JoePa: Don't Wear Facemasks

[sooner59]

At first I was like WTF?!?!?!?

Then after I read and thought about it. I don't know that its a terrible idea. I don't necessarily agree, but its not senile like I thought it would be. Its actually an interesting idea.

You're thoughts?


The NFL is upping the ante yet again on helmet-to-helmet hits and other vicious collisions, promising even more aggressive fines and suspensions in the wake of a particularly violent weekend. The NCAA has been concerned with the same problem lately, led by the Big Ten.

And if it's really serious about it, Joe Paterno has an idea from his own playing days at Brown, right after the war (Second World, that is, not Civil). If you want players to stop leading with their heads, Paterno told reporters during Tuesday's Big Ten conference call, lose the facemasks already:

"I've been saying for years, we should get rid of the facemask. ... It's a weapon, guys are fearless."

[Photos: See what football legend Joe Paterno looks like today]

Predictably, the whippersnappers in the ranks – namely 35-year-old Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald, who opted for maximum coverage as an All-American linebacker in the mid-'90s – aren't so enthusiastic about the idea. But more than a few people who actually study head injuries aren't so dismissive: As the Wall Street Journal reported last year, the growing research on the long-term effects of repeated head shots, even when helmets are involved, have led some experts to conclude that the protection does more harm than good by making head-cracking too routine. Troy Aikman is down with that, and he knows from head injuries.

Of course, helmets were introduced largely to combat the "boy-killing, man-mutilating" violence that nearly got the game banned outright at the turn of the 20th Century. The facemask wasn't standard until the mid-'50s, well after the end of JoePa's career at Brown and into his tenure as a young assistant at Penn State. You can play football without a facemask.

While we're at it, Paterno would also like to know whatever happened to those canary dishes, the Andrews Sisters? Used to be a Joe could always get togged to the bricks for a jolly up in this town, even if he was a cement mixer. But these days, every night's in the cave with a platter and a glass of dog soup, patting his alderman like some wheat lunger.

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/blog/dr_saturday/post/JoePa-didn-t-wear-a-facemask-He-doesn-t-think-t?urn=ncaaf-278329

[agoo758]

The interesting thing is that Rugby doesn't have face masks and they seem to be doing ok.

[SicEmBaylor]

I think he has a point too. Like you, I'm not sure I necessarily agree but there's an argument to be made that at some point a player wears enough padding and protection that he thinks he's invincible and doesn't properly respect the limitation of his pads.

[Blue]

"This idea, it's terrible."

[Fraggle145]

Look at Butkus and those guys... They actually used technique with their arms and bodies and still hit hard and were tough.

Rugby players dont have near the injuries that football players do and they wear less than half of the equipment. Including knee injuries. They may get more superficial lacerations, but I'm not even sure how true that is.

[soonercastor]

I guess I see where he's coming from but
http://img217.imageshack.us/img217/943/turrible.jpg

[Crucifax Autumn]

Make 'em play naked. Female viewership will skyrocket.

[SicEmBaylor]

I've never played a down of football in my life, so I've never been able to figure out how football players get those lacerations on their face/nose or teeth knocked out when they're wearing face guards.

[King Barry's Back]

As a definite non-expert, the primary value of a facemask is to protect the nose, mostly by preventing broken noses. If true, eliminating the facemask would offer a tradeoff in lessening head-to-head contact, but increasing nose injuries.

I bet sports medicine specialists could find other means to protect the nose and face -- maybe not as completely as a facemask -- but enough to make it an attractive tradeoff.

[GKeeper316]

The interesting thing is that Rugby doesn't have face masks and they seem to be doing ok.

ive said it for years... there aint a rugby player thats ever lived that could take a hit from a coked up lawrence taylor and walk away unscathed.

we have pads because we have bigger, faster and stronger athletes at the highest level of professional football than any rugby league on the planet.

[Crucifax Autumn]

You can tell looking at him that Joe never wore a facemask.

[Jacie]

Remember Conrad Dobler? He was called the dirtiest player in the NFL for a time (for what he did on the field, not off though those antics were also the stuff of legend) reportedly said when they introduced the facemask, they took the fear out of playing football.

