Revolutionary New Football Helmet Protects against Brain Injuries

Megalith

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Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, Houston Texans linebacker Jadeveon Clowney, and other star players in the NFL will be testing a new helmet called the “Zero1” this season: the headpiece promises to better protect athletes against a range of head and brain injuries thanks to a material that gives on impact and then immediately bounces back. A recent study of the brains of deceased NFL football players found signs of degenerative brain disease in 99 percent of former players.

Mounting safety concerns have already rattled the NFL. Players traditionally deemed fit — in terms of age and skill level — continue to walk away from the game. Since the Zero1 is only now entering its first game, it remains to be seen if it’s capable of drastically improving player safety and tidying up the NFL’s tarnished image. Though it’s unlikely the NFL dries up without the emergence of a company like Vicis, even a few star players walking away from the game is damning evidence of an eventual decline.
 
It's nice to see it finally come to play. I think Russell Wilson is an investor in this company as well.

Luke Kuechly(sp?) is wearing the neck device that keeps fluid pressure in the head (thus lessoning the slosh action and double impact of the brain). He was approved to test it because of his notable head trauma's.
 
As a tech guy we allways want the best. Hopefully athletes would be less prone to concussions then it will shift to it.
 
Unless football can find a way to significantly decrease head injuries, I see more and more people leaving the sport. If I were a parent, I wouldn't let my child play football with the current rules and protective equipment.
 
Unless football can find a way to significantly decrease head injuries, I see more and more people leaving the sport. If I were a parent, I wouldn't let my child play football with the current rules and protective equipment.

I've been reading this is a real problem, with predictions saying the nfl will be dead in 20 years with current enrollment into football programs. Parents just don't want their children in such a sport, can't say i blame them.
 
Unless football can find a way to significantly decrease head injuries, I see more and more people leaving the sport. If I were a parent, I wouldn't let my child play football with the current rules and protective equipment.
Then the sport dies from a lack of interest. People don't want to watch people making millions playing flag football. So I can see the NFL losing popularity either way but not dead in 20 years.
 
Used to coach youth football, primarily 12-14 year olds, and the coaches I still have contact with say enrollment at the youth level is way down, in some cases half as many kids. A few of my buddies are high school coaches and they've cut JV and/or sophomore teams due to lower participation. It's a real problem for the sport and I don't blame any parent for doing so knowing what I know now (which is one of the reasons I no longer coach football), as I wouldn't want my son playing right now either unless equipment progresses far enough to prevent brain damage.

All that said, some of the lower participation is due to competition with other sports, very few multi-sport athletes left since you have to specialize to be 'good enough' to make the team or go for a scholarship, etc. I see a lot more kids playing soccer and lacrosse these days
 
Parents just don't want their children in such a sport

Hahahahaha, parents don't think this way as a whole. Not until their kids get dementia at 55 and have to live in a nursing home.

(this is coming from living in Texas where football is more important than learning)
 
Hahahahaha, parents don't think this way as a whole. Not until their kids get dementia at 55 and have to live in a nursing home.

(this is coming from living in Texas where football is more important than learning)
Well as a "whole" no... but I'm guessing everyone not living in either "football is more important than learning" or "football is my son's only chance to get into college" is thinking the other way.

Hell my son isn't 2 yet, and I'm already firmly in the "uh fuck no you aren't playing football" camp.
 
Cool!

Or they could just duct tape a bunch of sponges to their heads... not as cool looking but hey.
 
Me and my brother went to a game at our high school a few years ago. Remember some kid left the game with a concussion, and came back in a few plays later. Lasted one more play. I think he ended up with an aneurysm, and went into a coma. Ended up with limited motor and verbal skills. Shit was brutal.
 
Me and my brother went to a game at our high school a few years ago. Remember some kid left the game with a concussion, and came back in a few plays later. Lasted one more play. I think he ended up with an aneurysm, and went into a coma. Ended up with limited motor and verbal skills. Shit was brutal.
That's because a lot of times the high school coaches couldn't give less of a fuck about the long term health of their players. Sure some might teach to tackle right, but if they get a good lick on someone by leading with their helmet then fuck yeah son!
 
Good. I played elite level rugby up to college age (international development squad) so I'm not 'soft' but going to high school in Virginia for a bit where I was promptly got dragooned into playing high school football. Even at that age, at that level I couldn't believe the hits that you take. Your head feels like the candy in a pinata.

Equipment will help but they've got to sort the tackling out. The style of play and the level protection you wear almost encourages you to try and hurt them. Why grab 'em and drag 'em to the ground when you can just shoulder barge them and knock them out, and get applauded for it. I know there is work going on to try and improve this but it's not going anywhere fast.

I love the physicality of the sport, love the fact you can tackle any time, I cheer as load as anyone when a ball carrier gets flipped 180; but it needs to be safer in method as well as equipment.
 
