So, what about the just-released studies on CTE (brain damage).......

[FireAllCoachesEveryDay]

These are tough questions.
What are high school football players telling themselves?
What are parents telling themselves?

https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2016/10/football-kids-heads/504863/
the headline reads "Football Alters the Brains of Kids as Young as 8"

 

[Lafayette Rams]

For the first time someone wrote in to the Va Gazette here in Williamsburg questioning in light of this study why the school admin and county allows middle and high school students to play football at all and to continue is child abuse. I think this may be the start of an ominous tread. I wrote to the Marty Obrien of the Daily Press to write about what the turnout count for all BRD teams to see just how low overall and by team this may be affecting football now. Who knows if he will do it or not. In any event we may just start seeing this as the beggining of the end.

 

[FireAllCoachesEveryDay]

Well, there may be things I don't know about football.
It seems to me that in the future, the game could be played using the hands and feet, without using the head. That's the only answer I can come up with right now. I love football, and I can't imagine it being stopped.

This would mean that linemen would have to stand straight up before each play starts. It would mean that the ball would be snapped a different way. It would mean that there would have to be a penalty not just for using your helmet, but for even lowering your head, on offense and defense.

Tackling and blocking would all have to be done with the arms and feet.

Would players be willing to play that way? They certainly would not as of today.
Would fans be willing to watch that type of football? Not as of today, they would not.

If there were a different sport invented to take the place of football, that might make a difference. But I don't see any new sport on the horizon. Players and fans aren't going to convert to soccer instead. Not in America, at least.

 

[540teamz]

TERRIBLE Science!!! That study only confirms that for players that sent in tissue and had concerns that CTE is confirmed. Imagine if they were looking for liver damage of alcohol drinkers. The only samples were taken from people with liver cancer, if a paper was written that everyone that drinks alcohol gets liver cancer, those scientist would be laughed out of acedemia!

This is like saying humans cause climate change. The climate changes, that's definite (we used to call it weather). But to connect human interaction upon the climate is pure speculation vs volcanic activity vs mamilian flatulence (farts), etc.

The attack on football is a political agenda. Period! All of the following articles will be written about how we need to save the children. But, no one will write an article about how many kids were pulled away from a pathway of self distruction because of what football taught them.

There may be more concussions with soccer than football simply because there are likely more people that play it. No articles are written about it because it doesn't fit a political agenda.

 

[SpartanOfYore]

TERRIBLE Science!!! That study only confirms that for players that sent in tissue and had concerns that CTE is confirmed. Imagine if they were looking for liver damage of alcohol drinkers. The only samples were taken from people with liver cancer, if a paper was written that everyone that drinks alcohol gets liver cancer, those scientist would be laughed out of acedemia!

This is like saying humans cause climate change. The climate changes, that's definite (we used to call it weather). But to connect human interaction upon the climate is pure speculation vs volcanic activity vs mamilian flatulence (farts), etc.

The attack on football is a political agenda. Period! All of the following articles will be written about how we need to save the children. But, no one will write an article about how many kids were pulled away from a pathway of self distruction because of what football taught them.

There may be more concussions with soccer than football simply because there are likely more people that play it. No articles are written about it because it doesn't fit a political agenda.

You did so well with your first paragraph - and then just had to put your tin foil hat on. And by the way, you made absolutely no correlation between your good point about the CTE research, and the rubbish you offered up after that. There is no connection at all, analogous or otherwise, between your first and second paragraphs. You just leapt right across that logical divide.

Human activity does produce climate change. That has been overwhelming proven by any number of respected scientists, worldwide. Talk about political agendas; "climate change denial", as typified by your ill-considered remarks, is the all-time poster child for political agendas.

I have no children, so while it's depressing to think about the grave consequences that are not too far down the road, I'll be gone before most of it goes down. If I were your kids or grandkids, however, I'd be seriously worried. I just hope you're still around to explain to them why you thought it was all a joke.

PS - "Climate" and "weather" are not the same thing.

 

[southbottomU]

You lost me on climate change Spartan. Cow activity also affects climate. A lot of things affect climate. The Climate has always changed. Why are we so arrogant to think that we can stop a changing climate on this planet?

