MN Doctors: Remove football from public schools

[Kinnick4Ever]

Regarding the claim that "liberals" are somehow behind the growing concerns about football and concussions, please show us your scientific investigation proving that political bias is somehow skewing the scientific studies documenting that football-related concussions among young people are a serious problem (hint, hint, you can't because it's pure BS to make such a claim). Now, the issue is entering the political arena as the public and our elected officials grasp the implications of what these studies show and what, if anything, should be done in response. After all, the fate of Western Civilization hangs in the balance so right-wingers everywhere can hoot and hollar in protest at school board meetings and the like if anyone dares suggest that football might be too dangerous for kids at this stage of their lives. Have at it. Meanwhile, of course, you are free to continue sending your own children onto the football playing field because, by god, you're not going to be a parent who cow-tows to the whims of science because, you know, science is "liberal" and liberal thought is a malignant cancer that is behind every act of evil in the whole world.

 

[artradley]

FWIW: Recent research on brain injury has indicated that an actual 'concussion' is not necessary for progressive (long-term damaging) changes in the brain to occur, in response to repeated sub-concussive blows to the head, much like that which repeatedly happens to players in a football game.

This occurs over several years (compounds), and does lead to permanent changes in brain structure, related to dementia, depression, etc.

Perhaps instead of 'outlawing' or banning football, we simply need better monitoring and adjusted play techniques.

Put a tiny Wifi accelerometer in each helmet; if the helmet shows a blow above a baseline, the player is removed from the game or practice and is sidelined for a day or a week or whatever.

Same thing during a game; if a player hits another player and either helmet 'goes off' indicating a above-limit head acceleration, BOTH are eliminated from play for the same time frame.

Set an acceleration limit based on best available evidence today. You can base it on a single hit, or a cumulative trigger during a game. Adjust that limit downward as necessary over time.

Make fairly punitive rules in a game that if a player makes an 'intentional' effort to knock out a star by targeting their helmet, that team plays one player short for the rest of the game or half, carrying over to the next game (you will NOT see dirty play and targeting if the penalty means playing 10 on 11 for a game).

You do not see many 'head shots' in games like Rubgy, because there is no head protection, so people wrap and tackle; they learn to not lead with their heads.

Add in available technology to make the game safer, and enforce rules that actually put out severe penalties for helmet hits, regardless if it is pads or helmet-helmet. Once players learn what level of hit will force them from the game, they'll adjust their technique.

Your rugby reference deserves more attention. Hayden Frye used to say that helmets made the game more dangerous. He proposed getting rid of them.

 

[bman546]

StatisticsLie-- Are you for real?

You, in a very condescending manner accuse me of not reading the article?

“You obviously haven't read much of the article or other posts to think this is a way to reduce concussions. It really has nothing to do with concussions outside the liability a school could incur due to an injury.”

Did you even read my post? Where did I mention I think eliminating football in schools reduces concussions?--You lost me there.
Btw, no where in the article is there any reference to insurance and liability (even though they may be a reasonto eliminate football in the schools) as the underlying force in the recommendation to eliminate football in high schools.
If those are the real reasons, then the Drs. calling for the removal of football in the schools are even more disingenuos.
The article quotes the Drs. repeatedly regarding their desire to reduce concussions.

The excerpts below were taken directly from the article.

Minnesota doctors call for removal of football from public schools
They say the stats on concussions back them up.
Two University of Minnesota doctors are recommending that the nation’s schools eliminate football, reducing the pressure on children to engage in a sport riddled with concussions.
Dr. Steven Miles said an outright ban on youth football would be unrealistic. But he is among the first to recommend removing football from schools, where the pressure of school spirit or being the only kid big enough to play nose guard can rope players into a sport in which 5 percent to 20 percent of players suffer concussions each season.
And you say I “...obviously haven’t read much of the article....”

Please post the information in the article where insurance and liability are mentioned.

 

[BigDelHawk]

I didn't think I would have to walk anybody through this, but here it goes. They are not talking about banning football. They're talking about removing it from public schools, which are funded by taxes.

Their recommendations did not apply to private schools or any other organization.

Again, they're not talking about banning football. Hopefully that's more clear.

This would effectively kill the sport...

 

[BigDelHawk]

Your rugby reference deserves more attention. Hayden Frye used to say that helmets made the game more dangerous. He proposed getting rid of them.

Or at least go back to old leather type helmets without face masks?

 

[Eternal Return]

We used to require males to enter the draft and become citizens who could learn the value of sacrifice, service, unit survival, defending the constitution, even to the point of death. These "servants" even if they didn't serve in combat, brought such values to all institutions of our country. Now, a huge amount of our tax dollars are used to share the propaganda of the left...and to instill in our citizens the belief that they are victims and that they are each, the center of the universe, more valuable that anyone or anything else, and deeply entitled to whatever they might want. Of course, sprinkled in are the mindless warnings against capitalism, traditional marriage, Christianity, white males, racism (of whites only) GMO seeds, Western culture, authority, success, oil, heterosexual marriage, internal combustion engines, competition in sports, the military and a basket of other popular items of the day. This thoughtless propaganda is spewed by tenured professors and the elite press...who are "called" and chosen to instruct us all about their knowledge. Their trained mobs travel about trying to overthrow anything that upsets their little lives of entitlement. The "evil" of football is only one little bud on this taxpayer funded tree of indoctrination.