They'll just throw money at it, more lucrative contracts, more bonuses, gotta entice the new blood somehow.

More money in soccer for the most part, much easier sell for the moms too. Plus the football teams aren't going to give up their most profitable sport tag easily.

Tough one, I really want my kids to play something a bit tougher but I see why it's popular.
 
Unless football can find a way to significantly decrease head injuries, I see more and more people leaving the sport. If I were a parent, I wouldn't let my child play football with the current rules and protective equipment.

Get back to me about what part of life is "safe". As a parent myself, I would do anything to protect my daughter without be overprotective. I am in the camp of letting kids try new things at the same time being involved in what they are doing. I have daughter and I supported her when she wanted to try gymnastics and dance. Just as I am thankful my parents let me play HS football. I made new friends, learned teamwork and found a great avenue to release stress.

I see more joining football sport. As college prices go up parents are happy to take a full football scholarship.

Go Eagles!
 
Get back to me about what part of life is "safe". As a parent myself, I would do anything to protect my daughter without be overprotective. I am in the camp of letting kids try new things at the same time being involved in what they are doing. I have daughter and I supported her when she wanted to try gymnastics and dance. Just as I am thankful my parents let me play HS football. I made new friends, learned teamwork and found a great avenue to release stress.

I see more joining football sport. As college prices go up parents are happy to take a full football scholarship.

Go Eagles!
It is all about risk management. Gymnastics is not high on the list for potential brain damage causing sports. I even have a cousin who is an Olympic gold-medal winning gymnast, so I at least have a basic understanding of those risks. Broken bones can heal, brains usually don't recover well from repeated injury (or even one bad injury).

Many youth soccer leagues are banning the use of the head by children, which should cut back on head injuries. There are many hockey leagues that are no check leagues (I played roller hockey in college and it was all no-check). Baseball and basketball are also low on the head injuries risk.

In football, it is common for your helmet to come in contact with an object while playing (some impacts are very minor and some are not. I know, I played for 1 year in middle school). No other sport has as many contacts with the head as football, except for boxing and MMA. Also it is common to find very heavy people playing football (With f=ma, having 2 people who weight over 300lbs {college and pro, mainly} running at each other at full sprinting speeds, you get a lot of force).
 
This is a bullshit marketing gimmick by a new company. Nothing more. This will not protect the brain during an impact. I want to see them put a bowl of jello in it. If the jello cracks, you know it's no good.
 
Get back to me about what part of life is "safe". As a parent myself, I would do anything to protect my daughter without be overprotective. I am in the camp of letting kids try new things at the same time being involved in what they are doing. I have daughter and I supported her when she wanted to try gymnastics and dance. Just as I am thankful my parents let me play HS football. I made new friends, learned teamwork and found a great avenue to release stress.
I see more joining football sport. As college prices go up parents are happy to take a full football scholarship.
Go Eagles!
There will always be parents that look the other way and are a believer of the survival of the fittest game even if it involves their own children. I swear, it always seem to be the ones that came out of playing football unscathed that have a negative opinion of CTE every time an article come up talking about it. It's like their manhood is being challenged.

"Hey son, listen. It's ok to play football. Don't worry about CTE. Only the weak and unfit end up with it. You will have a chance at getting a full scholarship to a college of your choice. Who knows, maybe an NFL career and make millions. Now, if unfortunately, you end up with CTE down the road, that is life. Just know that you will have made millions with your wife and kids well looked after if you decide to blow your brains out somewhere out in the woods."
 
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I swear, it always seem to be the ones that came out of playing football unscathed that have a negative opinion of CTE every time an article come up talking about it. It's like their manhood is being challenged.

"Hey son, listen. It's ok to play football. Don't worry about CTE. Only the weak and unfit end up with it.

Absolutely agree with this, anybody with half a brain that gets anywhere in sports will admit it's often luck, either way.

I was lucky enough to never get a serious injury at rugby, another kid who was far better than me ended up with a crushed vertabrae after very slightly misjudging a tackle and effectively spearing a guy's thigh. Said guy having mass and speed and my friend being nearly crippled. These days I get lectured by the parents as I counsel not to risk it unless they can do the tackle properly and clean and have subbed for dangerous but not illegal tackles.

If you play sport a lot and never got hurt you've either got amazing soft tissue, or more likely we're lucky.
 
Nice infomercial.

As to the health problems of football players....whatever. Yes, it's shitty that people get hurt, but they're adults making informed decisions. If they don't care, why should I?

Buy the ticket, take the ride.
 
If they don't care, why should I?
.

I would say most people who have caused a (rightful) uproar over concussions in football, are the ones who are concerned for their children and teenagers. These kids spend almost a decade playing a hard-contact sport, it's only common sense that you would want them protected from a terrifying health condition related to concussions and the brain.

