Cntrygal
11-19-2009, 12:13 PM
This football season, the debate about head injuries has reached a critical mass. Startling research has been unveiled. Maudlin headlines have been written. Congress called a hearing on the subject last month.
As obvious as the problem may seem (wait, you mean football is dangerous?), continuing revelations about the troubling mental declines of some retired players — and the ongoing parade of concussions during games — have created a sense of inevitability. Pretty soon, something will have to be done.
But before the debate goes any further, there's a fundamental question that needs to be investigated. Why do football players wear helmets in the first place? And more important, could the helmets be part of the problem?
link (http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/10381790/Is-it-time-to-retire-the-football-helmet?gt1=39002)
As obvious as the problem may seem (wait, you mean football is dangerous?), continuing revelations about the troubling mental declines of some retired players — and the ongoing parade of concussions during games — have created a sense of inevitability. Pretty soon, something will have to be done.
But before the debate goes any further, there's a fundamental question that needs to be investigated. Why do football players wear helmets in the first place? And more important, could the helmets be part of the problem?
link (http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/10381790/Is-it-time-to-retire-the-football-helmet?gt1=39002)