might save the damn sport if they were more focused on long-term

[Dimmauk]

The NFL is in a tough spot. They don't want what happened to other gladiator sports to happen to them. Once the Romans banned killing and switched from metal weapons to nerf weapons, the sport just wasn't the same.

There has been great advances in bubble wrap technology, so maybe we will get more Buckaroo Banzai style football helmets?

[Serra]

This has always bothered me about concussions and helmet technology.. Concussions are caused by the brain suddenly smashing into the skull, right? So how do helmets really prevent them? I we put someone in a metal ball, launch them forward, and the ball hits a wall which stops it, that person is going to be fucked up, regardless of if that ball is on its own or wrapped in a ton of bubble wrap. If it's going the same speed in both instances, the damage to the person inside will be pretty much the same, right?

[Chun Liroy]

Not if the pads inside the helmet absorb the impact slowly instead of all at once. Think of like landing on trampoline instead of landing on the ground.

[Moss]

This has always bothered me about concussions and helmet technology.. Concussions are caused by the brain suddenly smashing into the skull, right? So how do helmets really prevent them? I we put someone in a metal ball, launch them forward, and the ball hits a wall which stops it, that person is going to be fucked up, regardless of if that ball is on its own or wrapped in a ton of bubble wrap. If it's going the same speed in both instances, the damage to the person inside will be pretty much the same, right?

if I'm understanding you correctly, the ball wrapped in a ton of bubble wrap will have more of the force absorbed by the bubble wrap. it never made sense to me why helmets were made to be so hard since the early leather ones

[Roranora]

Go back to fabric-based helmets. Learn how to tackle without spearing. Play rugby.

[Marootsoobutsu]

why haven't they developed some kind of "soft" helmet yet that provides protection but isn't extremely hard and damaging when weaponized?

seems like adding some sort of cushion to the outside of the current helmet would be an improvement

There some great, relatively-concussion-proof helmets out there (Aaron Rodgers wears one). But, they look goofy, and as said-- most would rather look good than be safe and smart for life.

[Gadritan]

Ya. Lots of no calls on vicious head to head hits, but it happens.

I just can't believe the Cam haters foaming at the mouth screaming that they were legit. Comment after comment about how it doesn't matter with a running QB like him. Cuz you know, those were all down field right.

Sent from my SM-G900P using Tapatalk

[Rhyis.]

The one that had the flag clearly should've stayed a penalty.

The one where Ware and Miller? were on him and Miller? was going for the ball I had no problem with.

[Krandor]

The middle two in that gif should absolutely have been penalties, and I'd go so far as to fine Marshall and Stewart cause that shit was blatant.

[Headspace]

There some great, relatively-concussion-proof helmets out there (Aaron Rodgers wears one). But, they look goofy, and as said-- most would rather look good than be safe and smart for life.

Nothing's concussion proof. Nothing is going to stop your brain from crashing into your skull during sudden changes in movement.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Rhyis.]

Fun fact: If you're in sports there's a good chance you might end up with brain damage.
Even shit like soccer.

[Wulfgang]

Chun is right, but there's a limit to the actual reduction in translational and rotational acceleration (effectively what causes the concussion) any half-inch thick helmet modification can provide. At the end of the day, your brain is still repeatedly accelerating into the skull at some velocity as Serra noted; even relatively moderate examples of this over a long period of time can cause concussions. Soccer players heading the ball can cause brain damage over time; not really sure what you can do about that. There is absolutely no concussion proof helmet design. Eliminating concussions from football is impossible and reducing the occurrence materially would require a fundamental shift in gameplay mechanics to me.

[Mertron]

Vikings players informed Shaun Hill will start Sunday

[Mertron]

Chun is right,

stopped reading here

[Wulfgang]

stopped reading here

[Serra]

Not if the pads inside the helmet absorb the impact slowly instead of all at once. Think of like landing on trampoline instead of landing on the ground.

But the trampoline directly catches you, a helmet/pads do not. The brain's still floating in fluid in the head.

if I'm understanding you correctly, the ball wrapped in a ton of bubble wrap will have more of the force absorbed by the bubble wrap. it never made sense to me why helmets were made to be so hard since the early leather ones

The bubble wrap protects the metal ball, but not the stuff inside the ball -- so the helmet protects the skull, but not the brain.