Indulge yourselves.
- Could CTE lead to the death of football? I’m not sure which possibility depresses me more – that it might, or that football would seek an exemption from liability.
- From prison, Nevin Shapiro is threatening to get medieval on Miami’s ass.
- My math skills aren’t the best, but I believe Tavarres King is predicting that Aaron Murray will throw more than fifty touchdown passes this season. I blame Bobo for his exuberance, of course.
- John Infante points out that college athletics isn’t as big an enterprise as we give it credit for sometimes.
- It’s a shame recruits change their commitments without thinking about the people they really hurt – the writers making predictions about where they’ll land.
- More concern about ditching the Auburn-Georgia rivalry.
- Add Mike Huguenin to the list of those who think Jon Fabris was a misunderstood man before his time: “What it might lead to, though, is more directional kickoffs. Punters can do it, so why not kickers, too? If the rule indeed is changed, look for more “pooch” kickoffs, which could mean a radical change for special teams coaches. Do you want a guy who can boom the ball through the end zone, or do you want a guy who is adept at kicking the ball high and placing it around the 15 or so?”
Get The Picture 
As far as concussions, I blame technology. I played high school football in the mid 80s and coached high school football in the 90s and 2000s. The helmet I wore in high school was safer than the one players put on today. The helmet we are putting on kids today is not safe. Sure, it is light weight and comfortable but it is unsafe. Plus, you have kids not properly strapping on their chinstraps. Finally, they see their “role models” in the NFL and CFB with loose chinstraps and helmets flying off. Fix this and the concussion problem decreases immediately.
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It’s not that helmets were safer, it’s that now they are so padded and safe that it makes players feel invincible, which leads to more violent play. Plus, as you say, they don’t wear them properly. They are often too big.
This year, the NCAA will require a player to come out just like an injury for one play if his helmet comes off unless it is pulled off by an opponent with a facemask or hands to the face. That should help.
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Sorry but I disagree. The padding and shell of older helmets were thicker and heavier. The helmets today are too light – the shell and the padding. Granted, players are bigger and hitting may be harder but the root of concussions are the modern helmets.
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“Granted, players are bigger and hitting may be harder but the root of concussions are the modern helmets.”
With computer assisted design and today’s raw materials no freakin’ way those old helmets are better or have better techonology. The body armor in Vietnam was thicker and heavier too… it’s still nothing as substantial as the lightly padded and lightweight gear they produce today. There are more kids playing today and those kids today are bigger,stronger faster and the collisions are alarming.
“They may look like standard football helmets — but these skull shields are about as standard as Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s Impala. The basic form is there, but everything else has changed. The aim is to cut the 300,000 concussions that players — from Pop Warner to NFL teams — suffer annually. In January, Riddell, the granddaddy of helmet makers, rolled out its Revolution IQ HITS, equipped with sensors and real-time monitoring tech. And Vin Ferrara, a former Harvard QB who endured his share of head knocks, will start selling his air-cushioned Xenith X1 this fall. Hut, hut, hike!
Roll over the numbers below to see the helmets’ features.”
http://www.wired.com/gadgets/gadgetreviews/magazine/16-08/st_helmets
“The outer layer of the helmet is now made of plastic, typically a type of polycarbonate that flexes to absorb and deflect impact. The outer shell of the helmet protects the top, sides and back of the head, as well as the cheekbones, and also has vents to allow air to circulate into the helmet, which helps keep players cool.
Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/485792-football-helmet-features/#ixzz1mHMASLaq
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thought that someone might call him out. I agree today’s helmets have to be far safer than the earlier helmets. I also think that people are more aware of them today and players who do suffer get much better attention than before.
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I did a little digging into the helmet issue, only read 3 or 4 articles. I have yet to find anyone stating that there any connection between hair style (dreads, buzz, cornrows, and/or flattop) and helmets flying off. Nor do I expect to find any in the future due to our PC nature. However, I do believe there may be a connection there.
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Does this situation sound familiar to anyone? A sport that started out small, grew to immense popularity, and then fell back to a smaller regional sport due to rule changes and sponsor withdrawals? NASCAR..haha.
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Don’t wanna be too dramatic but actually the only thing I blame is the culture of litigation that is, yes indeed, all cliches aside, leading the pussification of this once great country. Everybody knows the risks in riding a bike, eating bad food, and yes, playing football. Took my son to a bowling alley for his birthday the other day, and next to every lane was a sign with at least two paragraphs telling you basically to “bowl at your own risk”. Well no shit. Oh well, as long as dipshit juries award millions for ridiculous lawsuits, law schools will never lack for applicants.
