3 ms·

50 years ago when there was only had a small leather helmet, players wouldn't go head first into each other. I thought this is an overlooked point worth mention

50 years ago when there was only had a small leather helmet, players wouldn't go head first into each other. I thought this is an overlooked point worth mentioning. Without a doubt the level of roughness has increased in 50 years and so has the methods of diagnosis for injuries.

jonknee 9y ago
The players were also way smaller and less athletic. Today's receivers are the size of linemen in the past.
- smt88 9y ago
  They're also probably significantly faster, which increases the force of the hits even more.
wcarron 9y ago
Indeed. I played rugby and found that players are much more concerned with not injuring themselves. There were not any spear-tackles or leading with the head. Mostly cause you'll literally get knocked unconscious (or break your neck) if you try it. Additionally, in rugby it's illegal to lift a player off both feet, and high tackles are much more heavily enforced, which forces players to use proper wrapping tackles instead of just smashing into each other trying to knock the ball-carrier down. However, at the high level, spinal injuries are more common and actually a lot of players have been paralyzed. Especially in scrums. Just wanted to compare football and rugby in this context. I think both sports are dangerous but, generally, I agree that the increasing protections provided by helmets and gear enables football players to take much bigger risks and hits. It's definitely a factor in the increase of CTE instances.
- potta_coffee 9y ago
  Tackling in rugby involves wrapping the legs and immobilizing the player rather than slamming into them as hard as possible. (Maybe inaccurate but that's how I was taught to do it).
- kodablah 9y ago
  Also, blocking is illegal obstruction so there are far fewer hits.
brandonmenc 9y ago
> 50 years ago when there was only had a small leather helmet Players wore hard helmets in 1968. Before hard helmets, players died all the time [0]. [0] https://cdnc.ucr.edu/cgi-bin/cdnc?a=d&d=MG19051202.2.31 https://cdnc.ucr.edu/cgi-bin/cdnc?a=d&d=MG19051202.2.31
- mortenjorck 9y ago
  > MANY FATALITIES DUE TO FOOTBALL > Summary of Accidents on Gridiron During This Season Shows Death Reaped a Harvest Among Players Nearly a Score Killed and 137 Injured.— Universities Begin Agitation to End Brutality Permitted by Present Rules. New York. Nearly 20 deaths in a single season. That's horrifying.
  - lev99 9y ago
    > The New York University, through its venerable chancellor, Henry M. McCracken, and the University of Pennsylvania, stand as a unit committed to the elimination of the brutal tactics of the gridiron, even if it means the abolition of football as a college sport. On one hand you have institutions that use the world "scholarship" in a prominent place in their mission statements, and on the other hand they profit from their students to hitting each other in the head often and hard. The paradox is beyond me. I'm disheartened that we have been having this debate for over 100 years. The NFL can do what they like, but it's very hypocritical for high-schools/universities to sponsor football programs. To be fair, NYU has not had a football program since 1952.

jonknee 9y ago

The players were also way smaller and less athletic. Today's receivers are the size of linemen in the past.

smt88 9y ago
They're also probably significantly faster, which increases the force of the hits even more.

wcarron 9y ago

Indeed. I played rugby and found that players are much more concerned with not injuring themselves. There were not any spear-tackles or leading with the head. Mostly cause you'll literally get knocked unconscious (or break your neck) if you try it. Additionally, in rugby it's illegal to lift a player off both feet, and high tackles are much more heavily enforced, which forces players to use proper wrapping tackles instead of just smashing into each other trying to knock the ball-carrier down. However, at the high level, spinal injuries are more common and actually a lot of players have been paralyzed. Especially in scrums. Just wanted to compare football and rugby in this context. I think both sports are dangerous but, generally, I agree that the increasing protections provided by helmets and gear enables football players to take much bigger risks and hits. It's definitely a factor in the increase of CTE instances.

potta_coffee 9y ago
Tackling in rugby involves wrapping the legs and immobilizing the player rather than slamming into them as hard as possible. (Maybe inaccurate but that's how I was taught to do it).
kodablah 9y ago
Also, blocking is illegal obstruction so there are far fewer hits.

brandonmenc 9y ago

> 50 years ago when there was only had a small leather helmet Players wore hard helmets in 1968. Before hard helmets, players died all the time [0]. [0] https://cdnc.ucr.edu/cgi-bin/cdnc?a=d&d=MG19051202.2.31 https://cdnc.ucr.edu/cgi-bin/cdnc?a=d&d=MG19051202.2.31

mortenjorck 9y ago
> MANY FATALITIES DUE TO FOOTBALL > Summary of Accidents on Gridiron During This Season Shows Death Reaped a Harvest Among Players Nearly a Score Killed and 137 Injured.— Universities Begin Agitation to End Brutality Permitted by Present Rules. New York. Nearly 20 deaths in a single season. That's horrifying.
- lev99 9y ago
  > The New York University, through its venerable chancellor, Henry M. McCracken, and the University of Pennsylvania, stand as a unit committed to the elimination of the brutal tactics of the gridiron, even if it means the abolition of football as a college sport. On one hand you have institutions that use the world "scholarship" in a prominent place in their mission statements, and on the other hand they profit from their students to hitting each other in the head often and hard. The paradox is beyond me. I'm disheartened that we have been having this debate for over 100 years. The NFL can do what they like, but it's very hypocritical for high-schools/universities to sponsor football programs. To be fair, NYU has not had a football program since 1952.