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How a 12-Ounce Layer of Foam Changed the NFL (www.wired.com)

submitted 2 weeks ago by IndustryStandard@lemmy.world to c/news@lemmy.world

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Late in his team’s game against the Green Bay Packers on September 15, Indianapolis Colts tight end Kylen Granson caught a short pass over the middle of the field, charged forward, and lowered his body to brace for contact. The side of his helmet smacked the face mask of linebacker Quay Walker, and the back of it whacked the ground as Walker wrestled him down. Rising to his feet after the 9-yard gain, Granson tossed the football to an official and returned to the line of scrimmage for the next snap.

Aside from it being his first reception of the 2024 National Football League season, this otherwise ordinary play was only noteworthy because of what Granson was wearing at the time of the hit: a 12-ounce, foam-padded, protective helmet covering called a Guardian Cap.

Already mandatory for most positions at all NFL preseason practices, as well as regular-season and postseason practices with contact, these soft shells received another vote of confidence this year when the league greenlit them for optional game use, citing a roughly 50 percent drop in training camp concussions since their official 2022 debut. Through six weeks of action this fall, only 10 NFL players had actually taken the field with one on, according to a league spokesperson. But the decision was easy for Granson, who tried out his gameday Guardian Cap—itself covered by a 1-ounce pinnie with the Colts logo to simulate the design of the helmet underneath—in preseason games before committing to wear it for real.

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[-] rand_alpha19@moist.catsweat.com 106 points 2 weeks ago

Honestly, they don't even look that weird. Slow adoption is likely just due to the culture of machismo in sports, because the choice to wear it or not is up to each player and they all rib each other for being soft or a pussy all the fucking time.

Even getting MLB catchers to start wearing gloves was like pulling teeth back in the day.

[-] kboy101222@sh.itjust.works 43 points 2 weeks ago

Can you imagine trying to catch a 90 mph fast ball gloveless? Fuck machismo, I need to use my hands tomorrow

[-] TheRealKuni@lemmy.world 9 points 2 weeks ago

Were they actually throwing 90mph fastballs back then? As I understand it athletes weren’t like…training to be athletes in those days. I always thought early baseball was a bunch of pudgy near-drunks who were good at throwing or hitting or catching.

[-] vaultdweller013@sh.itjust.works 8 points 2 weeks ago

Even if it wasnt going 90 mph its the balls would still be going a respectable speed regardless, reminder we are literally evolved to throw shit even a person with a shit throw is still gonna get it going with a good bit of force.

[-] mlg@lemmy.world 7 points 2 weeks ago

I was gonna say cricket but their keeper is actually the only one allowed to wear gloves lol

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[-] catloaf@lemm.ee 84 points 2 weeks ago

Maybe we should change how the game is played instead of putting helmets on the helmets

[-] WashedOver@lemmy.ca 52 points 2 weeks ago

We've seen the same issues with hockey. The use of plastics in shoulder and elbow protections versus the older leathers and felt padding. When delivering a hit both players feel it, today not so much as a plastic shoulder goes into a face it's more one way.

As much as they have been changing the rules, a crazy part of me wonders if less equipment might help more, like those old leather helmets. Would players not be hitting as hard?

[-] Maggoty@lemmy.world 20 points 2 weeks ago

NHL players not wearing full masks is the height of idiocy. Most of them have worn full masks for at least a decade before going pro so it's not like they're going to get screwed up by them.

The really scary thing though isn't the plastic shells. Those are fine as long as you have proper gear yourself. It's getting cut by a skate. Every year one or two players will die from getting cut. It's wild to me that Hockey literally has an acceptable death rate without talking about things like underlying medical conditions.

[-] prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone 12 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

Is it really that wild? Hockey players are insane people. They literally cannot remove fighting from the sport without the entirety of Canada revolting.

The referees back off and give people space to fight. In the middle of the game. They go from refereeing hockey, to dirty boxing, then back to hockey. It's a crazy sport.

[-] aubertlone@lemmy.world 7 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

I mean...

Aren't there rules for the fighting tho? Like you gotta drop gloves sticks and helmets.

And then don't both guys fighting ( in this hypothetical scenario) get the penalty?

Idunno man it seems downright civilized if you ask me.

Fwiw, I've literally never played hockey in my life. And the last "fight" I got in was a playground scuffle back in fight grade.

Edit: I meant fifth but it's funnier as fight grade

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[-] Maggoty@lemmy.world 4 points 2 weeks ago

In 2023 it was a guy in England. In 2022, a 10th grade kid in Connecticut. 2024 hasn't had one yet though. So yeah.

[-] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 7 points 2 weeks ago

You could be right. CTE wasn't known about back then, but you don't hear a lot about pro football players in the first half of the 20th century acting like the ones today.

[-] mosiacmango@lemm.ee 13 points 2 weeks ago

There wasn't as much media as there is today either, so that may be a factor.

[-] ImADifferentBird@lemmy.blahaj.zone 10 points 2 weeks ago

There's also the fact that advanced in nutrition, exercise, and medicine mean that today's players move faster and hit harder.

[-] prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone 7 points 2 weeks ago

Look at the size/build of the players back then compared to today... It probably didn't happen as much because people weren't as big and didn't hit as hard.

[-] nonailsleft@lemm.ee 2 points 2 weeks ago

Tiny bit less money involved

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[-] ch00f@lemmy.world 33 points 2 weeks ago

Also enjoying that we have a method for reducing concussions by half, but it isn’t mandatory in games why?

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[-] sh00g@lemmy.zip 7 points 2 weeks ago

Yeah one of the biggest issues is the fact that nobody teaches how to properly "hit" and, equally problematic, how to properly "be hit." Contact sports don't have to be as violent as they are now.

[-] MegaUltraChicken@lemmy.world 9 points 2 weeks ago

I think rugby does a fantastic job of this. It's a much more controlled violence.

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[-] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 35 points 2 weeks ago

Would I be way out there to suggest that if you have to go to these lengths to protect a player, maybe it's not a good sport for the 21st century?

[-] HonkTonkWoman@lemm.ee 26 points 2 weeks ago

If people want to play it & people enjoy watching it, why discard it rather than make it safer?

I enjoy skydiving, drinking copious amounts of alcohol, & eating fried foods. It’s on me to do those things in moderation.

[-] sin_free_for_00_days@sopuli.xyz 7 points 2 weeks ago

You aren't practically guaranteed to have life changing injury from skydiving, drinking, or eating. Several studies have shown that over 90% of football players have CTE. It's not the same, and not a question of moderation.

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[-] Samvega@lemmy.blahaj.zone 5 points 2 weeks ago

"It is tradition that athletes must be harmed for our entertainment."

I'm not sure that people have moved on all that much from Roman gladiatorial combat.

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[-] Gammelfisch@lemmy.world 6 points 2 weeks ago

Get rid of the pads and helmets and play like the rugby.

[-] njm1314@lemmy.world 6 points 2 weeks ago

I don't think you could really say they're changing the nfl, I'm watching the game right now and I don't think there's a single one anywhere on either team. In fact other than maybe one or two players I don't think I've seen anyone wearing them at all this year.

[-] TokenBoomer@lemmy.world 5 points 2 weeks ago

Thought it was this guy:

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this post was submitted on 20 Oct 2024

188 points (94.3% liked)

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