NFL PLAYERS THREATEN TO NOT WEAR MANDATED PADS

[RoanokeFan]

NFL PLAYERS THREATEN TO NOT WEAR MANDATED PADS


"If the NFL owners thought they could pass a new rule mandating the use of thigh and knee pads beginning in 2013 -- something
they did Tuesday -- and not draw the wrath of the players, they were incorrect
in that assessment (of course, there's little chance the owners and commissioner
Roger Goodell actually thought the new law would be smooth
sailing).


Because it sounds like some of the players who will have to
wear the pads are not pleased with the new rule. And it sounds like some of them
don't want to adhere to it (even if they'll be barred from playing the game for
not doing so).

“There'll probably be a lot of fines in 2013,” Chargers cornerback Quentin Jammer told UT San Diego. “A lot of guys won't wear
them.”

And by “a lot of guys,” he's referring, at the minimum, to Quentin
Jammer. Asked point-blank if he would wear leg pads, Jammer said
no.

“It's dumb,” Jammer said. “Ridiculous to me. I don't think anybody
should be required to wear (them). I don't get hit, so I don't need to worry
about pads. Offensive players should wear them because we hit them, but I don't
think it should be mandatory.</p>

“You play this game because you want to play this game, and the risks you take
are the risks you take. If you don't want to wear hip pads, knee pads or thigh
pads, you shouldn't have to. It should be a choice.”

Then, Jarret Johnson, new
Chargers linebacker, got in on the act, playing the old “the owners have never
played the game before" card (just one time, I'd like to hear the owners retort,
“Oh yeah, well, you've never been worth hundreds of millions of dollars and
you've never been able to buy, sell and trade players.”).

“They're
saying, 'Why do players always complain about player safety if they're not going
to wear thigh pads?' Well, thigh bruises and knee bruises aren't ending
careers,” Johnson said.
“This, to me, is a PR stunt … If you get hit in the
legs, you're doing something wrong. You're either getting cut or standing there.
Usually, when guys are aggressive and they're hitting back, the legs aren't
usually getting hit.”

Oakland's Ron Bartell, meanwhile,
has begun financial planning, because he also says he will decline the pads.


"I'd better put some fine money away,” Bartell told the Contra Costa Times.

"It takes away from the
speed of the game," Bartell said. "Hip pads, knee pads, thigh pads. They're not
going to stop you from tearing an ACL. It may stop a couple of soft-tissue
injuries, but a knee pad isn't going to stop a guy from blowing out a
knee."

No word, though, on how players who refuse to wear leg pads will
respond when they're told they can't play the game without them.

For the
record, the NFLPA already has weighed in on the issue, releasing a statement in
which the union said, “Any change in working conditions is a
collectively-bargained issue. While the NFL is focused on one element of health
and safety today, the NFLPA believes that health and safety requires a
comprehensive approach and commitment. We are engaged in and monitor many
different issues, such as players' access to medical records, prescription usage
and the situation with professional football's first responders, NFL referees.
We always look forward to meeting with the NFL to discuss any and all matters
related to player health and safety."

Meanwhile, the owners say that any
safety precaution -- even if it's not going to help with concussions -- is
better than not making any safety adjustments at all.

The saga, I
imagine, only has just begun. If only for this reason."



</p>

[ShakeNBake]

I understand the league wants to improve safety but thigh pads and knee pads give little if any protection at all. The league should be more concerned with improving helmets and enforcing players to wear these newer improved helmets.

[NYGRealityCheck]

So is the league going to risk being sued by these players several years down the road claiming to suffer the negative side effects of playing the sport after declining to wear mandatory protection

or just make $$$ off the fines from players refusing to adhere to new regulations? Hmmm....

[RoanokeFan]

[quote user="ShakeNBake"]I understand the league wants to improve safety but thigh pads and knee pads give little if any protection at all. The league should be more concerned with improving helmets and enforcing players to wear these newer improved helmets.
[/quote]

I'm not sure you can take one position about a particular protective device and not on another. I guess to have an intelligent debate, we'd have to know how many and what types of injuries head the list of most frequent injuries as well as what the rehabilitative costs are in terms of time and money.

The concussion issue has taken center stage because of the number of suicides, real or imagined, being linked to head trauma. But how much do we know about other issues such as orthopedic injuries. It could be argued that no helmet in the world will significantly reduce concussions. The damage caused by the brain striking the skull is a result of the rapid movement of the head. Are we sure headgear alone will address that problem?

[NYG 5]

BOO HOO, I DON'T WANT TO WEAR A HARD HAT AT WORK, I DON'T NEED ONE. USUALLY, IF YOU GET HIT IN THE HEAD, ITS YOUR OWN FAULT ANYWAY.


idiots. wear the kneepads and stfu. stop trying to look cool

[Redeyejedi]

[quote user="RoanokeFan"]NFL PLAYERS THREATEN TO NOT WEAR MANDATED PADS


"If the NFL owners thought they could pass a new rule mandating the use of thigh and knee pads beginning in 2013 -- something
they did Tuesday -- and not draw the wrath of the players, they were incorrect
in that assessment (of course, there's little chance the owners and commissioner
Roger Goodell actually thought the new law would be smooth
sailing).


Because it sounds like some of the players who will have to
wear the pads are not pleased with the new rule. And it sounds like some of them
don't want to adhere to it (even if they'll be barred from playing the game for
not doing so).

“There'll probably be a lot of fines in 2013,” Chargers cornerback Quentin Jammer told UT San Diego. “A lot of guys won't wear
them.”

And by “a lot of guys,” he's referring, at the minimum, to Quentin
Jammer. Asked point-blank if he would wear leg pads, Jammer said
no.

