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@neo said:

They might as well start strapping tampons to their shoulders instead of shoulder pads.

Ya know, you used to be able to sneak around and block a DE in the side of his knee.  You know, the direction that your knee does not bend.  Without him knowing you're coming.  My cousin said, "I knew that just wasn't right all the way back in the 70's when I played DE for the high school team."  When a receiver was leaping to make a catch, you could zero in on him and smash him with no regard for where the ball was.   That was never 'right'.  ( a defenseless receiver )  

They've taken some of the stuff that just 'wasn't right' out of the game.  The same now with the helmet rule.

Here's the deal, if you want football to continue into the future...and you want parents to allow their sons to play football...then you better keep striving to make it safer.

My two grandboys (8 & 6 yrs old) are finishing up their first flag football season.  I've enjoyed the hell out of them playing, watching how they went from knowing next to nothing to being key touchdown makers on their respective teams (the kindergartener tallied 3 rushing TD's last week and the older one had a pick-6 and a rushing TD).  But I still told them last night, Papa doesn't want you to play anymore once the flags come off.

@neo said:

I understand that players need to be healthy and safe on the field but at what point does this cease to be football? There is a certain amount of DANGER associated with this sport. Any sane (?) person with any common sense would know this, and especially someone WHO HAS BEEN TRAINING since pee wee. They let players beat the shit out of each other in hockey. I am sure there are ways to make this sport safe without taking away what makes it great. <--- Not really unless they play in big plastic bubbles....but the plastic might cause cancer or something. 

They might as well start strapping tampons to their shoulders instead of shoulder pads. <--- I don't think any of us would want that.     

We've always loved America's most popular sport tackle football   -but-  in recent decades it's been exposed just how dangerous the sport really can be 9n the human body.  And backyard football for the love of the game is one thing.

As far as any sane person well it's a risk/reward thing and for most all of the professional players especially with today's paydays  it's worth the risk.  When asked many injured players say they'd do it again.   And like you said these players started in pee-wee football, 

I got my first helmet and pads in 5th grade and my dad was all for it, I played through 11th grade when I hurt my knee football over.   But I would have pursued college football if I could.   Eh those are the breaks.  Instead I got a job in a steel mill and worked my way through college.  I knew the football risks, but would I do it again ? Hell yes, I loved it !

So there you go....   

For us, with the number of illegal blocks we get, putting us inside the 10.....just take it on the 25 whenever you can.  

@neo said:

I think you're missing what I'm saying. I'm saying move it back to where they used to kick it off but the kicker is the only one allowed to get a running start. So it would basically be like it is now, just a few yards back so the ball doesn't always get kicked out of the endzone. The gunners can't run until the ball is in the air going downfield. 

Some proposals had eliminating  all  kickoffs and just putting the ball around the 25 yard line and that may come back again in the future. 

No more returns of any kind including those dazzling ones by some of favorite one tool players would be gone too.

The other measures like contact foul penalties, some equipment improvements and other are trying to lower the amount of serious injuries and keep playing American Tackle Football. 

We'll see what happens in the future.  

@mjp28 said:

They HAD to try cut down on the full speed collisions, concussions, disabled players and of course the CTE cases.....which the NFL had to finally admit were real.

Of course a lot of fans love those dramatic runs and high speed collisions and the ooohs and aaahs  -but-  the NFL had to take the lead on this.

It's not the 1960s and 1970s anymore,  the glory years of NFL football. 

I think you're missing what I'm saying. I'm saying move it back to where they used to kick it off but the kicker is the only one allowed to get a running start. So it would basically be like it is now, just a few yards back so the ball doesn't always get kicked out of the endzone. The gunners can't run until the ball is in the air going downfield. 

