If You're the NFL Commissioner

[newyorkjetsfan]

If you're NFL Commissioner Roger Goodel, what should you do with the issues of concussions and post-concussion symptoms with the suicide of Junior Seau?

[therightside]

There's not much that can be done. Flag football, I suppose.

[Dr. Funkenstein]

If you're NFL Commissioner Roger Goodel, what should you do with the issues of concussions and post-concussion symptoms with the suicide of Junior Seau?

Increase roster sizes and don't allow concussed players to return to games. There's no way the union will fight against a larger membership, so it'll pass them.

[Dr. Funkenstein]

There's not much that can be done. Flag football, I suppose.

Concussions happen in flag football too.

[grapabeaux]

Concussions happen in flag football too.

Erm, what? Show your work.....or sarcasm, whichever appllies.

Seriously, though, this past year has turned me off on football, both college and pro, though for different reasons. I have watched the game for more strategic reasons than to see the (formerly ESPN sponsored) "Jacked Up!!" But if the hits we see now (illegal or not) have the possibility of the disasters we've seen now, it just sucks the life out of how we're supposed to care about the outcome of any one game now.

[Mr. Kettle Bell]

A person who eventually becomes an NFL player may be knocking heads from? When, Little League Pop Warner football until say in Seau's case, he is about 40 years old. That's a long time. That can be about 26 years or even around 30 years of this kind of action.

[Dr. Funkenstein]

Erm, what? Show your work.....or sarcasm, whichever appllies.

I've seen three in the last three years alone, and we're just slow-ass old guys running around on Sunday morning. I can only imagine what it's like in the county leagues that have kickoffs.

Seriously, though, this past year has turned me off on football, both college and pro, though for different reasons. I have watched the game for more strategic reasons than to see the (formerly ESPN sponsored) "Jacked Up!!" But if the hits we see now (illegal or not) have the possibility of the disasters we've seen now, it just sucks the life out of how we're supposed to care about the outcome of any one game now.

I can see that, but I do enjoy the violence inherent in the game.

[therightside]

Concussions happen in flag football too.

Wear helmets then.

[Dr. Funkenstein]

Wear helmets then.

We've seen how well that does for NFL players.

The problem isn't the helmets, although the newer ones have shown promise in at least reducing the severity of the concussions.

The problem is people thinking it's a good idea to launch themselves into the air, put their heads down and hit people with their helmet. Helmets are not weapons. Helmets are designed to protect your head, not inflict pain on an opponent.

And what led to that is segments on ESPN like "Jacked Up!" People stopped form tackling and started trying to blast people. Until youth coaches get back around to teaching proper tackling technique from Day 1, the problem never goes away.

[VCaddy05]

We've seen how well that does for NFL players.

The problem isn't the helmets, although the newer ones have shown promise in at least reducing the severity of the concussions.

The problem is people thinking it's a good idea to launch themselves into the air, put their heads down and hit people with their helmet. Helmets are not weapons. Helmets are designed to protect your head, not inflict pain on an opponent.

And what led to that is segments on ESPN like "Jacked Up!" People stopped form tackling and started trying to blast people. Until youth coaches get back around to teaching proper tackling technique from Day 1, the problem never goes away.

Yup leaving your feet and head down are some of the worst form tackles you can make, makes the highlight reel but you also miss alot too.

[therightside]

We've seen how well that does for NFL players.

The problem isn't the helmets, although the newer ones have shown promise in at least reducing the severity of the concussions.

The problem is people thinking it's a good idea to launch themselves into the air, put their heads down and hit people with their helmet. Helmets are not weapons. Helmets are designed to protect your head, not inflict pain on an opponent.

And what led to that is segments on ESPN like "Jacked Up!" People stopped form tackling and started trying to blast people. Until youth coaches get back around to teaching proper tackling technique from Day 1, the problem never goes away.

Since they are not going to flag football, it's silly to talk about. My first post was more of a joke. But you're not honestly comparing some guys playing flag football to the NFL, are you? If the NFL went to flag football it would significantly reduce head injuries, if not eliminate them period. Players currently "launch" themselves at another player in an effort to make a tackle. I suppose they could launch themselves at another player to remove a flag, but if they hit them, that would be a penalty.

[Excast]

I am making this post after just reading an article where it was estimated that Junior Seau may have suffered as many as 1500 concussions over the course of his football life.

Football as it is currently formatted doesn't really have a long term future. There is just too much evidence of the long term impacts on both the mind and the body.

We have players launching themselves at each other with the force of moderate car crashes. They do this dozens of times per game for 16-24 games a season plus whatever practice time. Take that and spread it out over the course of a career lasting several seasons and it is obvious that these men are crippling both their bodies and their minds.

I like football as much as the next guy, but it becomes hard to justify my entertainment when the cost is so high to the players out on the field. I can totally see some form of flag football replacing what we have currently within a few decades.

[badkarma]

Bigger rosters/fewer games (bigger roosters will happen, fewer games probably not)
Way way less contact in practice. Like almost none.
Force players to wear the gear that best protects against concussions.
Increase the hits on a defenseless player rules.
Bigger fines/suspensions/ramifications when avoidable helmet to helmet hits occur.

I think the biggest issue will be figuring out what to do with linemen. There entire job is basically to crash head first into each other.

regardless, whatever changes they make wont destroy the game. It may change it, we may end up with something slower and less violent, but it will still be football. The forward pass didn't ruin football, and it was implemented for safety reasons; whatever they eventually come up with will be the same. Probably hated by some for a bit, but pretty soon it will be accepted by everyone and it will just be football.

[Dr. Funkenstein]

Bigger rosters/fewer games (bigger roosters will happen, fewer games probably not)
Way way less contact in practice. Like almost none.
Force players to wear the gear that best protects against concussions.
Increase the hits on a defenseless player rules.
Bigger fines/suspensions/ramifications when avoidable helmet to helmet hits occur.

They can't. If they mandate a specific brand, they'd face even more liability when the player got a concussion.

I think the biggest issue will be figuring out what to do with linemen. There entire job is basically to crash head first into each other.

Good point.

regardless, whatever changes they make wont destroy the game. It may change it, we may end up with something slower and less violent, but it will still be football. The forward pass didn't ruin football, and it was implemented for safety reasons; whatever they eventually come up with will be the same. Probably hated by some for a bit, but pretty soon it will be accepted by everyone and it will just be football.

But, but...remember back in the day when you were allowed to decapitate another player and it wasn't even a penalty?

[badkarma]

They can't. If they mandate a specific brand, they'd face even more liability when the player got a concussion.

It doesn't have to be a specific brand, just up the standards on the gear they are allowed to wear. After all, they already have those standards.

Having said that, I'm going basically on what I have heard' where some of the newer head gear helps with concussions, but it looks silly so players won't wear it. I am not even sure if that is true or that such gear actually exists.