It's not all about the millionaires playing professionally.
 
Soccer has more head injuries / per person, because they intentionally use their head to hit the ball. Are we going to ban soccer, too? What other sports should we stop watching? Let's just get rid of all sports - they're dangerous!!!1!

Come on. Most people like to watch others compete in sports. It's practically coded into our genes. Some people will willingly choose to take the risk of injury for the fun of the sport (or money). Society should do it's best to make sure they are safe playing, instead of a vocal few whining about sports they don't like like girlie men.
 
This helmet is only going to address a small fraction of the issues.

To paraphrase a BBC documentary on product safety

"It's not the child's head hitting the ground that causes serious injury, it's the child's brain splattering against the inside of the skull as the skull decelerates and the brain does not."

You are imparting massive inertial changes to the brain and smacking it into the skull. Shielding it form the outside isn't going to do much.
 
Soccer has more head injuries / per person, because they intentionally use their head to hit the ball.

Every American Football player on the field has violent contact on every play, every game. You're delusional if you believe soccer players suffer more head injuries than an American Football player.
 
Read an article yesterday... many NFL/college test players are stopping because they feel it looks "Big head" and "not cool". There you go, don't complain then.

My biggest fear with the new helmet is you can't measure clearly when it is damaged (car accident style helmets) ... or even if you did you may not have $1500 for another. Also how many concussions did they have from age 10-18 that coaches didnt care about. I remember as kids our coaches just making sure you could count to 3 before going back in the game.
 
football players are such heros... seriously wouldn't these games be more fun/challenging if they didn't encourage bashing each other constantly? or is the sight of men dodging each other too "girlie" and we must mimic the behavior of antelopes and other beasts to get our titties nice and perky?
 
I would say most people who have caused a (rightful) uproar over concussions in football, are the ones who are concerned for their children and teenagers. These kids spend almost a decade playing a hard-contact sport, it's only common sense that you would want them protected from a terrifying health condition related to concussions and the brain.

It's not all about the millionaires playing professionally.

Suffer the children at the hands of idiotic parents. That kids need protecting from the ones who claim to love them is not news and it changes nothing. I make no distinction between men who choose to play in the NFL and parents who send their kids into the game; they are adults making decisions. One for themselves, one for their kids, but both are potentially equally informed of the likely consequences.

If they don't care about their children, why should I?
 
If they don't care about their children, why should I?

You certainly don't have to. If you don't have children who play sports, and you yourself do not play sports, then you obviously don't have 2 fucks to give about this topic.

But there's concern because the science behind head trauma is relatively new, especially when it relates to CTE.
 
if you put strips of 3/4 neoprene foam on regular football helmets, so that they look like corn-rows, you reduce concussion injuries by 28 percent
 
Make the helmet far larger, seal it, and fill it with amniotic fluid, problem solved.

In all seriousness though, just play hockey.
 
Make the helmets super safe but also 'explode' upon hitting.. it would change the game... But it might look cool hehe
 
Best way to fix this is remove the helmet, or at least the facemask. People will stop leading with their faces and heads if they think they'll mess up their grill
 
I enjoy watching the sport and I would continue watching if they changed the rules. I don't see a need to lower your shoulder and nail a guy coming across the middle. Either get in front of the pass or wrap the guy up after he catches it. Wrap up a runners legs don't try to blow out his knee. Allow a little more hand fighting for CB's to compensate so there are less PI calls.

Even if my teenage son had any interest in football it's way too much of a time commitment along with the inherent dangers. I want him studying and helping around the house.
 
You certainly don't have to. If you don't have children who play sports, and you yourself do not play sports, then you obviously don't have 2 fucks to give about this topic.

But there's concern because the science behind head trauma is relatively new, especially when it relates to CTE.

Oh, I have children who play sports, but I wouldn't let them play football, even if they wanted to. I want them to have a healthy, happy life, of which sports is supposed to be a part.

And I still don't care. Make better choices or stop crying about the consequences of the ones you do make.
 
See, this is why Tiger chose Golf. Make millions hitting a little white ball in the hole, NO CONTACT! Easy choice.

I have to admit though, I enjoy watching football and would be sad to see it go away.

Maybe they can design a protective football suit? You know like the NFL animated robots you see on Fox.
 
Oh, I have children who play sports, but I wouldn't let them play football, even if they wanted to. I want them to have a healthy, happy life, of which sports is supposed to be a part.

And I still don't care. Make better choices or stop crying about the consequences of the ones you do make.

Agreed with the first part, but who's crying about safety in American Football? Sports should work on making themselves safer. Especially ones as violent as American Football. This is why they not only modify equipment and training, but also rules as well. It's not just relegated to American Football, either.

So as a parent, you just want everyone to shut up and not care about safety in sports?
 
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