🏈 New Speed Flex helmets...

[Brandon Van de Graaff]

Here is Reggie Ragland with a new Speedflex helmet, designed to help reduce concussions...
Photo from TiderInsider

 

[Brandon Van de Graaff]

Here is Eddie Lacy with the same helmet...

 

[JoshB]

looks weird but they help with concussions im all for em.

 

[doemasters]

never had concussions when they wore these :tap:

 

[BamaFan334]

Now follow me here... When I was test driving new Chevrolet trucks to buy one I was asking my sales guy some questions about a Corvette that he had on the lot. He explained to me that it had this unique suspension set up installed that gave it a better ride. I was wondering if these helmets or future helmets may think working like this could cause less head injuries. Ok, so the suspension installed had large magnets installed by the shocks on the car. These magnets allowed for more absobtion of bumps, humps, and other non-flat travel. So therefor the magnets and suspension would move up and down to absorb the blows from the road all while the cab of the vehicle never moved and stayed the course without ever feeling the bumpiness the car was actually going through. In conclusion, I am wondering if creating an outershell that absorbs more of the blow so that the inner shell doesn't take the hit as hard. Obviously with these large strong guys running faster than ever into each other you'll feel some blowback, but the impact absorbtion could be much less with an outer shell? I know I sound crazy using a car as an analogy to a helmet, but it's the concept that I'm trying to bring together. That frontal lobe piece sort of looks like it is a little more retractable and able to give and take with it, so maybe they're already on to what I'm getting at. Looks pretty neat though, as do the speed helmets. Trips me out they have the mini helmets in the speed style now.

 

[rick4bama]

never had concussions when they wore these :tap:

Maybe no concussions! Now look at all those broken noses. Just ask Art Donovan.

 

[sean]

Now follow me here... When I was test driving new Chevrolet trucks to buy one I was asking my sales guy some questions about a Corvette that he had on the lot. He explained to me that it had this unique suspension set up installed that gave it a better ride. I was wondering if these helmets or future helmets may think working like this could cause less head injuries. Ok, so the suspension installed had large magnets installed by the shocks on the car. These magnets allowed for more absobtion of bumps, humps, and other non-flat travel. So therefor the magnets and suspension would move up and down to absorb the blows from the road all while the cab of the vehicle never moved and stayed the course without ever feeling the bumpiness the car was actually going through. In conclusion, I am wondering if creating an outershell that absorbs more of the blow so that the inner shell doesn't take the hit as hard. Obviously with these large strong guys running faster than ever into each other you'll feel some blowback, but the impact absorbtion could be much less with an outer shell? I know I sound crazy using a car as an analogy to a helmet, but it's the concept that I'm trying to bring together. That frontal lobe piece sort of looks like it is a little more retractable and able to give and take with it, so maybe they're already on to what I'm getting at. Looks pretty neat though, as do the speed helmets. Trips me out they have the mini helmets in the speed style now.

it doesn't sound crazy to me.

it's basically the same premise as the safety wall at a lot of the racetracks around the country. there's an inner wall and an outer wall and they're separated by a piece that, when hit at high speeds, absorbs a great deal of the shock that would normally be transferred to the driver. granted the cars are designed to do the same thing, but the safer the measures the safer the driver.

 

[psychojoe]

Someone in the past year made the joking suggestions to go back to leather helmets, which would reduce/eliminate using the helmet to deliver a blow to an opponent. The helmet so widely used now does seem to transfer the energy of a collision to the head or neck. Surely someone can come up with a design to dissipate that energy rather than just passing it on.

 

[It Takes Eleven]

Someone in the past year made the joking suggestions to go back to leather helmets, which would reduce/eliminate using the helmet to deliver a blow to an opponent. The helmet so widely used now does seem to transfer the energy of a collision to the head or neck. Surely someone can come up with a design to dissipate that energy rather than just passing it on.

I think anything that dissipates the energy, like the bending flap on that helmet, might slow the player more than a rigid helmet. I'd have difficulty drawing up the equation to prove that, though. I also wonder if that component of the helmet might be more prone to fatigue and have a shorter useful life.