 

[Senex]

The Wisconsin study it the only study that has actually tracked head trauma in high school football players through their lifetimes. "Cognitive and depression outcomes later in life were found to be similar for high school football players and their non-playing counterparts".
It is impossible to know the rate of CTE (Tau levels) in the general public, as most people that die to not have their brains studied for such degeneration (why would they?). Therefore, it is impossible to prove any link between levels of football and the general public. "As the New York Times points out, the BU sample represents about one-tenth of the former NFL players who’ve died since the study began. If we assume that every other player in that group had a healthy brain, the total prevalence for CTE would be in the vicinity of 9 percent, equivalent to estimated rate of naturally occurring CTE in the general population."
I am all for making the game safer, I believe that the introduction of hard shell helmets has made the game much more dangerous, however until a living test for CTE or other neuro-degenerative disease is found this is ALL speculation.

Wisc Study - JAMA
Over hyping the latest CTE study

 

[540teamz]

I definitely can put on a foil cap sometimes. But, that doesn't mean they're not coming to get me either.

Sorry, but I'm tired of the movement to become all things of European culture that seems to be the favorite of some people. Don't fool yourself into thinking that football is safe from the next great social injustice which the government has to FIX!

BTW, I don't doubt that slamming your head into another person's helmet will damage your brain. My concussion as a freshman pretty much ended my football career. But, that does lessen my enthusiasm for the sport. There have been positive movements towards making the game safer. But that article doesn't set a decent baseline for comparison of the later generations because that was not the goal for the authors.

 

[1MoreHokie]

CTE's a coverall term and people, some of whom are in this thread, choose to ignore it while studies already confirm that football players become far more likely to suffer from neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's.

It's ignorance to think this sport doesn't do bad things to people's noggins. If you can sit there and believe that boxing or pro wrestling (think Chris Benoit) is dangerous to participants then you should damn well believe football is as well.

The studies will almost certainly get worse going forward and the reason is simple: older players played at smaller weights. Older players were smaller and slower, they hit with less speed and mass and therefore by the literal laws that govern our universe, less force. Kids today, even at high school, can be huge and fast. I'm sure every 50-60 year old here was some amazing badass at whatever tiny rural high school you played at but I absolutely guarantee you that you'd rather take a hit from some LB in your day than some jacked up monster on his way to play FCS ball for a bad team, to say nothing of some 5* who looks like he was built in a damn lab and benched 150lb more when he was 16 than you ever did in your life.

The game is far more violent today than in the past and that will undoubtedly contribute to how these studies progress as the very old players are phased out and more modern players take their place.

 

[FireAllCoachesEveryDay]

Anyway, I personally don't feel like talking about climate change. I'd rather talk about football.

How about in the beginning? Even NFL players played with leather helmets and no face bars. LOL.

I guess that until the sport is revolutionized to eliminate helmet contact, anyone of any age who plays
tackle football will have to ask themselves, "Am I willing to die for football, maybe in a few years?"

Some of those that live for the sport and for Friday nights, and Saturday and Sunday afternoons will decide that
the benefits are more important than living to middle age. But those that know they are not going to be starters in high school will quit, and high school teams of the future will have no second stringers. In my opinion, that is the first thing that will change.


Players in college and the NFL will continue to play, because they need a college degree, or because they want to keep the NFL salary they are making.

http://www.traumaticbraininjury.net/mayo-clinic-finds-evidence-of-cte-in-high-school-athletes/

 

[Lafayette Rams]

TERRIBLE Science!!! That study only confirms that for players that sent in tissue and had concerns that CTE is confirmed. Imagine if they were looking for liver damage of alcohol drinkers. The only samples were taken from people with liver cancer, if a paper was written that everyone that drinks alcohol gets liver cancer, those scientist would be laughed out of acedemia!

This is like saying humans cause climate change. The climate changes, that's definite (we used to call it weather). But to connect human interaction upon the climate is pure speculation vs volcanic activity vs mamilian flatulence (farts), etc.

The attack on football is a political agenda. Period! All of the following articles will be written about how we need to save the children. But, no one will write an article about how many kids were pulled away from a pathway of self distruction because of what football taught them.

There may be more concussions with soccer than football simply because there are likely more people that play it. No articles are written about it because it doesn't fit a political agenda.

The study may be skewed because those who requested the analysis thought an issue was probable. BUT - previously everyone thought football head contact had no permanent or long term problems. These studies prove that is not true. We know limited alcohol is ok and excessive based on weight over time is bad. However it is still unknown how much and how severe the head trauma may be to have significant health issues over time. With this unknown how many parents will let their kids bang heads for what is ultimately just a game that only a few benefit thru either college scholarships or pro salaries. Even then is the risk worth the reward? I think until the known problem can be better identified and a solution proposed participation rates will fall further. Maybe dramatically. Sad to see a great game we all love run into such a major issue.

