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If the League is serious about reducing concussions it needs to mandate all players wear Helmets that have padding on the outside as well as the inside like Mark Kelso used to wear.

I think the padding should be much thicker than he had and of a medium density so that there is a lot of give to it. Imagine to marshmallows coming together, it would be practically impossible to get a concussion with helmets like that. They may look retarded at first but huge shoulder pads probably looked funny too. They can come up with all these new helmets they want but until they cover the hard shell exterior of today's helmets, concussions will likely continue.

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They will fight Gazoo helmets to the end. Bad for cool guy image.

with all the deaths and dementia they will change the their tune. Jacob Bell just retired because of fear about concussions.

 

"“One of my biggest concerns when it comes to the game in general is my personal health. One thing that's obviously on the minds of a lot of people lately is brain research and all the stuff that's going on with that. One of the big things that I thought about when I was considering this is how much do I love the game? How much can they pay me to take away my health and my future and being able to be with my family and just have a healthy lifestyle?”

 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/early-lead/post/bengals-jacob-bell-retires-with-junior-seau-suicide-a-factor/2012/05/09/gIQAtU6SDU_blog.html

Edited by Buffalo Barbarian
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If the League is serious about reducing concussions it needs to mandate all players wear Helmets that have padding on the outside as well as the inside like Mark Kelso used to wear.

I think the padding should be much thicker than he had and of a medium density so that there is a lot of give to it. Imagine to marshmallows coming together, it would be practically impossible to get a concussion with helmets like that. They may look retarded at first but huge shoulder pads probably looked funny too. They can come up with all these new helmets they want but until they cover the hard shell exterior of today's helmets, concussions will likely continue.

 

I have had several concussions and have talked to mark at great length on a number of occasions on just this topic. I have also spoken to several helmet companies as well. Everyone I have spoken to gave me the same answer: these helmets aren't safe. They spread the blow rather than absorb it and they cause great strain on the neck which caused a second concern. Because of this you will never see this helmet again. At the time it was the best option, now it's not.

 

There will never be concussion proof helmets but there are cooncussion preventative helmets. Riddell and Schutt have better products yearly that are helping this. The NFL is doing something about this problem it's just not a problem with an over night solution.

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Here's the dreaded helmet to helmet where Romanowski shattered kerry Collins jaw

http://www.sportsdds.com/images/BroncoHit2.jpg

This shows how defenders lead with the top of the helmet. Conversely getting hit is typically on the side or jaw.

 

By making the top center strip the soft material they can reduce the damage from helmet to helmet and leave in place the hard material needed for protection in the most commonly hit areas.

Edited by Joe_the_6_pack
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with all the deaths and dementia they will change the their tune. Jacob Bell just retired because of fear about concussions.

 

"“One of my biggest concerns when it comes to the game in general is my personal health. One thing that's obviously on the minds of a lot of people lately is brain research and all the stuff that's going on with that. One of the big things that I thought about when I was considering this is how much do I love the game? How much can they pay me to take away my health and my future and being able to be with my family and just have a healthy lifestyle?”

 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/early-lead/post/bengals-jacob-bell-retires-with-junior-seau-suicide-a-factor/2012/05/09/gIQAtU6SDU_blog.html

You really have to give him a lot of credit. This is exactly the type of thing that needed to happen to show everyone that it is what it is. If you want to play football and be paid millions, you'll have to be willing to give up your health. They all have the same choice.

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If the League is serious about reducing concussions it needs to mandate all players wear Helmets that have padding on the outside as well as the inside like Mark Kelso used to wear.

I think the padding should be much thicker than he had and of a medium density so that there is a lot of give to it. Imagine to marshmallows coming together, it would be practically impossible to get a concussion with helmets like that. They may look retarded at first but huge shoulder pads probably looked funny too. They can come up with all these new helmets they want but until they cover the hard shell exterior of today's helmets, concussions will likely continue.

 

Doesn't matter. The manufacturers have said they can't build a helmet that will stop concussions. Stop hitting the head. It is simple. You don't have to in order to make impactful hits. Stop going to the head.

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I actually think we are missing the point and going in the opposite direction.

 

...go back to leather helmets.

 

It is my understanding that someone could tap you on the head with their finger and you'd feel it all the way down to the soles of your feet.

 

I have a feeling a good number of players would reduce their head first game of attach.

 

For that matter no more pads, just padding in thick jerseys.