RTR,

Tim

 

[rocknthefreeworld]

The general problem with things that are really good at dissipating large amounts of energy in very short times are that they are usually destroyed or at least damaged in the process, requiring lots of repeated replacement. If made cheaply enough that may not be a problem but good things are rarely cheap.

And then again, how much is the helmet going to help when your entire head is attached to something that is going to sling it around like crazy anyway. Watch how people's heads keep going for a bit then snap back when they get hit. That action is as bad as the initial hit at slinging your brain around in many cases. It has been proven that whiplash injury alone can be enough to also cause concussions.

 

[JoshB]

never had concussions when they wore these :tap:

Yeah because back then you took some smelling salt and woke a dude up and let him play again...

Deaths in football pre modern football helmet (1930's-1969): 715, deaths in football since the introduction of the modern helmet (1970-present): 312 (and only 94 since the 90s).... And we're not even including the early, early days of football because they didnt keep up with a stat like that! So hmmmm lets see, get rid of the football helmet and "reduce" concussions (no evidence or proof of that by the way) but have a crap ton of deaths on the field...

 

[psychojoe]

The general problem with things that are really good at dissipating large amounts of energy in very short times are that they are usually destroyed or at least damaged in the process, requiring lots of repeated replacement. If made cheaply enough that may not be a problem but good things are rarely cheap.

And then again, how much is the helmet going to help when your entire head is attached to something that is going to sling it around like crazy anyway. Watch how people's heads keep going for a bit then snap back when they get hit. That action is as bad as the initial hit at slinging your brain around in many cases. It has been proven that whiplash injury alone can be enough to also cause concussions.

True that. The hit that gave Tebow his concussion was legal, and as I remember it, not high at all. It was when he hit the ground going down that his injury occurred. I haven't seen any stats, but I imagine that the rule change regarding helmet hits reduced the number of concussions somewhat. Still, I hope that the powers that be in football at all levels look at better helmet design as a way of reducing concussions. As much money as the NFL agreed to pay out to the former players, they have a strong incentive to find something better.

 

[rolltidebassin]

Sorry,hope it's not rude..were all Bama fans..but is it a malfunction or something wrong with the Houndztooth forum? Hasn't loaded or changed/updated in about 3hrs? Good news Is I've found a few more Bama sites outta necessity for the afternoon practice
Ty, if anyone has info or is from the site.
RTR

 

[russb8903]

Yeah because back then you took some smelling salt and woke a dude up and let him play again...

Deaths in football pre modern football helmet (1930's-1969): 715, deaths in football since the introduction of the modern helmet (1970-present): 312 (and only 94 since the 90s).... And we're not even including the early, early days of football because they didnt keep up with a stat like that! So hmmmm lets see, get rid of the football helmet and "reduce" concussions (no evidence or proof of that by the way) but have a crap ton of deaths on the field...

I'm fairly sure calls to use leather helmets are a joke. I refuse to believe that people could be asinine enough to ignore the fact people were dying all the time in those things. Your numbers also fail to mention that 715 people died when far fewer people were playing than recent times.

 

[psychojoe]

Just how many of those old day deaths were due to heat related causes. For a long time it was thought to be a bad idea to give players water during practice, no matter how hot. As recently as the sixties, when I was coming through high school, they were still giving players salt tablets as a remedy for heat.

 

[rocknthefreeworld]

Can't answer for every year, but the total of deaths in 1905 was listed at 19. Concussion was actually probably way under-diagnosed back then compared to now so the numbers are probably much higher.

They were accounted for as follows:
Internal Injuries from Body Blows - 4
Concussion of the Brain - 6
Spinal Injuries - 3
Blood Poisoning - 2
Other Injuries - 4

They also list a ton of other injuries:
Broken collar bones and shoulders - 19
Broken legs - 31
Broken arms - 9
Head fractures - 19
Broken ribs -3
Spinal Injuries - 3
Concussions of the brain - 3

http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85066387/1905-11-27/ed-1/seq-1/#words=NINETEEN

 

[alabama mike]

I am all for companies doing everything they can do to reduce concussions.