@musicprnt I generally agree with you, I just think we should acknowledge that now, finally, some good work is being done and we are starting the long, slow process of getting some data. I also worry that any data we get from the NFL or Div 1 schools will not really translate to the game the vast majority of people play. I mean the physicality of these kids today is insane. I went to college at about 250 and played around 265. My son plays the same position and was 280 going into camp last summer and one of the smaller guys. He is also stronger and faster then I ever was. And that is in the Ivy. The guys in the SEC and BIG are true physical freaks.
Another current article on the topic- co-authored by a grad school colleague http://theconversation.com/concussions-and-cte-more-complicated-than-even-the-experts-know-81794
Significant change (particularly at higher levels of football) is increased size with increased quickness/speed. Players the size of linemen in the 50s/60s are now small linebackers or even defensive backs. And at one point, size meant you lacked speed. Now that just isn’t true. The best at the higher levels have size and speed/quickness. That means forces involved in impacts are exponentially increased.
I had a HS classmate who was a HS All-American and went to Notre Dame on a 4-yr football scholarship, played wide receiver/split end. He was an All-American in college also. He eventually played a few seasons in the pros, despite a knee injury. In HS, I think he was maybe 185, max. Probably less.
Yeah, the size of players has grown tremendously and they are also stronger and faster. One of my concerns is even assuming high school players dont’ go on to play in college, and are less likely to be subject to CTE, the size of high school players has also grown a great deal, when I played HS football the big kids were like 180, 190 pounds, with some larger than that (and those generally were guys on the lines). These days the last HS football game I went to the sizes are much bigger, the line guys looked well over 200 pounds (I would guess 220, 230) among the older kids, it was much bigger and faster than when I played.
I agree totally that this is likely to be a complex problem, and for example some people may be less liable to get CTE than others, and we might find out that kids playing through the high school level aren’t affected, but we need answers, we can’t assume that they are okay and that CTE is only an issue in college and beyond. I think any improvements are better than none, I think that the rule changes they are making, better equipment, can only help, but I also don’t want Roger Goodell saying “oh, we took care of the concussion issue, the number is declining” and declaring victory (and he is someone I put in there with all the great lies, for anything he says, like “the check is in the mail” and so forth) when there is a lot more to it. I can only hope better testing happens, where we can evaluate players from the high school level on up and see what the reality is, for example, let’s assume all football players end up with some level of CTE, at what point does it become debilitating?
My apologies for possibly being redundant, but what made the news yesterday here in the SF Bay Area was that Novato High School not being able to field a varsity football team due to lack of interest. However, they’re still trying to get more students to sign up before the deadline:
http://www.sfgate.com/sports/article/Novato-High-plans-to-drop-varsity-football-11725140.php
Interesting. But if they have 35 younger players, why don’t they just play the best 16 they’ve got? Is it unheard of for sophomores to be on the varsity team?
Per this article, they do not think its safe to have younger kids play varsity.
Also indicates that one issue is the kids have a choice of which high school to attend and cross town rival is getting some kids. Private schools are also taking some of the best kids.