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If the League is serious about reducing concussions it needs to mandate all players wear Helmets that have padding on the outside as well as the inside like Mark Kelso used to wear.

I think the padding should be much thicker than he had and of a medium density so that there is a lot of give to it. Imagine to marshmallows coming together, it would be practically impossible to get a concussion with helmets like that. They may look retarded at first but huge shoulder pads probably looked funny too. They can come up with all these new helmets they want but until they cover the hard shell exterior of today's helmets, concussions will likely continue.

Here is an another article from a few years ago w Kelso and Wallace:

 

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=easterbrook/101026_tuesday_morning_quarterback&sportCat=nfl

 

I can;t believe we haven't seen this since the 90's. its been almost 20 years.

 

Also it might help to make HGH blood tests mandatory. It can't be good that most players are walking around with 20+ lbs of muscle on their frames. It makes the hit more violent.

Edited by qwksilver
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If the League is serious about reducing concussions it needs to mandate all players wear Helmets that have padding on the outside as well as the inside like Mark Kelso used to wear.

I think the padding should be much thicker than he had and of a medium density so that there is a lot of give to it. Imagine to marshmallows coming together, it would be practically impossible to get a concussion with helmets like that. They may look retarded at first but huge shoulder pads probably looked funny too. They can come up with all these new helmets they want but until they cover the hard shell exterior of today's helmets, concussions will likely continue.

 

The cohesion created from anything on the outside of the helmet has already been proven to be just as dangerous to your neck because it prolongs impact which basically equates to someone grabing you by the head and twisting it.

 

 

My idea as a possible solution to help reduce impact is liquid inner helmet padding, the displacement properties in liquid would greatly reduce impact and also help counteract the sloshing affect on the brain in my opinion.

Edited by Fig Newton
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Doesn't matter. The manufacturers have said they can't build a helmet that will stop concussions. Stop hitting the head. It is simple. You don't have to in order to make impactful hits. Stop going to the head.

 

To say that manufacturers can't build a helmet that will stop concussions does not mean that they can't (and haven't) built helmets that reduce concussions and other types of traumatic brain injuries. Gregg Easterbrook has written extensively on this issue.

http://espn.go.com/espn/print?id=6759254&type=story

 

There may have been changes over the past 10 months since he wrote the article, but look at this research by Virginia Tech: "[T]he VSR4 -- Virginia Tech's second-lowest-rated helmet -- was the most common helmet in the NFL last season." Changes need to be holistic, from equipment to rule changes. Transparency would be a good start. All teams should be required to disclose the types of helmets used and by which players. The NFL should employ doctors independent of teams to report concussions with fines and suspensions for both players and teams where traumatic brain injuries are not reported.

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Want to stop defenders from leading with their helmets? GET RID OF THE DAMN HELMETS. Teach players to tackle with their shoulders again.

 

Rugby and Australian rules football are every bit as violent as the NFL and they have a fraction of the concussions.

 

The players would love it because their stupid faces would be on TV all the time!

Edited by Mike in Syracuse
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Want to stop defenders from leading with their helmets? GET RID OF THE DAMN HELMETS. Teach players to tackle with their shoulders again.

 

Rugby and Australian rules football are every bit as violent as the NFL and they have a fraction of the concussions.

 

The players would love it because their stupid faces would be on TV all the time!

But the owners would hate it because their logos wouldn't be.

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While I agree with you about needing better helmets, concussions would not come to an end. Concussions happen because of a sudden change in speed causing the brain to hit the inside of the skull. While the helmet would lessen that crack of hitting, the change in speed that happens when the helmet hits something would not be changed. Fixing the hard shell exterior wouldn't do much to reduce concussions, although it is probably still worth it.

 

If the League is serious about reducing concussions it needs to mandate all players wear Helmets that have padding on the outside as well as the inside like Mark Kelso used to wear.

I think the padding should be much thicker than he had and of a medium density so that there is a lot of give to it. Imagine to marshmallows coming together, it would be practically impossible to get a concussion with helmets like that. They may look retarded at first but huge shoulder pads probably looked funny too. They can come up with all these new helmets they want but until they cover the hard shell exterior of today's helmets, concussions will likely continue.

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While I agree with you about needing better helmets, concussions would not come to an end. Concussions happen because of a sudden change in speed causing the brain to hit the inside of the skull. While the helmet would lessen that crack of hitting, the change in speed that happens when the helmet hits something would not be changed.