[TUSooner]

Look at Butkus and those guys... They actually used technique with their arms and bodies and still hit hard and were tough....

Rugby players dont have near the injuries that football players do and they wear less than half of the equipment. Including knee injuries. They may get more superficial lacerations, but I'm not even sure how true that is.

This should shut-up the uber-macho couch-humping posers who think football isn't football unless there's a real chance of seeing someone get a severe injury. It should; but it doesn't. :rolleyes:

The modern helmet w/facemask is the "villain" here: It has become a weapon, and it gives the wearer the illusion of invincibility. But the equipment will not be changed.

[TUSooner]

ive said it for years... there aint a rugby player thats ever lived that could take a hit from a coked up lawrence taylor and walk away unscathed.

we have pads because we have bigger, faster and stronger athletes at the highest level of professional football than any rugby league on the planet.

You obviously don't watch much rugby.

[XingTheRubicon]

You obviously don't watch much rugby.

Yeah, I've played both sports and rugby players are tough as nails, football players are too, but even Lawrence Taylor may have issues with a cleat on the side of his face.

[MR2-Sooner86]

You tell me those aren't big hits. In football they may seem mild but as stated, no pads.

H8v-qZFVYnc

[Sooner_Tuf]

Joe Pa thought the forward pass should be banned after the 85 Orange Bowl.

[rekamrettuB]

This should shut-up the uber-macho couch-humping posers who think football isn't football unless there's a real chance of seeing someone get a severe injury. It should; but it doesn't. :rolleyes:


The NASCAR appeal.

[soonerloyal]

Just wondering OT - from a medical biohazard standpoint (blood), how do those rugby injuries affect play and stoppage thereof? The college-level personnel who examine injured players have a safety protocol, right? Seems more loose with rugby.

[Sooner Traveler]

Aikman said the same thing on The Ticket this morning - said he would be in favor of going back to leather helmets.

Now, he also said when you sign up to play football at any level there is an understood risk - broken bones, knee injuries, head injuries, etc.. Aikman said the rules have gone too far in trying to protect the players - especially quarterbacks.

[swardboy]

Personally I don't understand all the hub hub. It's a simple thing to go from heads down tackling to heads up tackling. Willy Lanier (KC Chiefs) ALWAYS tackled heads up and had a great career at MLB in the NFL. Making it illegal to lead with the crown of the helmet won't change the intensity of the game, but it WILL prevent unnecessary injury. And James Harris notwithstanding, it's the way coaches coach to tackle anyway for the most part.

Removing a face mask will encourage heads down tackling.

[ouduckhunter]

Make 'em play naked. Female viewership will skyrocket.

You are very wise!! ;)

[TMcGee86]

Personally I don't understand all the hub hub. It's a simple thing to go from heads down tackling to heads up tackling. Willy Lanier (KC Chiefs) ALWAYS tackled heads up and had a great career at MLB in the NFL. Making it illegal to lead with the crown of the helmet won't change the intensity of the game, but it WILL prevent unnecessary injury. And James Harris notwithstanding, it's the way coaches coach to tackle anyway for the most part.

Removing a face mask will encourage heads down tackling.

I agree. I get that the idea is that guys will be more leery of flying in there without a face mask on, but I acutally think it would lead to more injuries as guys instinctively duck their heads which is a good way to get paralyzed.

I think the easiest way to do this would be to require that a tackler attempt to wrap up. Not only would this stop the missile type hits, it would lead to better play and cleaner games.

Harrison can complain all he wants but that hit wasn't an attempt to tackle. He actually lead with his forearms. Had he wrapped up it would not be in the mix today, no one would have noticed it and the WR still would have dropped the ball.

Plus this helps fans of the team on defense as well because now you wouldn't have guys doing that pathetic shoulder lunge only to watch the WR/RB bounce off and continue running down the field.

[Jacie]

The directive from the NFL commish has more to do with liability than player safety, but the results are the same . . .

[oudavid1]

How about if you do what meriweather or harrison did, all they do is take your helmet away for a full 2 quarters, And it can carry over to the next game.

good luck Meriweather and Harrison.....not so tuff now eh?

[Statalyzer]

I don't know that its a terrible idea.

