For NFL fans

[Hugh]

Just out of curiosity, how do you feel about the argument that the NFL might be better off if they eliminated pads?

The only team sport I've ever played is rugby. I honestly think rugby at times can be more brutal than American football. The thing is, you don't see the same massive, life changing injuries in rugby because like you would never run at someone full speed and just go bone on bone with them. I've read quite a few things, specifically when I was in medic school because there were a few high profile CTE suicides.

It would obviously drastically change the game. Nobody could argue that. I'm just asking if you think American football could survive without pads. I know this will never happen in a million years, the NFL is a cash cow and there's no way they'd ever do this. I just think it's an interesting question. The data is there relative to rugby, hurling, Irish/Australian rules football, etc. Physical sports without pads are objectively safer because people are way more reserved when they throw their body at someone.

It was the same with fighting. I'd take a fucking beating in sparring matches when I had headgear on and foot pads, but I was basically walking on egg shells in actual competitive fights.

I’ve never heard the argument to remove all pads in American football. Not seriously anyway. American football isn’t rugby nor should it try to be. Rugby already exists everywhere. Nobody wants rugby 2.0. There are things they can do and try to make football safer and lower the risk of serious injury without completely changing the game, and that’s happening and will continue to happen, but there are all kinds of extremely dangerous activities and professions that aren’t in the same discussion as American football for some reason. Snowboarders, skiers, motocross, race car driving, cycling, hockey, gymnastics. Most people devoted enough to get to the Olympics have broken more bones and had more concussions than most NFL players. Some of these winter sports athletes get concussed more than boxers.
But these people and sports are praised. And what about occupation? Is pipe fitting dangerous? Power line work? Commercial fishing? Steel working? Police and firefighting? How about joining the military? None of those people get paid millions of dollars a year. Lots of shit is dangerous. Cage fighting is on the rise. It’s everywhere. Boxing is making a huge comeback.
So as long as American football and especially the NFL continues to bring awareness to the obvious dangers and works to improve gear and implement sensible changes and rules to decrease risk of serious injury, people should stop singling it out and demonizing it. I think it’s the greatest team sport ever invented and a dream that young people in pockets all over the country or even the world have and should be able to chase.
To me, these guys that try to climb Everest every year and die and leave their families alone for no reason other than personal...whatever, I don’t know. People praise their bravery and call them heroes. They make movies about them. A lot of these NFL players come from nothing and make money that changes their families forever. Yes it’s dangerous. So what?

[Achilles]

I’ve never heard the argument to remove all pads in American football. Not seriously anyway. American football isn’t rugby nor should it try to be. Rugby already exists everywhere. Nobody wants rugby 2.0. There are things they can do and try to make football safer and lower the risk of serious injury without completely changing the game, and that’s happening and will continue to happen, but there are all kinds of extremely dangerous activities and professions that aren’t in the same discussion as American football for some reason. Snowboarders, skiers, motocross, race car driving, cycling, hockey, gymnastics. Most people devoted enough to get to the Olympics have broken more bones and had more concussions than most NFL players. Some of these winter sports athletes get concussed more than boxers.
But these people and sports are praised. And what about occupation? Is pipe fitting dangerous? Power line work? Commercial fishing? Steel working? Police and firefighting? How about joining the military? None of those people get paid millions of dollars a year. Lots of shit is dangerous. Cage fighting is on the rise. It’s everywhere. Boxing is making a huge comeback.
So as long as American football and especially the NFL continues to bring awareness to the obvious dangers and works to improve gear and implement sensible changes and rules to decrease risk of serious injury, people should stop singling it out and demonizing it. I think it’s the greatest team sport ever invented and a dream that young people in pockets all over the country or even the world have and should be able to chase.
To me, these guys that try to climb Everest every year and die and leave their families alone for no reason other than personal...whatever, I don’t know. People praise their bravery and call them heroes. They make movies about them. A lot of these NFL players come from nothing and make money that changes their families forever. Yes it’s dangerous. So what?

Hey, sorry, meant to get back to this but just forgot.

