Guardian cap

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

Guardian caps are window dressing to show they're concerned about player health, what it adds is another 1/4" of padding to the helmet, which is insignificant. Like combat sports the nature of football does not allow for safe brain health.

Some people smoke, some people drink, some people eat too much, and some people play football. It's all been scientifically proven to be bad for your health, there's no denying it is what it is.

[theaardvark]

Guardian caps are window dressing to show they're concerned about player health, what it adds is another 1/4" of padding to the helmet, which is insignificant. Like combat sports the nature of football does not allow for safe brain health.

Some people smoke, some people drink, some people eat too much, and some people play football. It's all been scientifically proven to be bad for your health, there's no denying it is what it is.

Sorry, but Guardian Caps have scientifically proven benefits.  Facts matter.

Can they prevent CTE?  Of course not.  Do they reduce traumatic brain injury incidents?  Yes.  Any additional padding is going to help.  Be they the Gazoo helmet caps, or the Guardian caps, or even refinements in normal size helmets (todays helmets vs. the gel based ones I used in high school that were "cutting edge" are night and day different), better brain protection better protects brains.

Could they make Guradian Caps better, more attractive and carry less of a stigma?  I'm pretty sure they could have.  But something is better than nothing.

[blue_or_die]

Guardian caps are window dressing to show they're concerned about player health, what it adds is another 1/4" of padding to the helmet, which is insignificant. Like combat sports the nature of football does not allow for safe brain health.

Some people smoke, some people drink, some people eat too much, and some people play football. It's all been scientifically proven to be bad for your health, there's no denying it is what it is.

Is this based on anything?

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

Sorry, but Guardian Caps have scientifically proven benefits.  Facts matter.

Can they prevent CTE?  Of course not.  Do they reduce traumatic brain injury incidents?  Yes.  Any additional padding is going to help.  Be they the Gazoo helmet caps, or the Guardian caps, or even refinements in normal size helmets (todays helmets vs. the gel based ones I used in high school that were "cutting edge" are night and day different), better brain protection better protects brains.

Could they make Guradian Caps better, more attractive and carry less of a stigma?  I'm pretty sure they could have. But something is better than nothing.

Where do you get this?  There is over an inch of the best foam designed in the helmets already, that isn't nothing.  If adding a bit extra padding really makes it better why not add another inch of foam shell to the exterior so it deters players from using their helmets as weapons. Who cares if they look like bobble heads, if it improves safety for the players it should be mandated.

[ModAdmin]

Where do you get this?  There is over an inch of the best foam designed in the helmets already, that isn't nothing.  If adding a bit extra padding really makes it better why not add another inch of foam shell to the exterior so it deters players from using their helmets as weapons. Who cares if they look like bobble heads, if it improves safety for the players it should be mandated.

Keep in mind you have the Players Association to deal with as well.  I don't think it is a simple as "mandating" it.  Clearly some players don't want the Guardian. 

[theaardvark]

Where do you get this?  There is over an inch of the best foam designed in the helmets already, that isn't nothing.  If adding a bit extra padding really makes it better why not add another inch of foam shell to the exterior so it deters players from using their helmets as weapons. Who cares if they look like bobble heads, if it improves safety for the players it should be mandated.

So, you agree with Guardian Caps, then.  Because what you describe wanting is exactly what they are.

[theaardvark]

ts like the helmet rule in the NHL, and then the visor rule.

I can see, eventually, that vets will get grandfathered, but new players will require additional headgear protection.

And rather than there being one or two guys wearing one (like Paul Henderson and Stan Makita), to everyone being forced into wearing them, albeit some might wear older style ones (like Gretzky's Jofa joke).

I think visors are the limit that the NHL will go to, although some neck. ankle, wrist protections might be added).  I don't think we will see full cages on skaters in the NHL.

But i can see the football helmet advancing/metamorphosing into something better, maybe a motorcycle style, or a streamlined Guardian Cap that doesn't look so stupid.  They are not dealing with pucks, sticks and skates, so I can't see them going much further, but every time a player ends up with CTE, the outcry will increase.

[TBURGESS]

Guardian Caps and CTE Research
Guardian Caps are soft-shell pads worn over football helmets to reduce the risk of concussions and potentially prevent Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE). While the NFL mandates their use, research on their effectiveness is mixed.

Laboratory Studies:
A Stanford study (2017) found that Guardian Caps reduced forces in a laboratory setting by 10-25% depending on hit speed. However, on the field, no significant differences in head impact magnitude were observed between bare and padded helmet impacts.

Another study (2017) published in the Journal of Athletic Training could not conclude that Guardian Caps provided measurable impact mitigation.

Field Studies:
The NFL claims that players wearing Guardian Caps during practice have seen a 52% decrease in concussions, but this research has not been published or shared with outside researchers.

A study (2017) surveyed 380 youth and high school football coaches, athletic directors, and presidents about using Guardian Caps, finding mixed opinions on their effectiveness.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

So, you agree with Guardian Caps, then.  Because what you describe wanting is exactly what they are.

As I said earlier, the Guardian caps as designed are window dressing, presented by the football industry as a placebo to a problem they have no real solution for due to the violent nature of collision sports, which is reducing or eliminating concussions.

The NFL has enough spare change to produce endless reports that will say whatever they want them to.  Any righteous cause that threatens to derail their money train will be denied, ignored or eliminated.

[theaardvark]

Pretty hard to quantify the success rate, because we don't know what collisions would have led to concussions and which ones wouldn't.  Nor do we know which ones Guardian Caps prevented.

Suffice to say, any additional protection that can be provided has to, logically, reduce injury.  They certainly can't add injury.  Can technology improve protection while remaining in a conventional form?  We have seen evolution of the helmets in recent years, with different impact relief areas and different shapes designed to deflect the blows, so sure, maybe they don't need to Gazooify players. 

And these different neck braces are also thought to add protection, like the one Biggie wears.  So there is that option of using alternate means to reduce impact damage.

I think the most fundamental change that can be made would be in training players to not kill themselves with their play.  Can that be done through rule changes?  Maybe, they've already ruined special teams in the NFL, and are making it worse to watch.  Can we change the way the hoggies do their jobs?  Does the one yard off the ball increase or decrease the impact?  Are there other changes that could be added to "Hands to the face" that could prevent/deter the dangerous collisions?

[Jesse]

Research on GuardianCaps can't happen until they have data to study. This will take years of following players who have worn them.

I feel like adding something to the helmet design itself would go over better than throwing something over top of the helmet. I'm sure a better option is being developed. This is more a stopgap than anything.

[TecnoGenius]

Guardian caps are window dressing to show they're concerned about player health, what it adds is another 1/4" of padding to the helmet, which is insignificant. Like combat sports the nature of football does not allow for safe brain health.

Certainly looks like a ton more than 1/4"!!  That thing adds mega-bulk to the overall diameter of the helmet.

Anything they do should be optional.

If I'm a QB, tomorrow I'm buying a helmet or extra guardian foam that adds an inch or 2 of extra padding just at the back.  Especially Zach.  One of the hits that does the worst damage to Zach (based on his reactions) is the knocked-on-your-butt hit while you're throwing... where the head snaps back into the turf.

There's no reason Zach shouldn't have a nice pillow pasted behind his helmet to minimize the damage to his head & neck from those.  A back-only pad would add minimal noticeable weight and wouldn't impact vision.