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Subject: Re: The question we always ask: Why no Ivy League postseason football? Author: Observer15 (Injury) [ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ] Date Posted: 11:12:08 05/16/24 Thu In reply to: Ed S. 's message, "The question we always ask: Why no Ivy League postseason football?" on 09:14:37 05/12/24 Sun One issue is given only minor consideration here: concussions. The Ivy League presidents have been focused on this, listening to physicians and Public Health professionals and neurosurgeons. They have taken many steps to try to address this, as have coaches, now fully aware. Yes, other sports have concussions. But other than rugby, statistically football is the most dangerous sport. I suspect for reasons of this, a few Ivy League presidents (I am guessing new as well as old) would be OK with eliminating football. Since they can't, or won't, or don't wish to, or recognize the impossibility, or agree on all of its many benefits, including to the students who play, and to the alumni who watch, and to school spirit, they are still highly unlikely to prolong a season which offers more opportunities for such medical issues. Certain high profile and devastating injuries in the past years can only have confirmed this. All sports carry risk, of course, and longterm orthopedic injuries prevail. But risks to the head? The brain? That no doubt captures their attention. Delimiting this must be high on their minds. [ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Replies:

[> [> Subject: Concussions Author: An Observer [ Edit | View ] Date Posted: 12:26:44 05/16/24 Thu Concussions can be significantly reduced with the technology we already have. The padding which is attached to the outside of helmets during practice has been shown to be effective, not 100% of course, but materially. Why don't football players wear this helmet padding during games? Simple: It doesn't look cool. If Oregon can get 17-year-old recruits to choose Eugene over Tuscaloosa or Athens or Columbus by offering wild uniform combinations of bright yellow and green, you know that kids wanna look cool. When will this change? Well, the Ivies could mandate the padding for game wear. But if we act unilaterally, it would kill our recruiting. Maybe. It might even help our recruiting, but I wouldn't bet on it. It's probably going to take a very unfortunate injury in one of the two rich conferences after which the player's family sues the university, the SEC or Big Ten and the NCAA. Once the jury accepts the plaintiff's assertion that the football program knowingly sent its players out onto the field when they had a helmet pad shown to be effective (and used every day in practice), all the conferences will get on board right quick.

[> [> [> Subject: Re: Concussions Author: sparman [ Edit | View ] Date Posted: 12:50:40 05/16/24 Thu That sort of already happened (paralysis, not concussion) 14 years ago. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_LeGrand

[> [> Subject: According to Teevens... Author: Go Green [ Edit | View ] Date Posted: 12:29:07 05/16/24 Thu Concussions are WAY down nowadays than they were a generation ago due to the safety steps taken by Teevens (and others). Obviously still a concern. But I'm not sure concussions are the threat to eliminate football (at least not with a straight face) that it was some ten years ago.

[> [> [> Subject: Re: According to Teevens... Author: An Observer [ Edit | View ] Date Posted: 12:52:34 05/16/24 Thu That's wonderful news. I wish we could ask him how he would break down the reasons why concussions are down so much, across these potential factors: Not tackling in practice during the season Less tackling in practice before the season Less violent tackling in practice including Dartmouth's Mobile Virtual Player or whatever MVP stands for (I presume nobody does the Oklahoma drill anymore) Better helmet technology The helmet pads used during practice Rule changes banning targeting Better tackling technique in general Better blocking technique in general Deemphasizing kickoffs during games I would guess the most important are not tackling in practice during the season, less violent tackling during practice, and the helmet pads

[> [> [> Subject: Re: According to Teevens... Author: An Observer [ Edit | View ] Date Posted: 13:18:21 05/16/24 Thu You and I watch a lot of girls and young women play soccer. I notice that it's rare to see a player head the ball after a long kick. They might head the ball if it's bouncing around high near the goal mouth, but not after it's sailed thirty or forty yards in the air. That's a big change from not too long ago. Our school team has a tradition where the mothers serve the team dinner on Wednesday nights if there is a game on Thursday. Lately I've been going to plant the flag for all the fathers who can't get away from the office (or wouldn't be caught dead serving food to their teenage girls). It's pretty funny in that, almost uniformly, none of the players whose mothers are there will acknowledge the mother's presence with either a greeting or even a nod. It's as if we are invisible. The food just materializes on its own. I consider it a win that my kid actually walks in my direction to say "hi." Of course she doesn't get within five yards of me when the other girls can see, but she gets closer than any of the other players do.

[> [> [> Subject: Women's lacrosse - concussions Author: Floridared [ Edit | View ] Date Posted: 14:06:38 05/16/24 Thu My daughter played college lacrosse. You would think with "less contact" unlike in the men's lacrosse, and not wearing helmets there wouldn't be concussions. At least 3 players on her team suffered multiple concussions when hit on their heads accidentally during games.

[> [> [> [> Subject: Re: Women's lacrosse - concussions Author: sparman [ Edit | View ] Date Posted: 14:29:49 05/16/24 Thu My daughter played too. The problem I saw was that the plyers realized early on they needed to be as physical as they could get away with to win, and the lack of protective equipment (originally stipulated in the rules because the powers that be wanted to discourage contact whose impact would be lessened by such equipment) then worked against them. My daughter suffered a broken nose due to lack of face mask, but no concussion that I was aware of.

[> [> [> [> [> Subject: Protection matters Author: Go Green [ Edit | View ] Date Posted: 14:51:47 05/16/24 Thu My daughter got beaned squarely in the head by a very fast softball pitch. She just dropped her bat and ran to first as if nothing had happened. Three cheers for batting helmet technology!!!

[> [> [> [> [> Subject: Re: Women's lacrosse - concussions Author: Floridared [ Edit | View ] Date Posted: 17:38:22 05/16/24 Thu When my daughter first started playing on travel teams they didn’t even wear goggles for eye protection. Looking back as a parent, we feel lucky she made it through her playing career without any serious injuries.

[> [> [> [> [> [> Subject: Re: Women's lacrosse - concussions Author: Ole Nassau [ Edit | View ] Date Posted: 15:47:11 05/17/24 Fri Same here with my two daughters that played lacrosse. We escaped injuries as well but not some of their teammates.

[> [> [> Subject: No Matter The Context, Good Tackling Form Always Appreciated Author: An Observer [ Edit | View ] Date Posted: 13:51:23 05/17/24 Fri Whether gained through live tackling in practice or Dartmouth's MVP tool, good tackling form is always noticed and appreciated. https://www.reddit.com/r/pics/comments/1cu0z74/taiwanese_legislator_tackles_another_to_prevent_a/

[> [> [> [> Subject: All of sudden... Author: Go Green [ Edit | View ] Date Posted: 07:54:25 05/20/24 Mon The US House of Representatives doesn't seem so bad anymore! :)