So I'm with you on the "so what?" part. I totally agree with that. In my opinion they shouldn't be so obsessed with the injuries in football. I know you know I don't like football but I'm a fighter, it's the same thing with that. It's fighting. It's supposed to be violent. Don't get into MMA or football if you don't want injuries, you're a grown ass man, and you know exactly what you're signing up for. Nobody is making you do it. I fought professionally from 18 to 25. At no point was I like "this is unfair it's not safe." I was choosing to step into a cage or ring with people I know are capable of killing me. Same with putting on football pads and choosing to step onto a field with other dudes that are so athletic and big they're going to hit you like a mac truck. You know what you're signing up for, you know you can very likely get brain damage. It'd be no different than going into the military and being like "this isn't safe we need to figure this out better."

So what I'm asking is in a vacuum. I know this will never happen, nor do I care if it does or expect it to. It won't ever happen, we both know that. It's just an interesting question.

You said you've never heard this posed before, but it's been a big topic of discussion. With all of the CTE stuff and head injuries, tons of medical personnel have suggested going the rugby route and eliminated pads. They've been pouring money into developing safer helmets in the NFL because the brain injury rate is so high. I actually was in medic school with Junior Seau killed himself and asked for his brain to be donated to science, so we talked about it a lot (I know tons of about CTE too if any of you want me to explain it in depth and what it is exactly).

The argument is that if you eliminated pads, the players would be more reserved and not hit each other as hard. Which is why rugby has less traumatic injury. You and I could put on pads and run at each other as hard as possible over and over. If you and I ran at each other as hard as we could without pads we'd be insanely injured. Which is just a fact. So there's been doctors involved with the CTE research that have proposed the best thing you could do is eliminate pads and go the way of hurling, Irish Rules Football, rugby, etc.

I don't think this should happen, or that there's even a remote possibility it would ever happen, nor do I want it to happen. Like I said, they're grown ass men that are signing up for this. All I'm saying is, I think those doctors are right. If you wanted to make football safer eliminating pads probably would be the best way to do it. A really good similarity is how boxing has way more brain injury and WAY more deaths than MMA. Like WAAAAY more deaths than MMA. They have huge padded gloves, and because of that, there's not nearly as much clean knockouts. So they just bludgeon each other over and over and they take way more trauma. Whereas if they weren't wearing huge gloves they'd knock each other out instead of hitting each other in the head recklessly over and over.

Just an interesting topic I suppose. It would obviously massively change the game, probably to the point that it would be unrecognizable. And like I said, I don't think they ever would even consider doing it. I'm asking from a medical standpoint, to me it makes sense and probably would make the game safer.

[Hulky]

Im watching that game too lol
Also looks like Dolphins might beat the Jets

[Hulky]

Also what the fuck is with the Bears

few minutes into the 3rd

Passing
Mitch 6/12 23 yards (4 of the 6 went to RBs)

Rushing
Mitch 1 carry 7 yards
Montgomery 3 carries 1 yard


Isn't the Philly passing defense one of the more yardage prone defensives this year? What the hell.

[Hulky]

Big time Congrats to the Dolphins for blowing the 1st overall pick potentially.

[Gryph]

Big time Congrats to the Dolphins for blowing the 1st overall pick potentially.

Nah, Jets will take another DT that'll suck dick again so the Fins can still get T'ua lol.

[Hugh]

Jets are the worst drafting team in NFL history. That’s why Darnold is doomed.
Cleveland should have taken him.

[Gryph]

Jets are the worst drafting team in NFL history. That’s why Darnold is doomed.
Cleveland should have taken him.

Nothing would ever beat the Idzik 11. Stockpiles 11 picks in the worst draft class in the past 20 seasons, picks 11 players, who within 3 years, were either all cut/released or traded for garbage.

It's pretty insane, how thin the line is from Dynasty building teams and a complete and utter collapse. Literally one bad decision that can be viewed as minor sends such a massive ripple effect that can destroy an entire team.

[The Cheat]

Ravens kicked the Pats ass last night! You know what that means?!?

It means Pats will beat them in the playoffs by like 14.

[Achilles]

That was a fantastic response Hugh. I'm picking my girlfriend up at the airport and am in a mad dash to play hide the pickle. I promise it will get a proper response.