What the hell does football being played in high school have to do with marriage, Christianity, capitalism, oil, the military, or the rest of that tripe. I could see racism, maybe, but not in this context. Authority? Western culture? What? Man, take it to the off-topic board. The subject in this thread is public high schools, football, and concussions. I don't want the sport banned, but I also acknowledge that player safety for high school students is very real and should be considered in terms of how high schools and school districts manage safety and health considerations for football players. If they can't do that then, yeah, football should be banned at the high school level. I believe more technological and medical precautions can be taken to help, but if it's too costly (financially) then the sport should be cut from the school. You have to put the safety of teenagers under the age of 18 before the game of football.

 

[Eternal Return]

Those same doctors are concluding that women's soccer is more dangerous in that the incidents of concussions are more frequent and the impact pf a soccer ball to an unprotected head occurs at a much higher velocity. That is why the relevant soccer organizations (I don't know official name - I really don't like the sport) have recently mandated that heading the ball will be illegal leading up to (I think) college level soccer.

See, that's the type of intelligent precaution in relation to rules for those in HS, under 18, should be taken. If this is an issue, I don't understand why helmets aren't worn in the sport. We've seen some similar precautions over the years in football to protect QBs and wide receivers and also the newer helmet-to-helmet targeting rules. No reason high school football couldn't enact other new rules for protective purposes that allow the sport to continue to be played.

 

[sloehawk]

Regarding the claim that "liberals" are somehow behind the growing concerns about football and concussions, please show us your scientific investigation proving that political bias is somehow skewing the scientific studies documenting that football-related concussions among young people are a serious problem (hint, hint, you can't because it's pure BS to make such a claim). Now, the issue is entering the political arena as the public and our elected officials grasp the implications of what these studies show and what, if anything, should be done in response. After all, the fate of Western Civilization hangs in the balance so right-wingers everywhere can hoot and hollar in protest at school board meetings and the like if anyone dares suggest that football might be too dangerous for kids at this stage of their lives. Have at it. Meanwhile, of course, you are free to continue sending your own children onto the football playing field because, by god, you're not going to be a parent who cow-tows to the whims of science because, you know, science is "liberal" and liberal thought is a malignant cancer that is behind every act of evil in the whole world.

THE SKY IS FALLING! THE SKY IS FALLING! LOL! Just what we need. More billion dollar studies to give us a 10 cent answer.

You do realize there are millions upon millions of people all over this planet that have suffered concussions at any point in their life, from all kinds of endeavors, athletic or otherwise, who function just fine on a day to day basis and will continue to until the day they die right?

And when the 1st person in the History of the world dies from second hand smoke, make sure you let us know about that too would you. What else.......... oh, how about potatoes and Cancer, or is it Carrots and Cancer? Broccoli and Cancer? Gummy Bears? it's confusing.....................

It's pretty clear we just need to ban anything that actually causes a Liberal to leave their bubble-wrapped nuclear shelter. We need a good invasion of the U.S.A. to rid us of this scourge. Another mass exodus to Canada, then seal the border and let the Canucks deal with these insufferable cowards.

 

[Kinnick4Ever]

sloehawk, your comments are full of empty emotional bluster. No one said the sky is falling. No one is insisting on an immediate ban of high school football. No one that I know of is conducting billion dollar studies of anything (in fact, research is widely under-supported these days, thanks to the anti-science sentiments of too many elected officials). No doubt concussions are common but to suggest there are no lifelong ramifications for those (especially children) who experience concussions is patently ridiculous. There are many things we don't know about the ramifications of concussions and, apparently, if you have your way, we'll never know. ignorance is bliss, apparently. Let's just send all our research scientists to Canada because, you know, whatever they're doing to figure things out must be for cynical "liberal" reasons, right?

 

[Chewback]

Put a tiny Wifi accelerometer in each helmet; if the helmet shows a blow above a baseline, the player is removed from the game or practice and is sidelined for a day or a week or whatever.

Since the start of the 2014 season, Formula 1 drivers have been wearing such accelerometers (3 axis) which are incorporated into their communications earpieces. At this point they are still collecting data and as far as I can find out have not released any of that data. The cars themselves have been been equipped with accelerometers since 1997. One of the more entertaining uses of them has been to show a view from the roll bar camera with a circular graphic at the side showing the g-forces fore/aft and side to side. The limit of the graphic was 5 gs and drivers would often peg 5 gs under braking and sometimes 3.5 to 4 laterally through turns. Drivers say that you need to breath before a heavy braking zone because you won't be able to while you're in it.