Prime example...

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Helmets don't affect the change in speed, but they increase the time over which the change in speed takes place, lessening the impulse to the brain.

More padding leads to a more gradual change in momentum, and thus a lower impulse. This is the important factor.

 

The density of the padding is the result of helmet manufacturers "guessing" at the momentum of the most common and most dangerous collisions the helmets will see, and then optimizing the density of the padding for those collisions. There is, of course, some margin-of-error

 

While I agree with you about needing better helmets, concussions would not come to an end. Concussions happen because of a sudden change in speed causing the brain to hit the inside of the skull. While the helmet would lessen that crack of hitting, the change in speed that happens when the helmet hits something would not be changed. Fixing the hard shell exterior wouldn't do much to reduce concussions, although it is probably still worth it.

Edited by UB Bull
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I actually think we are missing the point and going in the opposite direction.

 

...go back to leather helmets.

 

It is my understanding that someone could tap you on the head with their finger and you'd feel it all the way down to the soles of your feet.

 

I have a feeling a good number of players would reduce their head first game of attach.

 

For that matter no more pads, just padding in thick jerseys.

 

This is an unrealistic proposal, unfortunately, but not a bad one. Lots of us have played football with and without pads and know that people hit differently - play differently - without pads.

 

I have had several concussions and have talked to mark at great length on a number of occasions on just this topic. I have also spoken to several helmet companies as well. Everyone I have spoken to gave me the same answer: these helmets aren't safe. They spread the blow rather than absorb it and they cause great strain on the neck which caused a second concern. Because of this you will never see this helmet again. At the time it was the best option, now it's not.

 

There will never be concussion proof helmets but there are cooncussion preventative helmets. Riddell and Schutt have better products yearly that are helping this. The NFL is doing something about this problem it's just not a problem with an over night solution.

 

How was this helmet a good idea when Kelso played but not anymore? What's different now? (Btw, I'm wondering what number you wore?)

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Let me know when they invent a helmet that can prevent the brain from moving inside your head. If rotational acceleration of the brain can be prevented, we'll see a significant drop in concussions. Until then (and it is never gonna happen), all a helmet will do is prevent skull fractures and hematomas. Bad news: you got a concussion. Good news: you didn't fracture your skull in the process.

 

Wonderful.

 

GO BILLS!!!

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Let me know when they invent a helmet that can prevent the brain from moving inside your head. If rotational acceleration of the brain can be prevented, we'll see a significant drop in concussions. Until then (and it is never gonna happen), all a helmet will do is prevent skull fractures and hematomas. Bad news: you got a concussion. Good news: you didn't fracture your skull in the process.

 

Wonderful.

 

GO BILLS!!!

 

Inject concrete into the skull to encase the brain. There, the brain cannot move anymore, no more concussions. Sure, you'll die, but you won't get a concussion.

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Inject concrete into the skull to encase the brain. There, the brain cannot move anymore, no more concussions. Sure, you'll die, but you won't get a concussion.

 

I was thinking of something more like flubber.

 

GO BILLS!!!

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Why not make the center strip of the helmet the soft material? Thats the part defenders hit offense players with on helmet to helmet.

Mohawk helmet? still wont help side shots like Pierre Thomas took from Whitner last year.

 

I have had several concussions and have talked to mark at great length on a number of occasions on just this topic. I have also spoken to several helmet companies as well. Everyone I have spoken to gave me the same answer: these helmets aren't safe. They spread the blow rather than absorb it and they cause great strain on the neck which caused a second concern. Because of this you will never see this helmet again. At the time it was the best option, now it's not.

 

There will never be concussion proof helmets but there are cooncussion preventative helmets. Riddell and Schutt have better products yearly that are helping this. The NFL is doing something about this problem it's just not a problem with an over night solution.

Does Mark have concussion problems now? Spreading the blow would seem to be better than absorbing a blow? My idea has more padding and is less dense making for an "air bag" affect but it's just an idea and would need to be tested first. I hope they do come up with something bc I don't want players injured or dead and my second favorite sport ruined or banned.

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If the League is serious about reducing concussions it needs to mandate all players wear Helmets that have padding on the outside as well as the inside like Mark Kelso used to wear.

I think the padding should be much thicker than he had and of a medium density so that there is a lot of give to it. Imagine to marshmallows coming together, it would be practically impossible to get a concussion with helmets like that. They may look retarded at first but huge shoulder pads probably looked funny too. They can come up with all these new helmets they want but until they cover the hard shell exterior of today's helmets, concussions will likely continue.

