Concussions in American Football

[KYPack]

Imagine an NFL defense has to only worry about stopping the running game of a team that has no conventional blocking skills. 10 in the box with 1 deep. Basically a goal line D at all times against a team who has never really practiced that sort of thing. You'd be better off with an arena league team. They'd at least have a chance.

If the situation was reversed and you had an NFL team trying to play the top rugby team in a rugby match, well that would be a different story.

Yes Tar, I am. And I'm probably more well versed in the skillls held by Aussie rugby players than 99.9% of Americans. I know the Aussie's are tough smart players. They relish contact and know how to think on their feet.

But they would be playing a game totally foreign to 'em. I agree with Zool 100% here. It's not a question of toughness, it a problem of learning curve. The Aussie's would probably even give the Yanks a few bad plays here and there. Buy overall, the footballers would have so many tremendous advantages due to their experience, the outcome wouldn't be close.

If I was coaching the Americans, I wouldn't have Zool's balls and play a 10-1, I'd probably play a wide tackle 6 or some flavor of a 6- 2. On offense I'd play it straight for awhile, then run a few traps and/ or sucker plays. They'd almost all work like crazy on an inexperienced defense. A conventional passing offense would work just fine. But a play action pass against a cherry defense would certainly go for long yardage.

I'm not being chauvanist here. A bunch of American footballers would get their lunch eaten trying to play a top Australian Rugger side. (league or union, I don't give a fuck which). it's an unfair advantage playing one team experienced in the game and one team making their first venture into a foreign sport.

My question here is, are you serious or just busting Yankee balls?

[Deputy Nutz]

sorry Tarlam, Americans do something better than any other country in the world and that is playing football. Your best Aussie Rules players couldn't beat a division III football team. Toughness has nothing to do with it. Back in the day when boys were still boys and video games sucked balls, we all grew up playing backyard tackle football without pads and that is how we learned the game. It was passed down from older neighborhood kids to the younger ones. We would break noses, arms, teeth and it was all part of the experience. If you cried you got made fun of regardless how bad the injury, you got laughed off the field if you even thought about wearing a mouth guard. That was how the game used to be played. Then we put pads on and forgot how pure the game was when we were kids.

I was an offensive and defensive linemen in college, and only someone with no experience would think blocking and defeating blocks is easy, it is the hardest part of the game, ask any football coach worth a shit and he builds his team from linemen up. Last time I checked Australia wasn't a hot bed for recuiting linemen. Offensive and defensive linemen are some of the most athletic guys on the field considering their size and weight, I would take Micheal Orr one on one with any Aussie Rules player and 95 time out of a 100 that Rugger is pancaked flat on his ass, damaged, mauled, crushed. 6-8 345 pounds and quicker than shit. Does Aussie Rules have anyone playing like that?

[sharpe1027]

Um, yes. You just did. And, you are pussies for getting concussions with all that body armour and shit. Hey, you inventented the most beautiful game in the world. But, your're pussies.

Now, I'm old, but I'll tell you this: if I picked 53 to play the Pack out of my high school in the SB, we would have anniahlated them. We cracked our heads in League (Huge ddifference to Union, and what most of you call "Rugby"). We would have just fucking killed 'em. And, we'd have done it without a QB. Cause, you really can win this game without a QB.

Oh, and without helmets.

If true, then with all due respect, you and your boys are really missing out. Don't you realize you could be making millions of dollars a year? If you could beat the best of the best, and they are paid pretty well, how much would teams pay for your services? The sky is the limit. Get your boys on the phone, there's still time!

[Guiness]

6-8 345 pounds and quicker than shit. Does Aussie Rules have anyone playing like that?

Nope, and for good reason - you having played both sports should know better than anyone.

6-8 345 would not be a useful Aussie rules or rugby player. Sure, he'd flatten anyone who got near him...so they'd run away from him 15 minutes into the game, his tongue would be hanging to his knees, and they'd be administering him oxygen!

The sports, while similar, are different enough that different body styles and conditioning excel at each one. Can you imagine the sight of a rugby player getting oxygen on the sideline? Yet it's a common occurrence in American football.

[KYPack]

That is the other big transistion you have to make from football to rugby. No helmets, no pads, no huddles. rugby is a continous, transistion sport. You can't be grossly out of condidtion to play rugger. You might see a heavy dude on a rugby pitch, but the guy will be in condition to run. You have to be.

[MadtownPacker]

Um, yes. You just did. And, you are pussies for getting concussions with all that body armour and shit. Hey, you inventented the most beautiful game in the world. But, your're pussies.

