Simply a wonderful article by ESPN's Gregg Easterbrook, that I think everyone should see.
For years, football players, coaches and the parents of young players have been in the dark about which of the many helmets on the market may reduce the risk of concussions. The NFL does not mandate helmet types, while many NFL teams refuse even to reveal which helmets their players wear. The National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment, which certifies sports equipment, has been AWOL on the issue of helmets and concussions. There's been no place for the player seeking helmet safety information to turn.
Now all that has changed. Researchers at Virginia Tech have produced the first brand-by-brand, model-by-model ranking for the likely concussion resistance of helmets. A star-rating system modeled on crash safety rankings for automobiles, the rankings clearly identify the best and worst helmets. Virginia Tech researchers give high marks to these helmets: the Riddell Speed, Riddell Revolution, Riddell Revolution IQ; the Schutt Ion 4D and Schutt DNA; and the Xenith X1. The Virginia Tech researchers give medium grades to the Schutt Air XP and Schutt Air Advantage. The Virginia Tech rankings warn players not to wear these helmets: the Riddell VSR4 and the Adams A2000.
Comments
Invent the Future
I still can't believe how behind the times the NFL is when it comes to player's safety. Yes they do their own concussion research, and they're outlawing harsh illegal hits, but how aren't they the ones leading this initiative? I have major respect for VT putting this study out there and pulling heads out of the sand. I hope going forward the NFL carries the balls, pun not intended, so the results of their future work can trickle down to colleges, high schools, etc... to increase player safety across the board.
It's a sad sad reality that football is a business more than a game. The NFL has plenty of money and resources to do the research but it seems to me they spend more time finding ways to make more money. The fact that the NFL is so far behind really drives that point home. I wish they would step up. I'm proud of VT for doing this work, but they really shouldn't have had to.
Mr Easterbrook with another article touting Virginia Tech's helmet studies.
http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/10398760/seattle-super-bowl-dominance-...
This is an awesome article. I just wish Easterbrook had made more of a connection between Kam Chancellor wrecking people and VT's concussion/helmet research. I mean, c'mon, it's the least we can do to make sure Kam's victims are wearing the safest equipment.
Do they have a study regarding how likely you are to get a concussion when a player from UCLA delivers and unnecessary and illegal helmet to your face mask?
Glad to see VT working hard to prevent things like this.
No, no, no. Go past this. Past this part. In fact, never play this again.