papazoid Posted October 21, 2010 Share Posted October 21, 2010 keep the helmet...but lose the FACEMASK.......i like it. http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/blog/dr_saturday/post/JoePa-didn-t-wear-a-facemask-He-doesn-t-think-t?urn=ncaaf-278329 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geno Smith's Arm Posted October 21, 2010 Share Posted October 21, 2010 Of course you do, because you (and JP) aren't playing in the NFL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shrader Posted October 21, 2010 Share Posted October 21, 2010 keep the helmet...but lose the FACEMASK.......i like it. http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/blog/dr_saturday/post/JoePa-didn-t-wear-a-facemask-He-doesn-t-think-t?urn=ncaaf-278329 Personally, I think that would make things even worse. It would probably make players lead with the top of the helmet even more. Those are the most dangerous hits for both the hitter and the hittee. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanInUticaTampa Posted October 21, 2010 Share Posted October 21, 2010 It sure is a solution. The solution on how to make vilolent hits more violent. We would have to have a cleaning crew to go out and sweep all the teeth off the field after the games. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
finknottle Posted October 21, 2010 Share Posted October 21, 2010 The solution is so obvious we can't see it. Get rid of the helmet altogether. You'll no longer see any defenders leading with their heads. What we are really talking about here is the basic purpose of the tackle. Is it to bring the man down, or is it to give him a hit he'll remember? Defensive play in the NFL has for years been drifting away from fundamentals and towards the highlite big hit. Rugby is played without helmets and with an enforced 'must use your arms to make a tackle' rule, and it works just fine. Throw out the helmet, and ban any tackle (such as a shoulder slam) where you are not wrapping with your arms. You will see fewer injuries and much more effective tackling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Posted October 21, 2010 Share Posted October 21, 2010 I'm surprised that there are not more injuries to the knees, hips, and forearms seeing as how players no longer wear pads in these areas. That being said, leading with the head, helmet or not, is a stupid thing to do. Well, if you value walking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justnzane Posted October 21, 2010 Share Posted October 21, 2010 how about using hockey helmets instead? How often do you see hockey players leading with their head towards another player? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hapless Bills Fan Posted October 21, 2010 Share Posted October 21, 2010 The solution is so obvious we can't see it. Get rid of the helmet altogether. You'll no longer see any defenders leading with their heads. What we are really talking about here is the basic purpose of the tackle. Is it to bring the man down, or is it to give him a hit he'll remember? Defensive play in the NFL has for years been drifting away from fundamentals and towards the highlite big hit. Rugby is played without helmets and with an enforced 'must use your arms to make a tackle' rule, and it works just fine. Throw out the helmet, and ban any tackle (such as a shoulder slam) where you are not wrapping with your arms. You will see fewer injuries and much more effective tackling. Heh. Well then, there is also the unspoken but well understood Rugby rule that you WILL protect your teammates. Shoulder slam a wing or cleat him while he's down, and his teammates will "take care of it for him", guaranteed. "I just think it's rather odd that a nation that prides itself on its virility should feel compelled to strap on forty pounds of protective gear just in order to play rugby." Giles, in Buffy the Vampire Slayer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thud Posted October 21, 2010 Share Posted October 21, 2010 Leave it to a Rugby Head to speak sense to us all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geno Smith's Arm Posted October 21, 2010 Share Posted October 21, 2010 how about using hockey helmets instead? How often do you see hockey players leading with their head towards another player? They don't tackle in hockey. Good thinking! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justnzane Posted October 21, 2010 Share Posted October 21, 2010 They don't tackle in hockey. Good thinking! they still hit each other, and their helmets pop off just as much as football players. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thurman#1 Posted October 21, 2010 Share Posted October 21, 2010 It sure is a solution. The solution on how to make vilolent hits more violent. We would have to have a cleaning crew to go out and sweep all the teeth off the field after the games. No, because it would make people, instinctually, stop leading with the face and the head. Tackles would look a lot more like rugby, where people tackle with their chests. Virtually no head to head impacts in rugby, for obvious reasons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billsfan89 Posted October 21, 2010 Share Posted October 21, 2010 The solution is so obvious we can't see it. Get rid of the helmet altogether. You'll no longer see any defenders leading with their heads. What we are really talking about here is the basic purpose of the tackle. Is it to bring the man down, or is it to give him a hit he'll remember? Defensive play in the NFL has for years been drifting away from fundamentals and towards the highlite big hit. Rugby is played without helmets and with an enforced 'must use your arms to make a tackle' rule, and it works just fine. Throw out the helmet, and ban any tackle (such as a shoulder slam) where you are not wrapping with your arms. You will see fewer injuries and much more effective tackling. Rugby and football aren't comparable. The tackling and territoriality aren't the same. Without helmets you would see people splitting their heads open. Take away the facemask and you have quality protection to the top of the head but the risk of damage to the face would be enough of a deterrent to keep people from leading with the head. Also Rugby has an issue with leg and knee injuries as well (Yeah its better then head injuries but its a sport were a lot of its older athletes have sever leg damage). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geno Smith's Arm Posted October 21, 2010 Share Posted October 21, 2010 they still hit each other, and their helmets pop off just as much as football players. If you can't tell the difference between a check and a tackle (especially multiple guys all charging toward one guy) I can't reason with you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NaPolian8693 Posted October 21, 2010 Share Posted October 21, 2010 Removing the facemask is one of the worst ideas I've ever heard. You've got to be kidding me. People will lead with the crown of their helmet right into their opponent's exposed faces. You'd have multiple broken noses and terrible face injuries every game. It's really pretty sick to even suggest such a thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Punch Posted October 21, 2010 Share Posted October 21, 2010 Removing the facemask is pretty crazy and totally illogical--- but JoePa has a point in the sense that the BodyArmored gladiators of today's football are fearless due to that protection; and the combination of those same protective pads and the fearlessness that comes with suiting up in them are creating human projectiles. I'm not sure how a scaling down of the body armor could be done but it's definitely part of the problem. It's certainly a big part of the problem in hockey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buffalo Barbarian Posted October 21, 2010 Share Posted October 21, 2010 Lets put some skirts on em and give some em flags and call it a game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wilson from Gamehendge Posted October 21, 2010 Share Posted October 21, 2010 they still hit each other, and their helmets pop off just as much as football players. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geno Smith's Arm Posted October 21, 2010 Share Posted October 21, 2010 (edited) Lets put some skirts on em and give some em flags and call it a game. No, let's line you up and have four 300lbs guys gang tackle you, hopefully without a helmet, but at least without a facemask. You can wear a skirt if you want too. No, because it would make people, instinctually, stop leading with the face and the head. Tackles would look a lot more like rugby, where people tackle with their chests. Virtually no head to head impacts in rugby, for obvious reasons. You think this will make for a better game than them dealing out harsher penalties for aiming at the upper body on receivers going for the ball? They just want to see the defender making a play for the ball instead of trying to make a big hit on receivers that are trying to catch a pass. It's not that big of a deal. Edited October 21, 2010 by Matthews' Bag Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vincec Posted October 21, 2010 Share Posted October 21, 2010 I think the NFL is playing this right. Keep the helmets and face masks. If people use them as a weapon, then eject them from the game + a one game suspension for first offense. I love hearing defensive players complaining about rules put in to protect offensive players. Maybe the NFL should bring back crack back blocks to the knees or double team blocks where one player holds up an offensive player and another takes his knees out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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