Now, I'm old, but I'll tell you this: if I picked 53 to play the Pack out of my high school in the SB, we would have anniahlated them. We cracked our heads in League (Huge ddifference to Union, and what most of you call "Rugby"). We would have just fucking killed 'em. And, we'd have done it without a QB. Cause, you really can win this game without a QB.

Oh, and without helmets.

Dammit this mfer started drinking that 151 proof shit again.....

Listen you fucking kangaroo beater, next time we all get together we are gonna have you and Nutty go at it and see which one is tougher. I'll put my money on the dirty White boy over the dirty descendant of Euro criminals.

[woodbuck27]

I watch football passionately. But I played rugby, and Australian Rules football. I captained both, so, obviously I had a big mouth, but the skipper is the target in any game. I never got a concussion. I just don't get how we Neandthals can crack heads and live to drink a few afterwards and you guys get concussions!

In Rugby the tackles are around the feet if done best. In Rugby the grappling tackles are from close contact as it's difficult for the fella carrying the ball to get free for a run on shot or one with maximum contact.

In Pro football we see too many illegal hits to the head and neck. The same goes for the NHL. Many are demanding change.

It's crazy the way hockey helmuts are designed without much improvement or innovation. At least in Pro football their players are afforded better helmut design to protect them.

What we are left with is fans that desire the big hits and I mean especially American fans of the NHL who will not join forces with those so concerned about player concussions and illiminating as much as possible hits that may 'in fact' soon kill a man. Players in the NHL are getting biger al the time as the Americam psyche demands more contact and roughness.

This is a huge concern for fans of hockey in Canada. It's in our sports pages almost every day, especially since the loss of The Pittsburg Penguins Sydney Crosby and other prominant players in the league.

[th87]

Wait, so Australians are somehow better than Americans at stopping their brains from hitting their skulls? Is this what I was supposed to get out of this?

[Tarlam!]

Wait, so Australians are somehow better than Americans at stopping their brains from hitting their skulls? Is this what I was supposed to get out of this?

Sure seems that way.

[TennesseePackerBacker]

Wait, so Australians are somehow better than Americans at stopping their brains from hitting their skulls? Is this what I was supposed to get out of this?

They have less mass up there.

[th87]

Sure seems that way.

Oh okay. Do they have thicker cerebro-spinal fluid? I'm really curious!

[th87]

They have less mass up there.

Haha. But apparently there are genetic differences between people of similar descent!

[Tarlam!]

Oh okay. Do they have thicker cerebro-spinal fluid? I'm really curious!

Geez, TH, I'm no scientist, mate. I just made an observation that I have no explaination for. I know everyone keeps telling me how violent the hits are. I had never actually held a helmet in my hands until when I started this thread. Then I got drunk and my bragging mood and, heck, I'm an Aussie through and through. Of course I'm gonna hold up a flag and wave it wildly. I still don't get it, but I'll just have to trust the more experienced posters.

[Tarlam!]

Haha. But apparently there are genetic differences between people of similar descent!

I don't want this to sound racial in any way shape or form: I have a buddy that's from Idaho and his theory is that during the black slave times, breeding programmes were in place to get the kind of slaves that would get a high price. I can only give you my observation and that is African Americans are much stronger and bigger that those in Africa. I visited both places and I can compare.

The problem with that logic, however, that it doesn't work in other countries that have large populations with African ancestry e.g. Brazil, which I've also visited.

[th87]

So then are you saying that Aussies have some type of genetic superiority with respect to concussions? I'd have to disagree there. Here's what I consider the more logical explanation:

NFL players produce among the most force of any human in the world. Force = mass x velocity. NFL players have the highest combination of size and speed in the world. Adding the equipment makes them even heavier. This force knocking someone's head against the ground is immense. Also, current helmets can't really stop concussions THAT well, because the brain is floating in cerebro-spinal fluid, and if the head suddenly stops (as in the case of a player's head hitting the ground), the brain is still moving until it hits the skull.

And a concussion is a concussion. Just like how a bone is either fractured or it isn't. It has nothing to do with toughness or whatever.

So if Aussies are truly better at avoiding concussions, the only superiority they could have is if they somehow have thicker cerebro-spinal fluid that stops the brain from crashing into the skull. Which, of course, sounds crazy.

Haha, I really hope it was the booze that said your team would beat the SUPER BOWL CHAMPION GREEN BAY PACKERS in FOOTBALL.

Sorry for calling you out like this, but come on.