 

There too goofy that a lot of players would not even consider. Two hand touch is well on the way with the continuance of the pussification of america.

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When Matt Cassell went to the Chiefs from the Patriots I remember reading he mentioned he was taking his mouth guard and helmet with him because he said he wanted the very best protection he could get from concussions. So the Chiefs could setup the same type of protection he had in New England. After reading that I had to wonder if the Patriots are using state of the art equipment to protect their players better then the rest of the league. Schutt instead of Riddell perhaps?

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While I agree with you about needing better helmets, concussions would not come to an end. Concussions happen because of a sudden change in speed causing the brain to hit the inside of the skull. While the helmet would lessen that crack of hitting, the change in speed that happens when the helmet hits something would not be changed. Fixing the hard shell exterior wouldn't do much to reduce concussions, although it is probably still worth it.

 

 

Medically referred to as coup contrecoup No helmet is going to prevent this type of injury

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This is an unrealistic proposal, unfortunately, but not a bad one. Lots of us have played football with and without pads and know that people hit differently - play differently - without pads.

 

 

 

How was this helmet a good idea when Kelso played but not anymore? What's different now? (Btw, I'm wondering what number you wore?)

 

I am confused as to your question about what number I wore... what's that in relation too? Secondly what's different now is Mark that that helmet sucked in hind site. Helmet companies thought that helmet sucked and that's why they don't produce them. If it was as simple as mass producing that and solving the concussion problem it would have been done by now. What's different now as well is the knowledge we have about concussions. It's been about 25 years since that helmet was in the NFL. There are much better helmets out now than there were then.

 

Mohawk helmet? still wont help side shots like Pierre Thomas took from Whitner last year.

 

 

Does Mark have concussion problems now? Spreading the blow would seem to be better than absorbing a blow? My idea has more padding and is less dense making for an "air bag" affect but it's just an idea and would need to be tested first. I hope they do come up with something bc I don't want players injured or dead and my second favorite sport ruined or banned.

 

Mark told me as late as last year that he does not suffer any lingering problems from concussions.

 

When Matt Cassell went to the Chiefs from the Patriots I remember reading he mentioned he was taking his mouth guard and helmet with him because he said he wanted the very best protection he could get from concussions. So the Chiefs could setup the same type of protection he had in New England. After reading that I had to wonder if the Patriots are using state of the art equipment to protect their players better then the rest of the league. Schutt instead of Riddell perhaps?

 

http://cowboysblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2011/02/helmet-company-believes-nfl-ha.html

 

This article talks about the Schutt Riddell rivalry and that 30% of the leauges helmets are Schutt even though you never see their company name on any of the helmets. I personally wore a Schutt helmet after being in 3 different types of Riddell helmets and never received a concussion in the Schutt. It is my belief they have a better product to prevent concussions. The below article might help others with this belief as well.

 

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/thehuddle/post/2011/05/nfl-helmets-concussion-safety-study-riddell-schutt-xenith/1#.T6w3KcV9mSo

Edited by cmjoyce113
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cmjoyce, you seem knowledgeable on this issue. So what's the answer?

 

Kurt Warner says he might not let his kids play football. In another thread, folks here on TBD are predicting that our grandkids won't play football because it's too dangerous. Is that really the road we're on? Or can we find ways to make the safety of football acceptable?

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cmjoyce, you seem knowledgeable on this issue. So what's the answer?

 

Kurt Warner says he might not let his kids play football. In another thread, folks here on TBD are predicting that our grandkids won't play football because it's too dangerous. Is that really the road we're on? Or can we find ways to make the safety of football acceptable?

 

Truthfully I think the game is ALREADY getting safer. It will not be as bad with these rookies as it was for the rookies of 5 years ago. Coaches, players, medical staff, athletic directors, everyone is more knowledgeable on this issue now. If the game is taught correctly it doesn't have to be "too dangerous."

 

Football will ALWAYS be a violent game but it should never stop being played. More non contact practices are happening in the pros and that should happen at all levels. Helmet to helmet hits should continue to be penalized with fines AND suspensions. If the game is taught correctly (form tackling/head up, blocking with hands and not putting ur Shoulder and head down, d-lineman leading with their hands and hand fighting to get off blocks, etc) there will be less head injuries period. If it is coached right at youth levels through college it will transition to the pros. People who played in the 90's learned different tackling/blocking techniques than were taught in the 70's.

