Have we seen the last of "alternate" helmets?

[OrangeXtreme]

The NFL approved a recommendation this off-season by the league's Head, Neck and Spine Committee to forbid teams from switching helmets during the season. For player safety reasons, they will no longer allow teams to wear "throwback" or "alternate" helmets. Players must wear the same helmet for every game, although teams may alter or remove the decals from each helmet.

How soon until the NCAA adopts the NFL recommendation, and teams like Oregon and Maryland are out of business?

 

[SmilinBob]

If it's the same quality helmet, why does it make a difference? Are they knock off Chinese built?

 

[OrangeXtreme]

If it's the same quality helmet, why does it make a difference? Are they knock off Chinese built?

The helmet has to fit properly to lessen the risk of concussions, and fitting a helmet to a player takes time. The more helmets you wear, the greater chance of it not being fitted to you correctly. Since the NFL just paid out a boatload of $$$ to former players with head injuries, I assume they want to err on the side of caution from now on.

IMO it's only a matter of time until the NCAA passes a similar rule.

 

[Legendof44]

Oregon will make sure this rule doesnt apply.

 

[SmilinBob]

The helmet has to fit properly to lessen the risk of concussions, and fitting a helmet to a player takes time. The more helmets you wear, the greater chance of it not being fitted to you correctly. Since the NFL just paid out a boatload of $$$ to former players with head injuries, I assume they want to err on the side of caution from now on.

IMO it's only a matter of time until the NCAA passes a similar rule.

So they are getting these helmets later and not planning to get them ahead of time? I just assumed schools like Oregon bought all their helmets at the same time and were going to use them periodically throughout the year.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

So they are getting these helmets later and not planning to get them ahead of time? I just assumed schools like Oregon bought all their helmets at the same time and were going to use them periodically throughout the year.

100 players on a team = 600 helmets that would have to individually fit. It it takes 10 minutes to fit one player to a helmet, that's at least 100 hours worth of work. They just don't hand you a helmet off the rack anymore.

 

[SmilinBob]

100 players on a team = 600 helmets that would have to individually fit. It it takes 10 minutes to fit one player to a helmet, that's at least 100 hours worth of work. They just don't hand you a helmet off the rack anymore.

Gotcha, thanks!

 

[CuseOnly]

What if they find a better fitting, better design, safer helmet mid season. DO they have to stick with the previous ones even though they are worse?

Sounds like a pretty ridiculous rule.

 

[Alsacs]

As a Pats fan this sucks as I enjoyed seeing the old Pat the Patriot helmets once or twice a year. I mean how hard is it to just have two helmets fitted for the players. Damn NFL lawyers. Not many teams wear two different color helmets anymore in their throwback. New England have a white alternate, New York Jets as the Titans have a blue alternate, Indianapolis Colts have a blue alternate, Dallas Cowboys have a white alternate, Washington has a brown alternate, Tampa has their white old Buc helmet, and the Falcons have their old red helmet.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

As a Pats fan this sucks as I enjoyed seeing the old Pat the Patriot helmets once or twice a year. I mean how hard is it to just have two helmets fitted for the players. Damn NFL lawyers. Not many teams wear two different color helmets anymore in their throwback. New England have a white alternate, New York Jets as the Titans have a blue alternate, Indianapolis Colts have a blue alternate, Dallas Cowboys have a white alternate, Washington has a brown alternate, Tampa has their white old Buc helmet, and the Falcons have their old red helmet.

Blame Schiano...

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap10...caneers-shelve-creamiscle-uniforms-for-safety

 

[RMH44]

100 players on a team = 600 helmets that would have to individually fit. It it takes 10 minutes to fit one player to a helmet, that's at least 100 hours worth of work. They just don't hand you a helmet off the rack anymore.

I've read that some of the helmets cost as much as $1,000 each after artwork. Unless you have Phil Knight or the Under Armor dude financing the alternatives, it seems to be a very expensive endeavor.

 

[OrangePA]

The NFL approved a recommendation this off-season by the league's Head, Neck and Spine Committee to forbid teams from switching helmets during the season. For player safety reasons, they will no longer allow teams to wear "throwback" or "alternate" helmets. Players must wear the same helmet for every game, although teams may alter or remove the decals from each helmet.

How soon until the NCAA adopts the NFL recommendation, and teams like Oregon and Maryland are out of business?

Good.

Enough already with the alternate unis.

 

[All4SU]

If player safety is at stake, I'll gladly give up any retro helmets.

 

[CuseOnly]

As I think Madden once said, football is not a contact sport, it is a collision sport. I am all for making the game safer but the game will never be free of concussions or head injuries until they turn it into 2 hand touch.

When the next great safe helmet comes out, the players will be even bigger and faster. Then it's back to the drawing board...again. All of the policies in the world aren't going to stop it.

This is NFL's attempt to appear to be "doing all they can" in an effort not to get sued again, and it eventually will trickle down and ruin the sport.

 

[orange79]

If it's the same quality helmet, why does it make a difference? Are they knock off Chinese built?

It's not the same quality helmet. Older helmets (and those used as throwbacks) were rounder and not as padded/form-fitted.

 

[OregonOrange]

So they are getting these helmets later and not planning to get them ahead of time? I just assumed schools like Oregon bought all their helmets at the same time and were going to use them periodically throughout the year.

Oregon gets all their helmets before the season starts, so they are all fit before any of the games begin. No doubt the NFL could do this as well.

 

[Ozcuse]

It's not the same quality helmet. Older helmets (and those used as throwbacks) were rounder and not as padded/form-fitted.

Take a look at this "throwback" helmet.

I'm pretty sure it didn't come out of a storage box labeled 1977.

 

[ImperialOrange]

I've read that some of the helmets cost as much as $1,000 each after artwork. Unless you have Phil Knight or the Under Armor dude financing the alternatives, it seems to be a very expensive endeavor.

Wow. At that price point youd think they could scrap the metal shell go with a lighter carbon composite material that would be stronger, flex a bit and lighter the reduce the inertia involved in helmet to helmet hits. There are tons of exotic materials car companies use that could likely be molded. Would be interesting to see what could be be done with carbon fiber or the "carbotanium" the Pagani uses. If the helmets eliminate even half of the head trauma they'd easily be worth ten times the price.

 

[orange79]

Take a look at this "throwback" helmet.

I'm pretty sure it didn't come out of a storage box labeled 1977.

Not sure that's true of all of them. Obv TB spent the money to make the new helmets look like the old ones. Otherwise, if the helmets were identical to the new ones, why would the NFL not allow them to wear throwbacks?

 

[Ozcuse]

Not sure that's true of all of them. Obv TB spent the money to make the new helmets look like the old ones. Otherwise, if the helmets were identical to the new ones, why would the NFL not allow them to wear throwbacks?

Because they are afraid of being sued. The banning of throwback helmets has nothing to do with the technology of the helmets being used, it's the increased risk that by introducing multiple helmets to an individual player the padding on one may not fit as well as the one you are used to and may leave you more susceptible to a brain injury.