 

[Lafayette Rams]

One thing I thought of should the use of hard helmets be discontinued and soft vinyl padded helmets be used. It would be more like a padded pillow on the head than a hard battering ram.

 

[Clarkefan]

I was gonna recommend that the old leather helmets they used when Bleeding Navy played be brought back. No facemasks either!

 

[FireAllCoachesEveryDay]

http://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl...-know-whats-coming/ar-AApcbBZ?ocid=spartanntp

 

[Lafayette Rams]

http://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl...-know-whats-coming/ar-AApcbBZ?ocid=spartanntp

Surprising how few of the high profile regulars on here have not voiced their opinions or concerns. This is a huge problem.

 

[DinwiddieProud]

I gave almost every post on this thread a like. Not because I necessarily agreed with the post in full or in part, but because the discussion of this topic is absolutely essential if high school football is to continue.

Yes, we must have studies with no agenda other than science.

Yes, we have to continue to demand the evolution of rules to make the game safer.

Yes, we have to have equipment improvements that decreases the risk of injury, more specifically, brain injury.

And then, each generation of parents can decide what is an acceptable risk for their kids. That's about the long and the short of it.

Football is not a safe sport. But neither is an unsafe sport. It is a sport, pure and simple. It has risks. Everything in life has risk. You chose to participate in sports. But you also choose to pursue a vocation.

The military, police work and fire fighting, coal miners, oil field workers, construction workers, farmers; all of these have an elevated risk of serious injury. But they come with a certain level of reward and satisfaction.

Athletics are no different.

By the way, I'm 63. I had two serious concussions from childhood accidents before I ever reached football age. I played one year of JV only, and received one then too, although I didn't report it. I had several lesser ones scattered over the years since then as well. And my most recent one was about three years ago when I hit a tree limb while bending over at night in an ancient graveyard. (Don't ask!!!) This last one put my lights out. It would have been considered very serious had I not been stubborn and gone to the ER.

So if I end up with some malady related to CTE, was it the result of football? You could make that argument by saying it was the one that gave me one too many. So should I have not played that one year of football? Or maybe not slipped off the top of a slick picnic table at the age of 8? Or maybe I shouldn't have taken the Halloween tour three years ago that put me in that cemetery, head to limb with a Magnolia tree?

See my point? We need to be careful about simply blaming football.

Lafayette, I wonder why we can't have some type of helmet with a soft, energy absorbing exterior cover?

 

[Gunz41!]

I have had quite a bit of experience over the last 20 years of fitting kids with helmets, and there has been quite a bit improvement over the years in the equipment. There are quite a few factors that go into this, one actually being the fit of helmet.

A lot also has to do with physics with bigger, stronger, faster.

Another key factor to me is actually the decrease in contact in practices now. This comes into play as less contact equals less practice of correct form tackle. Everyone seems to say and like the phrase practice makes perfect, but that is wrong. Perfect practice makes perfect!!! Meaning practicing the wrong thing over and over forms bad habits.

Of course football isn't a safe game, neither is soccer. There are more injuries in soccer than football and many concussions from headers. I think we as a society just needs to keep getting more data that is only driven by science and answers. Get brains from all levels of different activities and see.

God bless everyone and prayers for those who have it, and prayers that less and less get it

 

[71ShadesofNavy]

Great post DP. I am not a doctor or a scientist, but I did stay in a Holiday Inn Express last week. All joking aside a concussion is a very serious injury that until the last ten years was often overlooked in all sports. Getting your "bell rung" was part of sports.

I too have suffered at least 5 diagnosed and one self diagnosed concussions in my 52 years on this earth; however none came from helmet to helmet contact. Three occurred on the football field, one on the wrestling mat, one at work, and the undiagnosed one in a dirt bike wreck.

When I think about each of these incidents I realize they all had one thing in common. My head bounced violently off the ground. The two most serious concussions did not involve head protection (wrestling and work).

I started playing football at the age of 6. I was always the runt on the field and as a few posters that know me can attest I never backed away from contact. What I did do was learn to tackle properly and avoid taking direct hits on offense. We did not have the best equipment in the early seventies through the early eighties, so I guess I was fortunate. Two of my three football concussions occurred while being tackled and the other was a result of a behemoth knocking me backwards in the air causing me to do the Nestea plunge.

