Concussion Protocol

[rochrist]

So...it seems to me this concussion protocol is utterly unworkable without destroying the league. Given the state of the game as it is today, why wouldn't a team do as Denver did last week and just take shots at any really good QB's head. Even if they get the personal foul called on them, it's still worth it if you get Brady (for example) out of the game. Or JE during a potential scoring drive during the Super Bowl.

The only way I can see it working (other than completely shinning it on and only paying lip service to it), is to make head shots a far more severe penalty. Or maybe, 'you're out as long as the guy you hit is'. Something like that. But even that is likely to be seen as a an attractive trade for the defense.

 

[Tuck]

Agreed. It is totally unworkable and will become a fiasco at some point this season. People need to stop pretending football is not a brutally violent sport.

 

[CoachLindsay]

Agreed. The only way to stop them is to take the protection away from the head and then that drastically changes the sport.

I have many post concussion problems from when I played and that wasn't close to being as severe as the pro's level, their brains must be jelly.

 

[Tuck]

Agreed. The only way to stop them is to take the protection away from the head and then that drastically changes the sport.

I have many post concussion problems from when I played and that wasn't close to being as severe as the pro's level, their brains must be jelly.

Agree with your point about the helmets. I was lucky enough to play in high school when they were phasing out the old foam lined helmets and replacing them with air helmets.

Once I got one of the air helmets, it took me two practices to figure out that I could knock a guy out with my new cushy air helmet. You'd never try hitting like that with the old helmets, they were hard as a rock.

 

[fnordcircle]

Yeah, I thought the same thing last night. You're in the Super Bowl do you headhunt and hope they take out Tom Brady? Only do it once and all you're risking a fine the cost of which is easily covered by a few 'SB Champion X is signing autographs' sessions.

 

[varjao]

Agreed, totally unworkable and a ace in the sleeve of the corrupts.

Unrelated but I would also notice that these penalties for taunting are ridiculous, they are taking away all the fun of the game, what do they want with that?

 

[The Gr8est]

Yep, there is no possibility of abuse with this rule.

I mean, what could possibly go wrong?

 

[fnordcircle]

Change the rule so that if your defense takes out our starting QB, your starting QB sits until ours comes back.

 

[Tuck]

I had the same thought this morning but what a fiasco it would be watching two back up QB's decide a playoff game.

 

[chasa]

two words.

power play.


You want to take out an opposing player? Personal foul penalties result in the yardage AND you play a man down for the duration that the replacement player is in the game

 

[Tuck]

People need to think of football like boxing. It's brutal, violent and guys get hurt. Sometimes permanently. Sometimes guys even die. But this is what we like watching, to pretend it's something else is naive. And to try to come up with effective rules to take out the violence will turn it into something less appealing, kind of like Olympic boxing.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Change the rule so that if your defense takes out our starting QB, your starting QB sits until ours comes back.

Oh my. When Hightower sacked our QB, he was concussed when he hit the ground. Really, he was. Looks like you'll have to sit Brady for a few games.

 

[The Gr8est]

People need to think of football like boxing. It's brutal, violent and guys get hurt. Sometimes permanently. Sometimes guys even die. But this is what we like watching, to pretend it's something else is naive. And to try to come up with effective rules to take out the violence will turn it into something less appealing, kind of like Olympic boxing.

I am not fan of, or expert in boxing, but I remember watching a match once and one boxer punched the other below the belt twice. I believe there was some sort of point penalty, but the puncher won the fight, and the punches was obviously feeling the effects of the low blows.

 

[Koma]

Has the independent concussion spotter ever removed someone from a game? The only example I can think of was Cannon being evaluated for a concussion during the AFCCG last year. I forget if he returned to the game, but, the way the O-line was playing, his absence might not have mattered.

We know the spotter didn't take any action with Keenum last year or Newton last week. They didn't do anything with Taylor last night, either. Hochuli removed him on is own. There are situations like Antonio Brown in the playoffs last year where it's obvious to everyone that a player is injured. The independent spotter was supposed to address situations where a player might be trying to "hide" a head injury or a coaching staff decides a player can play through it and finish a game.

This system will never be perfect, but has it ever actually worked?

 

[Pat the Pats Fan]

Really looks like the rule needs to be reworked. That will happen after the Pats lose a game because of it, not that I believe in conspiracy theories coming out of the NYFL.....

 

[rochrist]

Really looks like the rule needs to be reworked. That will happen after the Pats WIN a game because of it, not that I believe in conspiracy theories coming out of the NYFL.....

Fixed that for you.

 

[Tuck]

And they wonder why ratings are down?