NFL authorizes in-game use of guardian caps.

[cymatica]

I don't think it does ruin their product. People will get used to it. I mean, how friggin' stupid do you think hard-shell helmets looked to the leatherheads?

It's just a stupid looking shell that'd presumably be aesthetically upgraded in short order.

I don't know how stupid they looked to people 70 years ago, I do know those helmet bumpers look absolutely ridiculous right now

 

[chris98251]

Believe it or not, it might just be the best we can do. Positional groups wearing Guardian Caps in practice in 2022/2023 saw nearly a 50% decline in concussion rate.

I'd be against this because they look so incredibly lame, but I just can't be against it considering the facts around how effective they've been coupled with the fact that football is facing an EXISTENTIAL threat due to the neurological damage inherent to the game.

Anything that works to keep those noggins safe should be done. The game depends on it.

Game depends on players, just like the fishing industry depends on fishermen or oil drill rig workers, I go back to knowing all along that there is a chance for injury, there is a chance to have long term repercussions just as people that work in coal mines or in the forest industry have chances of long term or traumatic injury or death. The only difference is these guys are on TV and get publicity really. They know what they are getting into.

 

[Maelstrom787]

Game depends on players, just like the fishing industry depends on fishermen or oil drill rig workers, I go back to knowing all along that there is a chance for injury, there is a chance to have long term repercussions just as people that work in coal mines or in the forest industry have chances of long term or traumatic injury or death. The only difference is these guys are on TV and get publicity really. They know what they are getting into.

They may know what they are getting into, but so do the parents and legislators that are going to prevent children (who cannot be considered mentally apt to consent to permanent damage) from getting into the sport.

This is a serious threat to the sport. Much more so than goofy caps that not everyone will wear.

 

[chris98251]

They may know what they are getting into, but so do the parents and legislators that are going to prevent children (who cannot be considered mentally apt to consent to permanent damage) from getting into the sport.

This is a serious threat to the sport. Much more so than goofy caps that not everyone will wear.

True, then again there is not a lack of people wanting to play the game, that ,00000001% that is a Unicorn may not happen as much but the Balance will still be good, every year there are what 1500 plus guys available to be drafted. The players after the second round are all a wash as far as talent goes mostly, it's a preference and role choice.

 

[AROS]

Believe it or not, it might just be the best we can do. Positional groups wearing Guardian Caps in practice in 2022/2023 saw nearly a 50% decline in concussion rate.

I'd be against this because they look so incredibly lame, but I just can't be against it considering the facts around how effective they've been coupled with the fact that football is facing an EXISTENTIAL threat due to the neurological damage inherent to the game.

Anything that works to keep those noggins safe should be done. The game depends on it.

They should consider somehow placing them (or a form of them) INSIDE the helmets. That way you get the best of both worlds: Drastically reducing concussions while keeping the aesthetics intact which I think most fans would approve of.

Of course I have no idea if that is even possible but man, ANYTHING but this.

 

[Lagartixa]

It's a rough sport and why these guys are paid annually more than most are paid in a lifetime.

That's not why NFL players make so much money.

An NFL player is among the 100 best in the world at what he does. Round the world population down to eight billion, take half of that to get the approximate number of males, take a quarter of that to get the right age range, and you've got one billion. You'd rather include just a fifth of the male population? OK, 800 million. If a player is in the top 100 out of a population of 800 million, he's in the top eighth of the top 1% of the top 1% of the top 1% in the world at what he does. And his job is in a business that attracts many billions of dollars of revenue per year.

The market obviously supports current prices for game tickets, licensed merchandise, streaming subscriptions and cable and satellite subscriptions. We complain about the prices, but demand remains high. With better tools to measure the effectiveness of advertising than ever before in history, many multi-billion-dollar companies consider it worthwhile to pay more than ever before to advertise on NFL broadcasts. As a result, the NFL can negotiate some staggering broadcast deals. With all this revenue pouring into the NFL, I want as much of it as possible to go to the players. They're the ones we're watching, the ones who create the actual entertainment by pushing the limits of how well human beings can play a sport.

And because the owners know that without these top players, they can't provide a product that's even close in quality to what they have now (and that goes back to the players being in the top eighth of the top 1% of the top 1% of the top 1% at what they do), they end up agreeing to allocating a sizeable percentage of revenue to the players (I think it's 48.8% now).

That's why NFL players get paid so much.

 

[Lagartixa]

Game depends on players, just like the fishing industry depends on fishermen or oil drill rig workers, I go back to knowing all along that there is a chance for injury, there is a chance to have long term repercussions just as people that work in coal mines or in the forest industry have chances of long term or traumatic injury or death. The only difference is these guys are on TV and get publicity really. They know what they are getting into.

Imagine how stupid it would be if people who don't work in logging or mining were to say people in those areas couldn't use proven-to-work safety equipment because those people not in the relevant industry didn't like how the safety equipment looked.

 

[sutz]

They should consider somehow placing them (or a form of them) INSIDE the helmets. That way you get the best of both worlds: Drastically reducing concussions while keeping the aesthetics intact which I think most fans would approve of.

Of course I have no idea if that is even possible but man, ANYTHING but this.

That would diminish the effectiveness. A big part of the problem is the hard shell. When that hard shell impacts another hard shelled helmet, the shock waves created are virtually impossible to reduce with just padding. Padding the outside of the helmet is much more effective, since it reduces the sharp shock waves that are created in the first place. Think of them as "crumple zones" on the helmets. Or, even better, look at it in terms of acoustics. When you go to create a neutral space for recording, do you put tile on all the walls or foam?

 

[chris98251]

Imagine how stupid it would be if people who don't work in logging or mining were to say people in those areas couldn't use proven-to-work safety equipment because those people not in the relevant industry didn't like how the safety equipment looked.

Well most those guys are not given 5 years of a chance at a College to Educate themselves for free either. I'm sure the Pillow guy has a lot of extras lying around now after his collapse, maybe the NFL should just wrap them all in them and say roll down the field. I am sure you and all the rest of the fans would still watch, or maybe have the fields be incased and they have to play in 4 feet of water so they can r educe impact. They are given a choice, play or not to play, safe guards are in place, but like so many Helicopter Parents you can only protect them so much. Especially since so many enjoy the chance at making big contact moments.

 

[oldhawkfan]

They should consider somehow placing them (or a form of them) INSIDE the helmets. That way you get the best of both worlds: Drastically reducing concussions while keeping the aesthetics intact which I think most fans would approve of.

Of course I have no idea if that is even possible but man, ANYTHING but this.

If they put them inside the helmets then we get this!

 

[samwize77]

Neutered Football League

For those who "joke" about the NFL becoming a flag league...well, you're not altogether wrong. Safety considerations will go as far as the "almighty dollar" will allow. Its a business after all. And once the revenue begins to disappear, thats when safety will go out the window....its just a matter of how far the NFL is willing to take it.