NFL Football season is here

[Skybird]

Brain-jelly-making season again.

[August]

Originally Posted by Skybird

Brain-jelly-making season again.

IMO if you die without ever getting a little busticated then you never really lived.

[Commander Wallace]

Originally Posted by Skybird

Brain-jelly-making season again.

I can understand why you would make that comment. CTE or Chronic traumatic encephalopathy of the brain has been found in athletes who play sports where there is a prevalence of repeated blows to the head as in Hockey, football, boxing and other sports. It's manifestations are characterized by thinking, comprehension and memory issues and behavioral changes like chronic depression and aggression. The Pathology or neuropathological appearance are differentiated from other neurological diseases like Alzheimer's by a reduction in brain weight, associated with atrophy of the frontal and temporal cortices and medial temporal lobe.

People may not experience potential signs of CTE until years or decades after brain injuries occur. A definitive diagnosis of CTE can only be made after death, when an autopsy can reveal whether the known brain changes of CTE are present. Certainly, individuals who have suffered multiple concussions are in that high risk Category.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chroni...encephalopathy

Sadly, the early signs of CTE have been found in young children who also have played football and Hockey and sports where head injuries and concussions are prevalent. Some sporting combines in the U.S have taken steps to mitigate these injuries for example by not allowing children who play soccer ( football in the U.K ) to make ball blocks with their head.

Certainly, Boxers are at high risk for CTE. Mohamad Ali ( Cassius Clay )
In 1984, Ali was diagnosed with Parkinson's syndrome, a disease that sometimes results from head trauma from violent physical activities such as boxing. Questions remain at to whether Ali had CTE as well.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammad_Ali

A good friend of mine that I went to college with played Rugby and loved it. Rugby is a pretty rough and robust sport and I'm wondering if any changes are contemplated or have already been implemented in the U.K, Germany or elsewhere in light of CTE diagnosis's in the U.S . Rugby is also a cherished game in the U.K. Rugby players don't wear helmets either like most early NHL and amateur hockey players.

I think that young children who play in sports with a high degree of physical contact are most at risk and parents should know the risks so that they can make an intelligent and informed decision as to allow their children to participate in these sports. Other things could be done such as rule changes and better engineered equipment or a combination of both.

It would be interesting to see what our Subsim Members in the U.K and elsewhere feel about these Issues.

[Mr Quatro]

Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia cost 1.5 billion dollars will be ready to open next month

[August]

Originally Posted by Commander Wallace

A good friend of mine that I went to college with played Rugby and loved it. Rugby is a pretty rough and robust sport and I'm wondering if any changes are contemplated or have already been implemented in the U.K, Germany or elsewhere in light of CTE diagnosis's in the U.S . Rugby is also a cherished game in the U.K. Rugby players don't wear helmets either like most early NHL and amateur hockey players.

Rugby, while a contact game like Hockey and Football, is played a lot differently. Hockey's concussions are mostly due to players heads impacting the ice or the boards and there's been speculation that the pads and helmets worn by modern Football players actually contribute to concussions instead of preventing them. This is because their insulation and protection promote high speed hits whereas if you took that stuff away tackles would be mostly the pull down type which are far less dangerous with regards to head injuries.

[mapuc]

A little off topic story

Saw the picture of the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. 10 min later I read an article in a Danish news paper, about a fastfood business Chick-fil-a had made a little mistake.

The mistake is that they have, since 1940 always closed on Sundays and Atlanta Falcons 7 of 8 home game will be played on Sundays.

The Stadium will be filled these 7 Sundays, while this fastfood will be closed. and be open other 6 days where there may not be so many at the stadium.

End of A little off topic story.

Markus

[Mr Quatro]

Originally Posted by mapuc

A little off topic story

Saw the picture of the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. 10 min later I read an article in a Danish news paper, about a fastfood business Chick-fil-a had made a little mistake.

