Are we gonna have to establish weight limits...??

Discussion in 'OTHER SPORTS Forum' started by Smilodon, Aug 11, 2013.

  1. Smilodon

    Smilodon Veteran Member

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    It is just pure physics. The energy created from bigger guys (mass) moving faster (exceleration) equals energy, which is what is causing these concussions. You now have 325lb offense tackles down blocking on 260lb middle lbs, and all of these guys are moving... There was some research posted stating that once the average weight of NFL players crossed 220lbs (not counting specialists) there was a significant increase in head/brain injuries. (during the mid 70s if I recall correctly) 'Cause the truth is no helmet in the world can stabilize your brain, which is floating around in your skull.
    So at some point I think on both the college and pro level they will have to establish weight limits. The Service Academies have weight class football and have been doing so for years. As someone mentioned on here, you might even seen the return of the two-way player. Might do the sport some good. Never know.
     
  2. Winston1

    Winston1 Founding Member

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    Interesting point. However one of the things that cause concussions is how players tackle and block today. They use their heads as weapons. Too many players lead with their heads instead of their shoulder. Watch safeties and LBs run to the tackle and launch their bodies. More than the huge lineman on a LB a 220lb safety closing at 4.5 speed is a missile. I recently heard a proposal that they take facemasks and faceshields away from the helmets and use the old single bar at most. Proper tackling and blocking technique would go a long way to solving the concussion issue.
     
  3. Smilodon

    Smilodon Veteran Member

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    Winston1
    Your reply brought this ancient (American) football history to mind:

    When A President Threatened to Abolish Football in the United States
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    Teddy Roosevelt Cut A Manly Figure as a Collegiate and Liked College Football But That Didn't Prevent Him From Threatening the Game with a Big Stick
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    1st Football Game Between Rutgers and Princeton Nov 6, 1869
    On This Date in History: President Theodore Roosevelt had an affinity for football. It provided physical fitness to build bodies and competition to build character. He liked the way that it taught teamwork and inspired individuals to never give up. American football had been in its development stages during the 19th century and at least 10 of his Roughriders listed their occupations as football players when they signed up in 1898. While the beginnings of the NFL did not come about with George Halas until 1920, professional football in America can be traced to as early as 1892 and college football to 1869. Perhaps all those football players joining up with Teddy Roosevelt to fight the Spanish is an indication of the rather wild and woolly landscape surrounding college football at the time. Now, you have to remember, at the turn of the century western colleges and universities were in a relatively fledgling state and the dominance of higher education resided in what we now call the Ivy League. That also held true for college football and the three reigning powers of the gridiron were Harvard, Yale and Princeton.
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    Robert "Tiny" Maxwell in 1905
    The presidents of those institutions as well as others were scratching their heads on this date in 1905 as the previous day they had been taken to the proverbial woodshed by the young President of the United States. You see, President Roosevelt had seen a photograph of Swarthmore College lineman Bob Maxwell who had been savagely beaten during a game. Seems that Penn knew that the agile, 250 pound Maxwell was the best player on Swarthmore so the team focused its effort on everyone pounding Maxwell early and often. The photo of him staggering off the field was so graphic that the Old Roughrider must have thought that the game had gotten too rough. As it turns out, he had good reason. Players wore very little padding and helmets were nothing more than a leather cap. Routinely, slugging and punching took place on the field and gang tackling was rampant. A favorite play was the “flying wedge” in which an entire team formed a V and plowed down the field like a tank. The players would often lock arms or even grab on to one another’s belts equipped with special handles. More often than not, the result was players strewn across the field and slugfests erupting. In 1905, there was roughly one-fifth the number of college football players as there are today, yet, 18 were killed and 159 severely injured in that one year alone.
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    The "Flying Wedge" Formation
     
  4. Smilodon

    Smilodon Veteran Member

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    So, on October 9, 1905, Teddy summoned representatives from Yale, Harvard and Princeton to the White House. When they arrived, he may have walked softly but he certainly brandished the Big Stick. He told them that if footbal could not put an end to on-field brutality, then he would abolish the game with an Executive Order. It’s kinda funny that young men being maimed or killed on the field did not make the coaches and presidents of the schools to consider changes and it took a roar from the Bully Pulpit got their attention. They should have noticed all by themselves that interest in football was on the decline due to the violence, high risk of injury and potential for fatalities. On the West Coast, Stanford and Cal had even dropped football due in favor of English Rugby. So, the following day the coaches got to work on making changes in order to save their jobs if not to help save some lives.
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    Football Has Never Been For the Faint of Heart
    First, the American Football Rules Committee was formed with the three influential forces on the governing body rising in the form of Walter Camp, Harvard’s William Reid and Captain Palmer Pierce of the United States Military Academy. The committee established a neutral zone along a line of scrimmage between the opposing teams with a requirement that at least 6 men had to be on that line. The distance required for a 1st down was changed to 10 yards instead of 5. The forward pass was put into the rules and, perhaps most importantly, mass formations were banned as was gang tackling. Game times were reduced to one hour with two 30-minute halves. While it doesn’t appear to monumental on paper, these rules changes had some dramatic results. The forward pass was used sparingly but the defenses were forced to weaken their lines due to the threat of the pass. That little neutral zone reduced the number of fights that broke out and the 6 man requirement took away the mass momentum plays. Two yards and a cloud of dust off-tackle plays became more common. With a less-potent ground attack, the additional five yards required for a new set of downs resulted in more frequent punts and an increased use of the field goal, which were worth 4 points at the time, compared to 5 points for a touchdown. In 1906, only 6 players were killed and 3 of those were Ivy Leaguers who died in fistfights.
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    Walter Camp Did Not Outlaw Touchdown Celebrations
     
  5. Smilodon

    Smilodon Veteran Member

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    The committee changed its name to the Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the United States when it met in 1906 before eventually settling on the National Collegiate Athletic Association moniker. Whatever the name, conditions for football improved and Roosevelt did not ban the game. Nevertheless, the NCAA football rules committee became much more vigilant. In 1907, the number of deaths on the football field were up again to eleven. In reaction to the new rules, the Minnesota Shift was developed in which the line and backs would shift, sometimes twice, prior to the ball being snapped in a somewhat intricate manner. The maneuvers were designed to outflank the defense. The death toll rose to 33 in 1909 (The NY Times via the Chicago Tribune claimed 26 deaths at the time) and it was that year, specifically a game between Harvard and Yale in November 1909, that veteran sportswriter Frank Deford says was the real turning point in the sport. So, in 1910, new rules were implemented that made the line of scrimmage requirement 7 men and reduced the reward for a field goal to 3 points. By 1912, the touchdown was changed to 6 points. Pushing and pulling the ball carrier was disallowed and players running interlocked interference was banned. The flying tackle, which called for a tackler to leave his feet, was also put on the shelf. But, they did not ban touchdown celebrations.
     
  6. red55

    red55 curmudgeon Staff Member

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    More advanced helmets are coming. They will not only have better liners, but also thin padding on the outside to lessen the shock of helmet to helmet contact. Some will have electronic G-force sensors included that will tell coaches and doctors how much force is being created.
     

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