The decline of American football?

[BlueSky]

It annoys me when any of us who don't want this to turn into flag football are tagged as bloodthirsty morons. As I've said before:

DO

1. Enforce the rules against spearing and deliberate head shots

2. Teach/coach better fundamentals, i.e. real tackling vs. highlight shot

DON'T

1. Throw a flag every time a guy gets blown up just to "err on the side of caution" - make sure it's a head shot

2. Make any more rules protecting QBs

The do's are win-win, they preserve the spirit of the sport while addressing the head shot issue. But...they don't address the repetitive shots lineman are getting. I'm torn on eliminating the 3-point stance. Maybe that's where better helmets will help.

I'd still like to see numbers on how many players out of all who play the game are being affected. Yes, one is too many, I get that, but has anyone considered that at least some of those affected may be predisposed to dementia? I'm not arguing against safety, I'm arguing for some in-depth R&A that will help define exactly what the issues are so they can be addressed as effectively as possible.

[BBTV]

It annoys me when any of us who don't want this to turn into flag football are tagged as bloodthirsty morons. As I've said before:

DO

1. Enforce the rules against spearing and deliberate head shots

2. Teach/coach better fundamentals, i.e. real tackling vs. highlight shot

DON'T

1. Throw a flag every time a guy gets blown up just to "err on the side of caution" - make sure it's a head shot

2. Make any more rules protecting QBs

The do's are win-win, they preserve the spirit of the sport while addressing the head shot issue. But...they don't address the repetitive shots lineman are getting. I'm torn on eliminating the 3-point stance. Maybe that's where better helmets will help.

I'd still like to see numbers on how many players out of all who play the game are being affected. Yes, one is too many, I get that, but has anyone considered that at least some of those affected may be predisposed to dementia? I'm not arguing against safety, I'm arguing for some in-depth R&A that will help define exactly what the issues are so they can be addressed as effectively as possible.

Granted, this is just one article from a very fast google search, so I'm not claiming to know that this is proven fact, but according to this, former NFL players are significantly more likely to develop dementia after their playing days, and develop it at 19x the normal rate between ages 30 and 49.

http://www.nytimes.c...30dementia.html

It certainly can't be the case that it's mostly people who are predisposed to dementia that just happen to develop into NFL athletes, as if a predisposition to dementia directly correlates with the ability to run fast and be strong.

Certainly more studies are needed, but with the evidence that is already out there, it's time to act.

Also, I certainly wouldn't argue against your "Dos and Don'ts". I agree that if the ref isn't 100% positive, he shouldn't throw a flag. Let the league review it and suspend or execute if necessary. Just be clear on the rules, and enforce them through stricter penalties. This is something that is bigger than just a 15 yard personal foul.

I'm not in favor of more rules protecting QBs, just different ones. The current rules are designed to protect ratings and the league's marketability by keeping star QBs healthy, not just to protect their domes. I'd be fine with stricter penalties for blind-side blows to the head and stuff like that, but loosen up on calling the 15-yard penalty on the guy who dives to go for a sack and just brushes up on the QBs foot after he throws.

[Gothamite]

Exactly. The numbers seem way too large to plausibly result from any sort of predisposition.

The do's are win-win, they preserve the spirit of the sport while addressing the head shot issue. But...they don't address the repetitive shots lineman are getting. I'm torn on eliminating the 3-point stance. Maybe that's where better helmets will help.

I've said it before, but it has to be repeated: helmets will not solve the problem, unless you have a helmet which fits under the skull.

On the contrary, "better" helmets will make the problem worse. That's how we got into this problem in the first place, by giving players a false sense of security, wrapped in their body armor.

[Waffles]

It annoys me when any of us who don't want this to turn into flag football are tagged as bloodthirsty morons.

And it annoys me when any of us who recognize that the status quo is unsustainable are tagged as wanting to turn it into flag football.

[Viper]

It annoys me when any of us who don't want this to turn into flag football are tagged as bloodthirsty morons.

And it annoys me when any of us who recognize that the status quo is unsustainable are tagged as wanting to turn it into flag football.

That makes two of us. Actually, even turning the game into flag football wouldn't solve the problems spelled out in Hruby's ESPN.com piece. That may get rid of the devastating head hits, but the less obvious risk of subconcussive, non-direct-impact head injuries leading to chronic brain damage that Hruby describes would still be there. Nothing short of abolishing all forms of football outright (good luck with that) would accomplish that. Even so, I get the distinct impression that the sport of American football (not just the NFL) is in for some interesting times ahead... in the ancient-Chinese-curse sense of the operative word. And I'm not talking about next year's lockout.

And as I mentioned in my original post, mark my words: the scrutiny that football is now under will not stay confined to football. As parents turned off from football look for alternative sports for their kids to play, they're going to want assurance that those other sports don't also involve an unacceptable level of risk, either immediate or chronic. That's why I said any contact sport or sport where players wear helmets is likely to end up under the same microscope. Tennis, anyone?