The mistake is that they have, since 1940 always closed on Sundays and Atlanta Falcons 7 of 8 home game will be played on Sundays.

The Stadium will be filled these 7 Sundays, while this fastfood will be closed. and be open other 6 days where there may not be so many at the stadium.

End of A little off topic story.

Markus

The rest of the story is that the owner of Chick-fil-A is a devoted Christian that closes all of his stores on Sunday, but the stadium is so big that it has two other fast food restaurants that serve chicken biscuits.

Another side of Chick-fil-A is that they don't serve any chicken with bones in it either. I ate at one back in Atlanta a long time ago and it was really good food.

Another funny thing about Chick-fil-A is that the owner even looks like a chicken, but he has good food.

[Commander Wallace]

Originally Posted by August

Rugby, while a contact game like Hockey and Football, is played a lot differently. Hockey's concussions are mostly due to players heads impacting the ice or the boards and there's been speculation that the pads and helmets worn by modern Football players actually contribute to concussions instead of preventing them. This is because their insulation and protection promote high speed hits whereas if you took that stuff away tackles would be mostly the pull down type which are far less dangerous with regards to head injuries.

Good point August. However, individuals can also suffer concussions without actual physical contact to the head. The contact can be a " jarring " one to the body. The contact is where the brain suffers " bruises " while coming into contact with the inside of the skull. If an individual is moving in one direction and their body is hit and suddenly is jolted and stopped, the brain will continue in the previous direction and make contact with the inside of the skull, thereby bruising the brain.

Quote:
What is a concussion?

A concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury that is caused by a blow to the head or body, a fall, or another injury that jars or shakes the brain inside the skull. Although there may be cuts or bruises on the head or face, there may be no other visible signs of a brain injury.


What causes a concussion?

Your brain is a soft organ that is surrounded by spinal fluid and protected by your hard skull. Normally, the fluid around your brain acts like a cushion that keeps your brain from banging into your skull. But if your head or your body is hit hard, your brain can crash into your skull and be injured.




There are many ways to get a concussion. Some common ways include fights, falls, playground injuries, car crashes, and bike accidents. Concussions can also happen while participating in any sport or activity such as football, boxing, hockey, soccer, skiing, or snowboarding.


http://www.webmd.com/brain/tc/trauma...ion-overview#1


I also enjoy Hockey, football and baseball and was active in all of them. That being said, I'm not sure what the answer is to minimize or prevent concussions in sports.

[August]

I understand how it works but what i'm saying is that without helmets and hard pads the game of football would be played quite differently than it is with them.

[Commander Wallace]

Originally Posted by August

I understand how it works but what i'm saying is that without helmets and hard pads the game of football would be played quite differently than it is with them.

Do you feel these games are safer without protective equipment ? Do you see any ways to make these games safer, especially for younger kids who are still growing and developing ? I had said before that I think the answers may well be a combination of better designed equipment and rule changes. I still feel that way.

Like you, I enjoy Football and Hockey games and such but they are after all, just a game. The players in the games and The lives involved should always be number one, especially for younger kids who might not fully comprehend the risks when they play sports.

I wonder if there are ways to better protect players while still retaining the essence of the respective sports they enjoy playing and that the fans enjoy watching.

[August]

Originally Posted by Commander Wallace

Do you feel these games are safer without protective equipment ?

Not without protective equipment at all, just not the ballistic plastic armor system like they use now. I feel that a soft helmet and padding might make players less eager to make high speed hits which is what causes most concussions.

Take a look at the gif below.

#34 just runs into the QB at full speed. No attempt to wrap him up and pull him down. He's doing that because he is protected by armor.


With soft pads it's going to be more like this.



See how the tackler tries to wrap his arms around the ball carrier and pull him down instead of crashing into him full speed? Yeah I know he wasn't successful but it illustrates the difference in technique fairly well. This is what I mean. By removing the armor players are forced to grab and pull their opponents to the ground instead of trying to hit them. That might be safer than the situation we have now.