The wrestling incident resulted from a tussle that went off the mat and onto the gym floor. No foul play just two guys going at it. The work related one was the worst and cost me an overnight in the hospital. While trying to secure a subject, my partner and the detainee both crashed on top of me causing my head to meet pavement.

Please stick with me I have a point. To my knowledge a concussion is an injury to the head where the brain basically bounces of the skull. For this reason and my personal examples I do not think any form of head gear will eliminate a concussion. Simply put the head makes a sudden stop and guess what the brain hits the skull. Better helmets could reduce the severity, but stop concussions, no way. Think of a bullet proof vest. It prevents death, but the impact still hurts. The main issue regarding concussions or head trauma is prolonged exposure.

The only way to avoid concussions in any sport is to eliminate contact. That inlcudes football, soccer, basketball, lacrosse, baseball, basketball and yes cheerleading. Maybe the answer is to only allow kids 18 and over to play contact sports.

By the way, falls, being hit by an object (non sports related), and car accidents are the leading causes of concussions. Should we ban walking, driving, and existing. I am not sure, but if people clearly know the risk they should have the right to participate. Heck, this may sound stupid, but even with the severe dangers of sexually transmitted diseases kids still go at it unprotected. Should we ban sex? There is no real good answer here. Football will be extinct in a few years and so to will others. Its just the way we have evolved.

 

[Clarkefan]

... And my most recent one was about three years ago when I hit a tree limb while bending over at night in an ancient graveyard.

You realize that Navy is going to have a field day with that one, don't you?

 

[Lafayette Rams]

I gave almost every post on this thread a like. Not because I necessarily agreed with the post in full or in part, but because the discussion of this topic is absolutely essential if high school football is to continue.

Yes, we must have studies with no agenda other than science.

Yes, we have to continue to demand the evolution of rules to make the game safer.

Yes, we have to have equipment improvements that decreases the risk of injury, more specifically, brain injury.

And then, each generation of parents can decide what is an acceptable risk for their kids. That's about the long and the short of it.

Football is not a safe sport. But neither is an unsafe sport. It is a sport, pure and simple. It has risks. Everything in life has risk. You chose to participate in sports. But you also choose to pursue a vocation.

The military, police work and fire fighting, coal miners, oil field workers, construction workers, farmers; all of these have an elevated risk of serious injury. But they come with a certain level of reward and satisfaction.

Athletics are no different.

By the way, I'm 63. I had two serious concussions from childhood accidents before I ever reached football age. I played one year of JV only, and received one then too, although I didn't report it. I had several lesser ones scattered over the years since then as well. And my most recent one was about three years ago when I hit a tree limb while bending over at night in an ancient graveyard. (Don't ask!!!) This last one put my lights out. It would have been considered very serious had I not been stubborn and gone to the ER.

So if I end up with some malady related to CTE, was it the result of football? You could make that argument by saying it was the one that gave me one too many. So should I have not played that one year of football? Or maybe not slipped off the top of a slick picnic table at the age of 8? Or maybe I shouldn't have taken the Halloween tour three years ago that put me in that cemetery, head to limb with a Magnolia tree?

See my point? We need to be careful about simply blaming football.

Lafayette, I wonder why we can't have some type of helmet with a soft, energy absorbing exterior cover?

Yes DP, I think it is inevitable that soft cushioned well fitted helmets will be developed and required in use. The hard plastic ones will never work to limit concussions. I also think the rules will also be changed to eliminate any head use even at the line of scrimmage.

 

[FireAllCoachesEveryDay]

Helmets would have to be HUGE. I can't imagine someone trying to play with a helmet that's half as wide as the player is tall. LOL. I'm talking about a helmet that is three feet wide. It would be like a skit from Saturday Night Live. But it would have to have a hard outer covering: if not, no matter how much padding it had inside, the head-butt from another player would be felt on the top of the heads of the players who were inside either helmet. LOL. I don't think a huge amount of extra padding inside the helmet, or a leather helmet, are satisfactory solutions.

 

[FireAllCoachesEveryDay]

Well, right now, from what I have read concerning recent studies, unless you're a kicker, you're going to get CTE from playing football. It's 100% guaranteed.

 

[Gunz41!]

