Majority of players not in support, will likely try to beat system. Dan Pompei
A few years back in the first quarter of a game, Terrell Owens came over to his sideline between plays, looking for the play caller. His eyes were like high beams, his movements were frantic.
“Throw me the ball! Throw me the damn ball!”
He was yelling, his voice high-pitched. “I’ve got a rookie on me and he’s wearing knee pads and hip pads! Throw me the ball!”
The play caller followed T.O’s wishes, and let’s just say he was glad he did.
ICONFormer Bill and new Bengal Terrell Owens
That cornerback who was covering T.O. stood out like a ruby red tomato on a plant full of green ones because he was wearing pads below the waist. Cornerbacks, safeties and wide receivers in the NFL almost never wear pads below the waist. Running backs, tight ends and linebackers usually don’t wear them. Even defensive linemen often eschew extra pads.
Until now, that is. In training camp and preseason this year, the NFL is urging players on a dozen teams to wear more pads — for knees, thighs, hips, and tailbones. And the thinking is it will be mandatory for all players to wear extra padding by next year.
Though NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith has voiced his support for more pads, the majority of his players are not going to be happy about it. Players think pads slow them down. Maybe they do. Maybe they don’t. But if they think pads slow them down, extra pads put them at a disadvantage. The NFL is pushing lighter, thinner pads to address these concerns, but many players will want nothing to do with them. Some don’t want to wear them because they don’t like the way they look.
And really, the push for more pads seems to be overkill. What these pads usually prevent are bruises. And bruises really aren’t a significant problem in the NFL. Concussions are a significant problem. Knee injuries certainly are. Foot and ankle injuries are. But bruises usually don’t prevent players from playing.
The coaches and front office men I’ve spoken with agreed. “Guys are so good at protecting themselves that I don’t see it as a problem,” said one offensive coach. “If you put all those pads on you, it slows you down a little. As a cornerback, wide receiver, or outside linebacker, that matters.”
The philosophy is that if one injury can be prevented, it should be.
ICONCommissioner Roger Goodell
I’m told the push for more pads was begun by none other than John Madden, who is the chairman of the coaches subcommittee and also has the ear of one Roger Goodell. In fact, Madden and Goodell are making a training camp tour together this summer on Madden’s bus. Back when Madden was coaching the Raiders, players were all padded up. Madden has sold the idea of more pads by saying if it wasn’t a problem back then, why should it be a problem now?
It’s also good enough for college players, who are required to wear more pads than their NFL brethren. And more than half of the teams in the NFL require their players to wear extra pads in practice. But college players are notorious for cheating by hollowing out the pads and wearing only the shells. Receivers and DBs often will wear the smallest set of shoulder pads they can find, the ones designed for quarterbacks, and/or trim down the pads as much as they can.
It seems certain that if NFL players are required to wear more pads on game day, they will try to beat the system. The NFL says it can prevent a player from taking the field if he’s not padded up properly, but enforcing these rules could prove to be problematic.
The emphasis on more pads seems to be a major investment for a minor payoff.
Email Dan your questions at dan.pompei@nationalfootballpost.com
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The appalling rate of serious injuries are a threat to fan satisfaction ad allegience.
Who goes deep in the playoffs is to a large degree determined by who has the fewest injuries.
Professional athletes subordinate all considerations, including safety, to making money.
At one time players were against face guards (I can't see) and hockey players opposed wearing helmets.
Therefore, for the good of the game, someone other than the player must decide this. Make it part of the uniform.
If everyone is wearing pads, and the pads are not tampered with, then all will be equal.
Do it, do it now. Who the hell cares what the players want. If they don't like it, they can get a job using their degrees........................
I have to disagree, Bear. Players often see the heavier pads as a license to hit harder. You cite the NHL forcing players to wear helmets, yet there have been so many more severe head injuries since the did, than before. Players would still play hard, but would play more careful, being aware of potential harm. Proof of this comes from the players that were grandfathered in, and not forced to wear one, even as the newer players came into the league wearing them. I remember Craig McTavish, the last player to play without a helmet had a 20 some odd year career, while never having a serious injury.
Contrast that to Eric Lindros, who had 7 or 8 high quality seasons, but because of concussion issues, the rest of his career was marginal, at best. Both he, and his brother almost died on the Ice from serious hits. He was seen as a bruiser, because of his size, and a skill player, because of his talent. Normally skill players are protected by the bruisers, but when you count as both, you are fair game. Without that respect for the potential of serious injury, there were some absolute headhunters out there, like Scott Stephens from the Devils, responsible for that life threatening hit on Lindros.
