NFL to Allow Guardian Caps in Games

[lowend]

I think there's an aspect to the "back when I played" posts that nobody is mentioning: players are simply much bigger and stronger now than they were then. A player like Gene Stallings was prized because he was "country strong." And yes, there were players back then that could deliver vicious hits, but the capability of even the most average player now exceeds that. Also, think about the weight of a player driving someone to the ground and their head hitting the turf. I think players are taking hits that, even though they don't look as big, are delivering more force than back then.

 

[REBELZED]

I think there's an aspect to the "back when I played" posts that nobody is mentioning: players are simply much bigger and stronger now than they were then. A player like Gene Stallings was prized because he was "country strong." And yes, there were players back then that could deliver vicious hits, but the capability of even the most average player now exceeds that. Also, think about the weight of a player driving someone to the ground and their head hitting the turf. I think players are taking hits that, even though they don't look as big, are delivering more force than back then.

Force = mass x acceleration and the right side of that equation continues getting larger and larger...

 

[Tidelines]

The caps are ugly, but so is CTE.

 

[Con]

I remember when nobody wore helmets snow skiing because they did not look "cool"; now everybody wears them.

This is the way I feel about bike helmets. I never get on mine without one, but some people laugh at you with it on. My bike helmet does look cool though. Lol

 

[DzynKingRTR]

This is the way I feel about bike helmets. I never get on mine without one, but some people laugh at you with it on. My bike helmet does look cool though. Lol

I am able to type this today because of a bike helmet.

 

[GrayTide]

I maybe wrong on this topic, but I do not believe the game will suffer more than it has already suffered to NIL and the transfer portal. Sure it would take a season or two to get used to looking at the Guardians, but. IMO, the benefits to these kids could possibly be enormous. As for Guardian colorings and logos, I do not see that as a problem. If these changes improve the chances of avoiding future CTE and death then I am in favor of making it mandatory for any player on the field.

 

[4Q Basket Case]

Force = mass x acceleration and the right side of that equation continues getting larger and larger...

You're absolutely correct. I'd also point out two things:

There was a time that size and speed were inversely correlated. IOW, if you were big, you tended to be slow. That's no longer the case. You now have guys who weigh over 300 pounds and can motor.

Acceleration = velocity squared. IOW, increased velocity has an exponential effect on force. For example, if you increase velocity by 20% (i.e., multiply it by 1.2x), the force doesn't go up by 20%....it goes up by 44%. Or as my dad would have said, "almost half again."

So the increase in size is compounded by the exponential effect of increased speed. Which means the force applied by hits in today's game is far greater than in the past.

 

[Tubafore]

You're absolutely correct. I'd also point out two things:

There was a time that size and speed were inversely correlated. IOW, if you were big, you tended to be slow. That's no longer the case. You now have guys who weigh over 300 pounds and can motor.

Acceleration = velocity squared. IOW, increased velocity has an exponential effect on force. For example, if you increase velocity by 20% (i.e., multiply it by 1.2x), the force doesn't go up by 20%....it goes up by 44%. Or as my dad would have said, "almost half again."

So the increase in size is compounded by the exponential effect of increased speed. Which means the force applied by hits in today's game is far greater than in the past.

You're talking about kinetic energy, not force, but otherwise exactly right. And it's is a concept most people don't understand well.

There's a nice thought experiment that illustrates this nicely: Two cars of equal mass are dead even on a road when they see a downed tree on the road. Car 1 is going 70, Car 2 is going 100. Both slam on the brakes at the same time. Car 1 can barely stop in time. How fast is Car 2 going when it hits the tree?

Most people guess 30. However...

Brakes convert energy of motion into heat energy. And as you mentioned, that it proportional to the square of the velocity. So the difference in kinetic energy they need to dissipate is 100² - 70² = ~71². So Car 2 hits the tree at 71. Formulas were simplified for this example.

 

[JDCrimson]

How will you read our number on the side of our helmet?

 

[Con]

How will you read our number on the side of our helmet?

Just squint a little bit more.