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How to Save Football Players’ Brains


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https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-to-save-football-players-brains-1516403567?mod=searchresults&page=1&pos=1

The following is a Commentary in weekend edition of WSJ by Dr. Auerbach who is an professor of emergency medicine at Stanford.

Appeared in the January 20, 2018, WSJ print edition.

"One simple rule change would solve much of the problem: Require the linemen to stand up."

" Down lineman are the large, heavy and strong players positioned at the line of scrimmage, usually in a crouching stance with one or both hands touching the turf. On the offense, they block opposing players, protecting or clearing a path for the quarterback and running backs. On the defense, they try to tackle the ball carrier. When the ball is snapped, these opposing linemen collide head to head like rams in a territorial dispute. Their brains decelerate quickly—play after play after play."

 
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That would require ALL line players to forget everthing they've ever been taught. No leg drive. No acceleration at the snap. Would be a completely different game if linemen were to stand up. I just cant see that as making any more difference for safety as compared to a lber running 7 yds to make a helmet to helmet tackle. These guys are nose to nose. The impact cant be near the severity as tacklers with a running head start

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4 minutes ago, BuffAlone said:

That would require ALL line players to forget everthing they've ever been taught. No leg drive. No acceleration at the snap. Would be a completely different game if linemen were to stand up. I just cant see that as making any more difference for safety as compared to a lber running 7 yds to make a helmet to helmet tackle. These guys are nose to nose. The impact cant be near the severity as tacklers with a running head start

The game is going to have to change substantially if it is to survive long term.

 

 

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27 minutes ago, Fadingpain said:

The game is going to have to change substantially if it is to survive long term.

 

 

I suppose. But I would have to think head hunting ball carriers would have to take precedent over lineman standing up...for starters. I mean seriously,  they dont pop off the line that violently. They don't possess Bruce Lee type four inch death punch strength lol. The first step is form tackling, IMO

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Maybe another option would be to have a team weight cap, just like a salary cap. It would open the game up to more players. Each team could then spread the weight around to the different positions as it now does money. Less weight, less force, less injuries.

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If you're laughing at the notion of protecting the players from head and neck injuries, you're being foolish. Did you get a goood laugh when Junior Seau blew his brains out? Do you think it's hysterical that Jim McMahon can't  remember anything for more than a few minutes? Some of the comments here are beyond stupid. Perhaps some have brain injuries themselves. SMH...

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First thing I would do is make the outer shell a soft foam instead of hard plastic. They would get torn up, but dont they use new helmets every game anyways?

The helmut could be soft inside, a reinforced plastic shell, then another soft foam outside.

 

The hard outer shell is a weapon and it needs to go.

 

 

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9 hours ago, clayboy54 said:

Since when do football players have brains? 

 

When Gronk went out today, I expressed surprise that he was put in the concussion protocol, then had to explain to my wife that it's tough to distinguish between concussion symptoms and being an alumnus of Williamsville North HS.

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