Concussions do happen, and they happen from brain being hurt. Like I said a lot has to do with fit of helmet. A lot of players go with the "it hurts my head, it's too tight" so then they get a looser one and that can cause problems. Think of it as a jar full of coins, the fewer coins the more room to rattle around. Another key problem is mouthpieces. They introduced shock absorbing mouthpieces years ago which CAN help with concussions. But these players that dont wear mouthpieces or ones that cut them, or wear the cheap rubber ones aren't getting the benefit of the others

 

[FireAllCoachesEveryDay]

In 1960, the NCAA dropped boxing as a sport, after a University of Wisconsin student died after a match.
But in 1976, a boxing association was started up, that had nothing to do with the NCAA.
Still, I don't see how the replacement boxing association was able to use the names of the universities as the names of the boxing teams. It would seem that the universities would be concerned about being sued if a contestant died.

I would guess that the NCAA could possibly drop football, if they knew that someone had started an independent college football organization. That would be very interesting!

 

[DinwiddieProud]

From my very uneducated position on this topic, let me see if I'm thinking in the generally correct direction.

1). We need to greatly reduce trauma to the brain during any and all football contest.
2). We need, or would like to maintain the fabric of the game approximately as it currently exist.
3). We need solutions that are affective based on measurable results.
4). We need solutions that are realistically capable of being implemented.

I do not see a single magic bullet. I see the solution as being multi-faceted.

Possible approaches...,

A). Continuing to refine the rules to eliminate all purposeful impacts from, or to the head.
B). Alteration to the rules to decrease plays that result in inadvertent impact to the head.
C). A renewed emphasis to identify changes and/or improvements to protective equipment.

One thing that I believe is integral to a solution is "science based information". Statistics and information that are based only on relevant, unbiased, untainted, information, compiled in a manner that strictly follows scientific methodology.

 

[71ShadesofNavy]

Basically said DP, eliminate football. The game can be played safer, but you will never eliminate concussions if a players is tackled to the ground or tackling is allowed period. Reduce them maybe.

If someone does ever outlaw football it is going to be one heck of a black market game. The brutality will be unreal. Kind of like underground fighting until MMA came along. The next prohibition. Jeez!

 

[hamspear]

Football and even more wrestling is not for the weak or faint of heart. If you don't want to get hurt , don't play. When you sign up, you have the risk of getting hurt. Most don't get hurt badly, occasionally it happens . People need stop being wusses . Can we get back to talking about the world greatest team sport. Rugby has no helmets, ban that sport.

 

[71ShadesofNavy]

Right on Hamspear. Thats the point I have been trying to make all along without being cold.

Parents and kids need to decide. There should be no government involvement. Besides there are some intellegent people on this board that participated and seem to be okay.

 

[hamspear]

Here ya go big studly, you think girl soccer teams should start wearing helmets?http://health.usnews.com/health-car...ch-high-school-sport-has-the-most-concussions

 

[hamspear]

It's simple , if you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. We are raising a nation of wusses.
And I am not anti safety , of course we should try to make players as safe as possible , but geesh! Get over it. If your a complainer , get out stop playing , send johnny to lay another favorite sport of mine, Golf! Oh wait that's right! Severe back and knee injuries , forget that . Let's go with shuffle board. There you go.
Actually , it's DP favorite sport at his retirement home .

 

[DinwiddieProud]

I think you two mis-interpreted my post.

Nobody loves high school football more than me, or you, or any of us on this forum. But, to just say suit up and shut up is not going to work. The concerns have to be addressed if the game will continued to be played in a form that we can still relate to.

I don't advocate wholesale changes that are conjured up to be sure all risk are eliminated. (The proverbial knee jerk reaction). That's exactly why I feel that it is incumbent, in fact imperative, that a measured and realistic approach be made to make head trama a lot less of a part of our sport.

 

[hamspear]

The only change I advocate is the new better helmets should be required , and all new technology to help players from impact. Other than that , I say football is a " lay me out " sport. That meaning take down that man by any means necessary within the rules. If " Charles " doesn't want " Johnny Wuss " to any football because of risk of injury , then so be it . Have a great life playing shuffleboard.

 

[71ShadesofNavy]

I did not misinterpret your comments and I get it, but its unrealistic in football or any sport of contact.

Better helmets will reduce the severity, but will not eliminate concussions totally unless you can install a protective covering between the brain and skull.

Think about your business and all the upgrades to reduce shock. Guess what it still happens. Either by stupidity, risk or
equipment failure.

 

[Shabutie]

Helmets would have to be HUGE. I can't imagine someone trying to play with a helmet that's half as wide as the player is tall. LOL. I'm talking about a helmet that is three feet wide. It would be like a skit from Saturday Night Live. But it would have to have a hard outer covering: if not, no matter how much padding it had inside, the head-butt from another player would be felt on the top of the heads of the players who were inside either helmet. LOL. I don't think a huge amount of extra padding inside the helmet, or a leather helmet, are satisfactory solutions.