Here's my point. All the padding in the world can't replace a basic level of respect for your opponent, and for your own body. Outlaw hard shell pads, and helmets, and see how fast players start caring. Also, catching a soft leather helmet under the chin isn't nearly as damaging as today's helmets. Use today's tech to make pads with the cushioning value of today's helmets, and pads, while doing so with a soft exterior. I know it will never happen, partially because people like seeing the full speed contact, but don't make the mistake of thinking that adding a pad will add to safety. Pads add to the feeling of invincibility, not to the safety, otherwise pickup games in the park would be deadly.
I find it hard to take the "being slower" argument seriously if BOTH the offensive and defensive players are eventually forced to wear the extra pads. It would stand to reason that the relative difference between the speeds of any two opponents would remain roughly the same in or out of the pads. Also, Tree2691 brings up the very valid flip side to the argument in favor of more and better protective equipment. Does anyone honestly think that a new helmet which offers significantly better protection from concussions would not also lead to players being less careful about giving or receiving blows to the head? The equipment needs to change a lot less than the technique that is either specifically taught or at the very least not corrected through several levels. If the league is serious about the issue, an immediate ejection followed by a single game suspension for any tackler leading with the helmet would be a good start. I'll bet we'd be amazed how fast these guys would unlearn these habits when 1/16th their salary disappears after a bad hit.
All this safety bullshit is annoying.
If a player wanted to get on the field without a helmet (because it made him faster), would it be allowed?
Heck no, they wouldn't let him play one snap.
Make the rules, enforce them. They care more about jersey violations than guys running around without pads on.
Players should beware. Look at what happens when a guy isn't properly protected.................one word........Lombardi. Check out that sad sack.
That poor fatbody now has a deformed head and useless genatila. All because Lombardi wore no helmet or cup.
II'd like to see the league study some data and products from the motorcycle apparel/equipment companies. New padding materials (to meet ever-higher standards) have been introduced in the past few years, and there are many options for size, placement, and protection level. There is even padded underwear that is worn under pants and jackets, as opposed to being placed in a built-in 'pocket'.
Ditto for helmets. Shell sizing and shape, liner materials, and the ability to custom fit some the foam padding has vastly improved in recent years as well.
It's possible some of this technology could be applied to player equipment.
Why hasn't the league or the union done a statistically valid study of all serious injuries? It seems fundamental to find out if there are recurring causes for injury that can be avoided.
My casual observations lead me to three suggestions:
1. Field condition is very important in preventing serious leg injuries. The league has been extremely slack on this issue in the past. Some fields are known to be dangerous, yet nothingis done. The union should insist on being able to have field condition subject to mandatory arbitration. If an outside arbitrator or panel of experts find the filed to be unreasonably dangerous, the game is switched to another venue, probably the visitng team's stadium.
2. Ban blind side blocks. As the post notes, players are adept at protecting themselves. Ecept on blindside hits, where they dont; see it coming. Recall the vicious cheap shot Kurt Warner took in the playoffs against NO ( who else, since we're talking dirty play) after an INT. Clipping is already a violation, and it is no less a judgment call in many cases than calling a blindside hit.
3. Immediate ejection for late hits on the QB, probably coupled with a loss of game check and likely additional game suspension. The sitaution now is ridiculous. One defender will get a 15 yard penalty for brushing the QB's leg if the QB is named Brady, another will get a 15 for touching his helmet. Another can take a full run at the QB, blindside him late and get...a 15 yard penalty. This was clearly the NO defensive game plan in the Super Bowl, ie trade 15 yard penlaties for potentialknockout shots on a 40 year old QB. The league has to put a stop to that kind of thuggery.
@Timmy - they would have to find volunteers who used certain types of pads and try to see if there's correlation between more pads and decreased injuries.
For example, perhaps thigh pads and hip pads don't do much good, but knee pads and butt pads decrease bone bruises and tail bone injuries significantly.
Thus it would be easier for teams to collect this data than for the league because only team trainers know just how badly banged up players are.
Similarly, a survey could include questions where players are asked to rate the health of their knees, thighs, hips, butts, backs, and shoulders. Then the data on how good players feel could be compared to the padding they use.
Shell sizing and shape, liner materials, and the ability to custom fit some the foam padding has vastly improved in recent years as well.
It's possible some of this technology could be applied to player equipment.
i hate football
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Jul 28, 2010
02:29 PM
Pads are important but you have to trust the players to do the right thing. They are accountable for what they take into their bodies and how they protect them.