@calfoxwc said:

I miss the Josh Cribbs returns, too, but your answer is excellent. But the way it is now, Schwartz had that serious collusion on a return last season, straight up the field, between two blockers, didn't see the guy who hit him until he hit him, and Schwartz ended up with a concussion. Seems that the way it is now, gunners can get past the blockers before the returner catches the ball. Maybe moving the line back gives more time to set up a return. Or not. Maybe only cut down on the number of head on collisions...not a solution ?

Solution quit playing professional tackle football.   But these steps help not 100% cure the problems here. 

.......edit add, it's not normal for 40 year old former NFL players to be walking around with one or two canes or 40-50 year olds to not remember where they lived or recocnize family members.   CTE can only positively be identified in an autopsy but nearly 100% of NFL players who had their brains examined showed CTE in their brain from repeated contact hitting and concussions. 

The NFL does not deny this and has made one huge settlement with probably more to come in the future.  Sad but true and some of this can be traced back to college and even high school.  

This is not new news.

Oddly when players with various injuries were asked if they'd do it again the majority said yes.  So there you go.  Just the facts. ?

@mjp28 said:

They HAD to try cut down on the full speed collisions, concussions, disabled players and of course the CTE cases.....which the NFL had to finally admit were real.

Of course a lot of fans love those dramatic runs and high speed collisions and the ooohs and aaahs  -but-  the NFL had to take the lead on this.

It's not the 1960s and 1970s anymore,  the glory years of NFL football. 

I miss the Josh Cribbs returns, too, but your answer is excellent. But the way it is now, Schwartz had that serious collusion on a return last season, straight up the field, between two blockers, didn't see the guy who hit him until he hit him, and Schwartz ended up with a concussion. Seems that the way it is now, gunners can get past the blockers before the returner catches the ball. Maybe moving the line back gives more time to set up a return. Or not. Maybe only cut down on the number of head on collisions...not a solution ?

@neo said:

So why not just put the kickoff back to where it was just don't give the players a running start. Can't start running until the ball is in the air. They robbed us of the Devin Hester's and Joshua Cribbs of the return game.

They HAD to try cut down on the full speed collisions, concussions, disabled players and of course the CTE cases.....which the NFL had to finally admit were real.

Of course a lot of fans love those dramatic runs and high speed collisions and the ooohs and aaahs  -but-  the NFL had to take the lead on this.

It's not the 1960s and 1970s anymore,  the glory years of NFL football. 

@dutch-oven said:

I think it was when they tore down the Metrodome and were building their current dome in the same spot, and played a few seasons at the U of Minnesota's outdoor stadium.

Thanks...that was it.  I couldn't remember the details.

@ballpeen said:

Bud was a tough SOB.  A few years back he went out for a coin flip outdoors when it was -6 outside.

Not sure why the game was outdoors then...maybe it was when the Dome up there collapsed under the weight or snow, or maybe it was rain and had to close for a period of time for repairs..

I think it was when they tore down the Metrodome and were building their current dome in the same spot, and played a few seasons at the U of Minnesota's outdoor stadium.

Not sure why the game was outdoors then...maybe it was when the Dome up there collapsed under the weight or snow, or maybe it was rain and had to close for a period of time for repairs..

@mld-woody said:

C

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Ageist.

@gorka said:

OK I found it.

Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) is a degenerative brain disease found in athletes.

So forcing a team to go all out instead of taking a knee that last minute increases the risk?

Didn't the NFL just add an entire game Woody?

Don't muddle this thread with facts. Nobody likes that guy. 

@westside-steve said:

Haha

OK I found it.

Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) is a degenerative brain disease found in athletes.

So forcing a team to go all out instead of taking a knee that last minute increases the risk?

Didn't the NFL just add an entire game Woody?

@gorka said:

Constrain The Elderly?

You know how Woody feels about the older generations.

Haha

@westside-steve said:

?

WSS

Constrain The Elderly?

You know how Woody feels about the older generations.

but stopping both's momentum with both restarting? 5-6 yards away? I don't watch the CFL.. Does it work? 

@mld-woody said:

C

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?

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