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This Shapiro guy is a complete prick. Gee, the football players who were teenagers and in their early 20’s turned out only to be your friends because you were giving them gifts? There’s a real surprise. And you mean the University of Miami and its athletes and coaches didn’t come rushing to your defense when you turned out to be a Ponzi scheme crook who ripped off people out of their hard earned savings? Gee, Nevin, people didn’t want to keep being your friend when they found out you were the scum of the earth? And now you feel the need to “get even”? Get even for what? I hope there aren’t any Miami fans in that prison, for his sake.
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Mr. Shapiro might want to start dining in his room. Not all Miami fans are able to attend the game. Some might even elect to sit by him in the dining hall and discuss football.
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How the hell did Miami sign 33? 28 scholarship limit my ass.
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Five early enrollees. Give Golden credit – he was loading up in advance of the sanctions.
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I don’t care what the Florida writer’s sources were saying, I’m about 99% he’s just crazy on JHC. JHC visited Miami that weekend IIRC. Which means a flight back Sunday, and he probably wasn’t in Georgia until mid afternoon at the earliest.
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Zach Abolverdi is really an up and coming writer for the GATORNATION. After completing his column, he then spent several hours filling out the comments section to show his support.
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I am onboard with TKunodos.
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I thought the NFL took care of the usual traumatic brain injuries sustained by the 99% when the first commenter won the Opportunity is Nowhere poster redesign contest a year and a half ago
http://deadspin.com/5626625/redesign-the-nfls-terrible-concussion-poster-and-win-some-money
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Soldiers can somehow manage to do a HALO parachute jump from a mile up and keep their helmets on; I’m pretty sure a little effort would keep football players’ lids from flying off.
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Not a lot of Soldiers doing HALO jumps have dreads. 😉
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And for those HALO jumpers who do have deadlocks, the experts @ cockyktalk.com did an in-depth study a year ago and came up with inconclusive findings
http://www.cockytalk.com/archive/index.php/t-144106.html
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From miles up not a mile, typical HALO jumps are from 35k to 40k feet.
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And don’t forget your long johns and NO cold meds!
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If Tavarres King is right and Aaron Murray throws 50 TD passes next season UGA will win all of its games, the SEC East, the SECCG and the BCSNCG. Plus Murray will win the Heisman. I hope King is right.
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Bobo is screwed…with Marshall, Gurley and Crowell in the backfield, who the hell has AM throw 50 TD passes?
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Me Too. Hope King Is Right.
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Nevin will be disappointed when he learns that not everybody associated with him goes to Chinatown
http://www.fbi.gov/newark/press-releases/2012/largest-recruiter-of-investors-to-nevin-shapiros-930-million-ponzi-scheme-sentenced-to-prison-for-lying-to-the-irs-about-millions-in-related-income
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Can you imagine the hell of a longer more drawn out NBA season!? (shudder)
Football could kill thousands of players a year and the networks would never let it die. Football is made for TV and selling commercial time. I think Network deals and Commercial time-outs are more important to the NFL than the outcome of the games. There are so many timeouts now that I can hardly watch an entire game without losing interest. And College football–sadly–is moving towards this model.
Why do you think nobody will put a soccer game on a free national network? Because the network makes more money selling dogfood ads during the amazing dog challenge over an hour broadcast, than it would selling the same number ads over a 2 hour soccer block. Hell they would probably make more money selling 2 straight hours of commercials without any programming around them than broadcasting a soccer game.
If anything commercialization will kill football before CTE gets bad enough to have an impact. NFL has already lost me–and College footbal is sure trying!
…and if, God forbid, the only sport we are left with is basketball…I just might have to start reading them book things.
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Dr. Venkman, everyone knows that you cannot read so who are you kidding?
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CTE ends football? I Blame Lawyers !
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The helmet issue is a which comes first issue. Rugby players don’t wear hard helmets so they don’t for the most part lead with their heads. While concussions have occurred in football since it was Rugby, the modern helmet has been viewed as a weapon rather than a piece of safety equipment. Lots of kids play tackle football without helmets, heck I did and the only major injury suffered was a broken collar bone. Soften the padding and helmets and the head first tackles or the runner lowering his head will stop.
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“Don’t believe I would have told that.”
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2008-03-26-bikehelmets_N.htm
Just because something becomes more dangerous…you think people become more careful. Gee… you never had teenage sons did you?
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The statistics nerds that I’ve seen discuss the old rules (touchback coming to the 20) said to run out every kickoff. Even if you didn’t get it to the 20, when you throw in the chance of breaking a long return, you were better off bringing the kick out of the endzone.
I think the converse may be true regarding directional kicking. Yes, you’re giving up an extra 5 yards of field position. But, after the 2011 kickoff coverage results for UGA, only an idiot would intentionally kick short and let our guys play coverage.
If UGA finishes the 2012 season with a 100% touchback rate, I’ll be a happy man.
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Amen!
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Another Amen. Startinfg from the 25 sounds good to me.
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Hell, I wanted them to just kick ’em all out of bounds and let the other team start at to 40.
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