Bigger helmets with more padding does not really help the situation. As a player, the better the helmets got, the more you felt comfortable going harder and faster into contact and using the helmet aggressively. I would be willing to bet that back when they wore leather helmets they had far less head injuries... although far more broken noses, eye injuries, etc.

 

[Lafayette Rams]

I think you two mis-interpreted my post.

Nobody loves high school football more than me, or you, or any of us on this forum. But, to just say suit up and shut up is not going to work. The concerns have to be addressed if the game will continued to be played in a form that we can still relate to.

I don't advocate wholesale changes that are conjured up to be sure all risk are eliminated. (The proverbial knee jerk reaction). That's exactly why I feel that it is incumbent, in fact imperative, that a measured and realistic approach be made to make head trama a lot less of a part of our sport.

I am sure technology along with some rule changes can make the risk reduced to an acceptable level. It doesn't take a scientist to know high impact plastic for helmets is not the answer but some rigid softer material that softens any blow, intentional or not. I am sure within a year or so we will see this due to all the publicity.

 

[DinwiddieProud]

I still think you are not seeing my point. Don't change the game, but don't stop looking at changes that make sense.

Take the rule about hitting a defenseless player. Occasionally called when it shouldn't, it still serves the betterment of the game. Other than looking cool on a highlight film, what good does it do to cream some poor kid that's not even involved in the play when he is 30 yards from the play and not even looking?

Has the game been diminished because you can no longer administer a head slap?

How about eliminating the crack-back block? Has this lead to whimpifying the game?

There are changes that may make sense in an effort to limit head trauma that don't detract from the nature of the game.

You are hiding behind the statement that "it's a rough game and injuries are going to happen..., leave it alone".

There are reasons that the rules have evolved since the game was invented, and there are reasons the equipment that is worn has evolved and been accepted over time.

In spite of these rules changes, and regardless of the different type of equipment worn these days, the game is just as challenging, just as exciting, just as physical as it has ever been.

The state of the game can only be assured if the stewards of the game constantly endeavor to make it safer, while maintaining the raw competitiveness.

 

[71ShadesofNavy]

I agree totally with every rule change you mentioned and the reason for them. I was just watching ultimate frisbee on espn. There is no tackling involved an minimmal contact, but guess what? A guy went out with a head injury when dove and his head hit the ground. I dont care if you limit tackling from the waist to the shoulders heads are still going to hit the ground. Troy Aikman suffered numerous concussions and two of them occurred against the Redskins. He was not hit in the head. His helmet hit the turf. Maybe a padded field is the answer. I have no clue. Lets keep trying to make it safer, but please dont eliminate this great game.

 

[DinwiddieProud]

Precisely my point. Meaningful, affective changes. Fix what can be fixed, and the risk that remain are what they are.

 

[Gunz41!]

The answer isn't to say because someone gets a concussion to call them a wuss. Or for people that try to make the game safer, to denigrate them. Yes football is a rough sport, and nobody should be playing that isn't signing up for that, but there is absolutely nothing wrong with evolving and trying to make things safer. Just because something is safer doesn't mean it is wrong, different, less tough, etc.

How come boxing has gloves? Or the "real" fighting (mma), they still have gloves as well. Those certainly aren't wuss sports, but they have RULES to make things as safe as possible.

It doesn't seem like many have actually read all these posts in this thread, because i gave plenty of examples for what causes head injuries and ways that people have tried to improve it. And sorry to whoever thinks leather helmets are the answer, but not even close. Concussions could certainly still happen, but there would be other serious injuries with that. There is no thing that anyone can do to make it 100% safe, just like driving a car. So then everyone should stop driving? Or it can only be a certain type of car, with x speed? Or there have been plane crashes, so nobody should ever fly again. Well here is another example, people have been mugged, so you must stay in your house, nope that doesn't work because houses can fall apart and catch on fire.

Welp, now I'm stuck. What can any of us ever do that is 100% safe. I guess not move and read the bible is the only great thing to do

 

[Salem177]

I would guess that the NCAA could possibly drop football, if they knew that someone had started an independent college football organization. That would be very interesting!

They would NEVER go down without a fight over college football. It brings in tens of million of dollars. However, they do consider themselves nonprofit, they still pocket 4 percent of the revenue. It would be the smartest business decision making that 4 percent margin as large as possible. So I'd assume they wouldn't give up one of their largest earners to any start up organization.