 

Football can be around for a long time, and played "safely" if taught and played properly. This is just my opinion.

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Kelso may have looked like a dork out there, but today he doesn't have migraines.

I didn't read all the responses, so this may have been mentioned. Mark is a friend of mine and to my knowledge he still suffers from migraines.

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I didn't read all the responses, so this may have been mentioned. Mark is a friend of mine and to my knowledge he still suffers from migraines.

 

I've talked to mark and he has told me a couple different times he has no affects from his concussions.

 

To be clear I am not mark's friend so he may have been more honest with you than me.

Edited by cmjoyce113
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While I agree with you about needing better helmets, concussions would not come to an end. Concussions happen because of a sudden change in speed causing the brain to hit the inside of the skull. While the helmet would lessen that crack of hitting, the change in speed that happens when the helmet hits something would not be changed. Fixing the hard shell exterior wouldn't do much to reduce concussions, although it is probably still worth it.

 

My God, thank you man! Finally a bit of sense injected into this entire debate. Roger and the NFL don't care about about the players, just the bottom line. And this pending lawsuit affects the bottom line. They could have been mandated the use of helmets that are proven to lower the risk of concussions. These "player safety rules" are in place to simply increase the scoring output.

 

I wonder if the parents who "won't let their kids play football" will also stop throwing their babies up and down in the air, eliciting cooing, drooling, and that "off in the distance look from them (sound familiar ex-nfler's and dementia patients?).

 

We need to redesign the skull first...

 

*Edit* I should have read further, but I see there are a few folks that realize that there really isn't any way to stop the brain from banging off both sides of you skull once your body is moving at a high speed, and is stopped suddenly, there for potentially causing a concussion, regardless of technique or currently available technology.

 

Someone mentioned injecting the brain w/ cement, but yeah you'll probably die. How about botox? That stuff will make your entire face stop moving.

Edited by 716
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Get rid of the helemts, altogether.. betcha you'd see alot more "form tackles" if the hardest thing defenders had to use on their uniforms were the shoulder pads.

 

P.S. I'm only half joking.

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Truthfully I think the game is ALREADY getting safer. It will not be as bad with these rookies as it was for the rookies of 5 years ago. Coaches, players, medical staff, athletic directors, everyone is more knowledgeable on this issue now. If the game is taught correctly it doesn't have to be "too dangerous."

 

Football will ALWAYS be a violent game but it should never stop being played. More non contact practices are happening in the pros and that should happen at all levels. Helmet to helmet hits should continue to be penalized with fines AND suspensions. If the game is taught correctly (form tackling/head up, blocking with hands and not putting ur Shoulder and head down, d-lineman leading with their hands and hand fighting to get off blocks, etc) there will be less head injuries period. If it is coached right at youth levels through college it will transition to the pros. People who played in the 90's learned different tackling/blocking techniques than were taught in the 70's.

 

Football can be around for a long time, and played "safely" if taught and played properly. This is just my opinion.

Totally agree about form tackling, all this sorry-ass "tackling" that is going on in the league is pathetic. Hopefully with all the H-H rules players will start tackling bettere giving us a better product on the field and less concussions. That said when I played it was practically impossible not to go helmet helmet when tacking on pulling lineman and Full Backs. Also when I played I found that if I had a tight helmet there was no pain or stars when hitting but if it was loose this caused a lot of head problems. As I see players today there helmets practically fall off when they bend over, I think if they just got a tighter helmet that, that would help some what.

 

Back to the soft Helmets; I'm no engineer but working in a machine shop I know a soft face hammer delivers a much less significant blow than a hard face one, just saying.

 

is this the kind of Technology you are talking about? If not then what?

 

"Similar carbon fiber/kevlar and energy apsorbing technology and knowledge that is utilized for F1, MotoGP and other motorsport helmets with some version of a Hans type device needs to be incorporated into football helmet design and manufacturing in order to minimize the high rate of brain injuries suffered by football players worldwide."

 

http://realanalytics.wordpress.com/2010/11/04/football-concussion-statistics/

 

I've talked to mark and he has told me a couple different times he has no affects from his concussions.

 

To be clear I am not mark's friend so he may have been more honest with you than me.

Are you a former player and what is your involvement with new helmets.

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