It is a terrible idea. Tackling with your head up is proper form. Why the hell would you want to encourage tackling with your head down? You'll end up with more spearing (isn't spearing what we're trying to cut down on) and with more players injuring their own neck.

[oudavid1]

as an aspiring football coach, the cardinal rule of tackling,


DONT EVER, EVER, EVER!!!!!!!!!! lead with your head. SEE WHAT YOU HIT

[badger]

as a chick, I immediately think of how dumb this will look, but in case any of you need a visual reference:

http://startelegram.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/2007/06/24/2007cf8.jpg

[TUSooner]

I agree. I get that the idea is that guys will be more leery of flying in there without a face mask on, but I acutally think it would lead to more injuries as guys instinctively duck their heads which is a good way to get paralyzed....

I would suggest that this would be an incentive to use the shoulder instead of the head. I "think" in the pre-facemask days, paralyzing neck injuries were unknown because guys simply did not lead with their heads. JMHO.

[GKeeper316]

I would suggest that this would be an incentive to use the shoulder instead of the head. I "think" in the pre-facemask days, paralyzing neck injuries were unknown because guys simply did not lead with their heads. JMHO.

and then they put facemasks on helmets and didnt have a facemask rule

[jumperstop]

as a chick, I immediately think of how dumb this will look, but in case any of you need a visual reference:

http://startelegram.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/2007/06/24/2007cf8.jpg

Why did he pose for a picture with no facemask? Wierd...

I for one think it seems like a good idea to lose the facemask or even go back to leather helmets. Watch Rugby, Australian football, Hockey, all these sports people don't have facemask and/or helmets. They seem to do fine and not get hurt too bad. For the most part it seems that the stronger we make the helmets, the only thing it does is make it easier to not get hurt while hitting somebody and more likely for the person getting hit to get hurt.

And for the people who think Rugby is a weak sport, you must have never seen a rugby match. Makes me embarrased that in football we have to wear so many pads while hitting each other just as hard as they do in rugby.

[TUSooner]

I doubt it will ever happen, but I think the answer is hockey-type helmets. Sturdy enough to protect the melon (& face), but not hard or heavy enough to use as a weapon.

I gotta say, I like the idea of making cheap-shot headhunters play a few series without a helmet! :D

[jumperstop]

I just think it would be cool to see it for at least a single game. And go ahead and give them throwback jerseys for the fun of it.

[TUSooner]

http://startelegram.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/2007/06/24/2007cf8.jpg With all due respect for nocturnal burrowing mammals with sharp teeth and claws ;) this is much better:

http://img243.imageshack.us/img243/2866/tommymcdonald.jpg

[badger]

With all due respect for nocturnal burrowing mammals with sharp teeth and claws ;) this is much better:

http://img243.imageshack.us/img243/2866/tommymcdonald.jpg

you're right... that DOES make facemask-less helmets look a lot better!

maybe colt just wussifies any pics he's in?

http://thefastertimes.com/sportschat/files/2010/01/colt2.jpg

hey look, another facemask-less helmet! :P

[oudivesherpa]

I'm in my sixties in HS I played football without a facemask, took a lot of fore arm shivers to the face. A whole generation of football players who looked like Gabby Hayes.


Keep the facemasks.

[Football Jim]

Back in the day many players would catch a foot to the face and need to leave the game to stop the nose bleed or nurse the broken nose. Some teams used this technique to put opposing players out or to stop play to get a "free timeout". This is a bad idea. Jo Pa is losing it!

[yankee]

You tell me those aren't big hits. In football they may seem mild but as stated, no pads.

H8v-qZFVYnc

i see a typical week's worth of hits in college football in that vid.

[stoopified]

About a return to leather helmets?I'm only half kidding.

[rainiersooner]

ive said it for years... there aint a rugby player thats ever lived that could take a hit from a coked up lawrence taylor and walk away unscathed.

we have pads because we have bigger, faster and stronger athletes at the highest level of professional football than any rugby league on the planet.

That's a pretty hypothetical argument...and as such, I have no comment!!! :D

[Crucifax Autumn]

Rugby always looks like someone kicked an anthill to me.