3 ms·
Is this really true? Those videos of old minimally padded players still look like there is substantially more violent tackling going on than what we see in thos
by jamesaguilar 14y ago
Is this really true? Those videos of old minimally padded players still look like there is substantially more violent tackling going on than what we see in those other sports.
- snowwrestler 14y agoIt's not true. The padding and helmets in U.S. football did not appear out of nowhere; they were added to the game to increase safety. The game was less safe without them. This is a good example of "Chesterton's Fence." If you find a fence across a road, it might seem like a good idea to tear it down. But the fence did not appear there by itself--someone built it there on purpose. So maybe it would be smart to understand why it was built in the first place before proposing to tear it down.
- mieubrisse 14y agoA valid point, but I think we can also say that when helmets were added to football, they were thinking about preventing concussions and weren't aware of the potentially more lethal effects of chronic trauma. Now that we have seen both sides, we can make a more educated decision on the subject.
- untog 14y agoI like that "Chesterton's Fence" description. At the risk of turning the discussion political, I'll have to use it the next time someone asks why the FDA exists...