# American Football causes horrible damage to the brain--solution? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [January 28, 2009, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-football-causes-horrible-damage-to-the-brain-solution/483330 "2009-01-28T01:44:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![MichaelQReilly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@MichaelQReilly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelQReilly)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2009, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-football-causes-horrible-damage-to-the-brain-solution/483330/41 "2009-01-28T19:30:41Z")
> [@FrWindyShephardHenderson](#): > > In rugby union the use of protection like scrum caps and thicker padding began to be used just when the sport was turning professional around 1995. Injuries have gone up but if this is linked to players tackling harder because of the false sense of safety that the protection gives or whether its just because professional players are faster and stronger is debatable. Obviously its the latter mostly, but the former may also play a part. Interestingly, and it could just be me, but I’ve noticed that a lot of players have stopped wearing scrum caps recently. Maybe they were more trouble than they were worth. > > As for rugby league which has been professional for almost a century? I’m not from the north of England or Australia, so the hell do I know! I’ve posted this before. As someone who played football in high school and rugby in college, there really is no comparison. Rugby is a rough sport, no doubt, but sort of more along the lines of amateur wrestling. The pads in football, otoh, essentially allow you to use your body as a weapon, with the goal being to hit someone as hard as you can on every single play, often running at top speed. As to the dangerousness of football, I can’t find it right now, but I saw a study that said that NFL offensive linemen have a life expectancy in the low 50’s. That blew my mind. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2009, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-football-causes-horrible-damage-to-the-brain-solution/483330/42 "2009-01-28T19:34:14Z")
> [@catsix](#): > > More than once it’s been said that although you don’t want to see a guy get hurt, this is football, not a **professional tickling competition**. say, now… ---
**Author:** ![Huerta88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/82dd89/32.png) [@Huerta88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Huerta88)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2009, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-football-causes-horrible-damage-to-the-brain-solution/483330/43 "2009-01-28T19:36:23Z")
> [@Figaro](#): > > For years football players have referred to concussions as “stingers” and treated them as just part of the game. Nitpick: I believe a “stinger” or “burner” is a compressed nerve from a hit involving the neck/shoulder. ---
**Author:** ![FrWindyShephardHenderson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a9a28c/32.png) [@FrWindyShephardHenderson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FrWindyShephardHenderson)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2009, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-football-causes-horrible-damage-to-the-brain-solution/483330/44 "2009-01-28T20:05:40Z")
> [@MichaelQReilly](#): > > I’ve posted this before. As someone who played football in high school and rugby in college, there really is no comparison. Rugby is a rough sport, no doubt, but sort of more along the lines of amateur wrestling. The pads in football, otoh, essentially allow you to use your body as a weapon, with the goal being to hit someone as hard as you can on every single play, often running at top speed. > > As to the dangerousness of football, I can’t find it right now, but I saw a study that said that NFL offensive linemen have a life expectancy in the low 50’s. That blew my mind. I take your point about comparing football in high school and rugby in college. But an international test match does involve contact that comes close to some collisions if not all in the NFL. Particularly any match with Fiji, Tonga or Samoa. But yes in general Football is a far more physical sport. I’ve often found the treatment of concussion in the NFL a bit troubling. A concussion in rugby is a mandatory two week rest. In the NFL it seems as if they can be thrown back in as soon as they can stand. Maybe I’m wrong. I’ve heard that 50 year life expectancy thing thrown around a bit, but I assume that if your over 300 pounds then you could play chess and still be at risk. As for the comments about rugby cheerleaders, over here in Munster we make do with a drunk fella with a megaphone. Beat that! ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2009, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-football-causes-horrible-damage-to-the-brain-solution/483330/45 "2009-01-28T20:35:02Z")
> [@Huerta88](#): > > Nitpick: I believe a “stinger” or “burner” is a compressed nerve from a hit involving the neck/shoulder. Maybe getting your “bell rung” is the euphemism for a concussion where you go right back in when you’re not stumbling anymore. catsix, I was not necessarily suggesting this as a real rule change, but it’s the sort of change you’d need to get rid of concussions. An alternate thought is to reduce the size/effectiveness of shoulder pads. You can’t execute a high speed shoulder-first “tackle” if it’s going to injure you more than the target. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-football-causes-horrible-damage-to-the-brain-solution/483330.md?page=2)