141–150 of 211 posts
sohatever rule changes are suggested to the game it needs to adress the off season practice as well.
For my American cousins I thought I would mention a little more about Rugby Union. Concussion is less of a problem in Rugby than in American football, and this is not an accident. Rugby is addressing this in several ways. 1) Years of rule changes, and stricter enforcement. Now a top level player who tackles someone above the shoulder, or tackles without attempting to hold on (so no clothes-linse or body checks) will…
In rugby I myself had experienced concussions from collisions at least once a season. Anyone I know who has played have experienced similar.
Less protection to the head means lower g-force hits sure, but still I've seen players knocked unconscious by pure body collision hits or an accidental knee to the head (this happens a lot more than you think) ... in fact in my 4 years of high school football I rarely, if ever, saw anyone knocked unconscious... where in rugby I can recall a handful of incidents.
Rugby has no room to outshine football in this manner. Such a foolish arguement.
For my American cousins I thought I would mention a little more about Rugby Union. Concussion is less of a problem in Rugby than in American football, and this is not an accident. Rugby is addressing this in several ways. 1) Years of rule changes, and stricter enforcement. Now a top level player who tackles someone above the shoulder, or tackles without attempting to hold on (so no clothes-linse or body checks) will…
One of the problems with CTE is we still aren’t positive what is causing it. There is at least some evidence that low level repetitive hits to the head are as bad or worse than concussions in this regard. If that is true Rugby is going to have its day of reckoning in CTE (as is soccer). Concussions are bad in any case, so it’s great that we are trying to prevent them, but I’d be very careful assuming any contact spor…
Earlier quoted context omitted.
The same can be said for exercising: you’re out of breath, your heart is racing, you can get dizzy and nauseous, you’re covered in sweat, and the next day all your muscles are aching. Surely, such an activity can’t be healthy! Of course after the first few sessions you’ll start to get used to it, and actually feel better after exercising. Just like how you feel better after smoking once you’re addicted.
It seems like a stretch to compare the most normal activity ever, moving your body, to intentionally ingesting poison. For one, if exercise makes you dizzy, nauseous, sweaty, and all your muscles ache, you are either severely out of shape are overdoing it. I smoked for a fair portion of my life. The main motivation for addicts is to relieve the craving for tobacco. It’s pleasurable in some ways other than that, but c…
> cigarettes did not leave me feeling well most of the time.
Sounds like an easy habit to kick!
According to the article, the doctors believed they had spotted CTE in a living person, and confirmed that their research was correct upon finding CTE after the person's death. I am having trouble understanding how finding CTE in an NFL linebacker after his death is valid confirmation that previous tests were accurate. What are the odds of finding CTE in an ex-NFL linebacker? One in two?
Their is some measurable chance the NFL and football disappear w/in 30 years. Sooner or later a college / high school will lose a lawsuit for a player w/CTE, and schools will have no choice but to stop participation. Once that happens, talent level and interest in the sport will die off. Kinda silly cities are in such a rush to continue building new stadiums. The unspoken elephant whenever these studies come up is sk…
The NFL has a minimum salary of $450,000. 3-4 years in NFL at that will earn you more than the average American earns in a lifetime. That's probably a rational economic trade-off for the risk of CTE.
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I don't understand these arguments. Are they forcing players to do it? If the players are well aware of health risks and still make decision to play the game, how is the sports organization to blame?
It really depends on where you stand on the freedom vs society protection debate. Some think that society should protect vulnerable individuals (in this case, mostly poor people that see in football a way to get well-off/rich) from predatory organizations (in this case, a monopolistic organization that has proven to have no regard for the health of its workers). Notice that most people aren't asking for a ban of the…
For my American cousins I thought I would mention a little more about Rugby Union. Concussion is less of a problem in Rugby than in American football, and this is not an accident. Rugby is addressing this in several ways. 1) Years of rule changes, and stricter enforcement. Now a top level player who tackles someone above the shoulder, or tackles without attempting to hold on (so no clothes-linse or body checks) will…
I'm sorry but as someone in the U.S. who played competitive rugby for 7 years I have to completely disagree. In rugby I myself had experienced concussions from collisions at least once a season. Anyone I know who has played have experienced similar. Less protection to the head means lower g-force hits sure, but still I've seen players knocked unconscious by pure body collision hits or an accidental knee to the head (…
Earlier quoted context omitted.
While the efforts made certainly help there is no getting around the fact that it is an impact sport. That combined with a culture of being tough means that few ‘good’ players escape completely injury free. Short of touch rugby there will still be head impacts and that will have an effect of varying degrees - just maybe not noticeable. Personally I find it difficult to understand how parents can let their kids play r…
I stopped playing Rugby when before I was 18, and the final year of that was where it became serious. I have mild lasting damage to my spine which is painful rather than incapacitating and suffered one serious concussion. I also suffered some muscle strains. The spinal damage was from playing against people in my college year group who were clearly much older than me, and should not have been playing against 16 year…