Tuesday, October 07, 2014

NFL Concussion : Protective Or Projectile Uniform?

Famous director and screenwriter John Huston was also an amateur boxer.He was feisty by nature and he was Irish. Maybe that is redundant. Errol Flynn who shared a similar ethnic background was a professional boxer for a short time.When both were at a Hollywood party and the drinks were abundant ... into the garden they went.That's another story. Huston ,in is his autobiography was convinced that modern day boxing gloves caused more damage than they prevented. Simply, harder punches could be thrown at the vulnerable head. Results at worst was death. But concussions were always felt in greater or lesser degrees. And concussions have a half life. They really never go away. Their dislocations add up. What about the NFL? The players body is akin to a boxing glove.It's a self propelled projectile hurtling at another. The other may or may not see that projectile coming.But the edge goes to who hits hardest and first. Put some skin in the game.Make the aggressor as vulnerable as the victim. For example, instead of a hard helmet fashion one that returns injury as it inflicts.To that end the helmet should be soft.This will guide footballers to be more circumspect about tactics.

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