“It's dumb,” Jammer said. “Ridiculous to me. I don't think anybody
should be required to wear (them). I don't get hit, so I don't need to worry
about pads. Offensive players should wear them because we hit them, but I don't
think it should be mandatory.*</p>

“You play this game because you want to play this game, and the risks you take
are the risks you take. If you don't want to wear hip pads, knee pads or thigh
pads, you shouldn't have to. It should be a choice.”

Then, Jarret Johnson, new
Chargers linebacker, got in on the act, playing the old “the owners have never
played the game before" card (just one time, I'd like to hear the owners retort,
“Oh yeah, well, you've never been worth hundreds of millions of dollars and
you've never been able to buy, sell and trade players.”).

“They're
saying, 'Why do players always complain about player safety if they're not going
to wear thigh pads?' Well, thigh bruises and knee bruises aren't ending
careers,” Johnson said.
“This, to me, is a PR stunt … If you get hit in the
legs, you're doing something wrong. You're either getting cut or standing there.
Usually, when guys are aggressive and they're hitting back, the legs aren't
usually getting hit.”

Oakland's Ron Bartell, meanwhile,
has begun financial planning, because he also says he will decline the pads.


"I'd better put some fine money away,” Bartell told the Contra Costa Times.

"It takes away from the
speed of the game," Bartell said. "Hip pads, knee pads, thigh pads. They're not
going to stop you from tearing an ACL. It may stop a couple of soft-tissue
injuries, but a knee pad isn't going to stop a guy from blowing out a
knee."

No word, though, on how players who refuse to wear leg pads will
respond when they're told they can't play the game without them.

For the
record, the NFLPA already has weighed in on the issue, releasing a statement in
which the union said, “Any change in working conditions is a
collectively-bargained issue. While the NFL is focused on one element of health
and safety today, the NFLPA believes that health and safety requires a
comprehensive approach and commitment. We are engaged in and monitor many
different issues, such as players' access to medical records, prescription usage
and the situation with professional football's first responders, NFL referees.
We always look forward to meeting with the NFL to discuss any and all matters
related to player health and safety."

Meanwhile, the owners say that any
safety precaution -- even if it's not going to help with concussions -- is
better than not making any safety adjustments at all.

The saga, I
imagine, only has just begun. If only for this reason."



</p>
[/quote]
“It's dumb,” Jammer said. “Ridiculous to me. I don't think anybody should be required to wear (them). I don't get hit, so I don't need to worry about pads. Offensive players should wear them because we hit them, but I don't think it should be mandatory.

“You play this game because you want to play this game, and the risks you take are the risks you take. If you don't want to wear hip pads, knee pads or thigh pads, you shouldn't have to. It should be a choice.”


The problem Mr Jammer is former players are suing the NFL. So not everyone is thinking the same way as u

[RoanokeFan]

[quote user="Redeyejedi"][quote user="RoanokeFan"]NFL PLAYERS THREATEN TO NOT WEAR MANDATED PADS


"If the NFL owners thought they could pass a new rule mandating the use of thigh and knee pads beginning in 2013 -- something
they did Tuesday -- and not draw the wrath of the players, they were incorrect
in that assessment (of course, there's little chance the owners and commissioner
Roger Goodell actually thought the new law would be smooth
sailing).


Because it sounds like some of the players who will have to
wear the pads are not pleased with the new rule. And it sounds like some of them
don't want to adhere to it (even if they'll be barred from playing the game for
not doing so).

“There'll probably be a lot of fines in 2013,” Chargers cornerback Quentin Jammer told UT San Diego. “A lot of guys won't wear
them.”

And by “a lot of guys,” he's referring, at the minimum, to Quentin
Jammer. Asked point-blank if he would wear leg pads, Jammer said
no.

“It's dumb,” Jammer said. “Ridiculous to me. I don't think anybody
should be required to wear (them). I don't get hit, so I don't need to worry
about pads. Offensive players should wear them because we hit them, but I don't
think it should be mandatory.</p>

“You play this game because you want to play this game, and the risks you take
are the risks you take. If you don't want to wear hip pads, knee pads or thigh
pads, you shouldn't have to. It should be a choice.”

Then, Jarret Johnson, new
Chargers linebacker, got in on the act, playing the old “the owners have never
played the game before" card (just one time, I'd like to hear the owners retort,
“Oh yeah, well, you've never been worth hundreds of millions of dollars and
you've never been able to buy, sell and trade players.”).

“They're
saying, 'Why do players always complain about player safety if they're not going
to wear thigh pads?' Well, thigh bruises and knee bruises aren't ending
careers,” Johnson said.
“This, to me, is a PR stunt … If you get hit in the
legs, you're doing something wrong. You're either getting cut or standing there.
Usually, when guys are aggressive and they're hitting back, the legs aren't
usually getting hit.”

Oakland's Ron Bartell, meanwhile,
has begun financial planning, because he also says he will decline the pads.


"I'd better put some fine money away,” Bartell told the Contra Costa Times.

"It takes away from the
speed of the game," Bartell said. "Hip pads, knee pads, thigh pads. They're not
going to stop you from tearing an ACL. It may stop a couple of soft-tissue
injuries, but a knee pad isn't going to stop a guy from blowing out a
knee."

No word, though, on how players who refuse to wear leg pads will
respond when they're told they can't play the game without them.

For the
record, the NFLPA already has weighed in on the issue, releasing a statement in
which the union said, “Any change in working conditions is a
collectively-bargained issue. While the NFL is focused on one element of health
and safety today, the NFLPA believes that health and safety requires a
comprehensive approach and commitment. We are engaged in and monitor many
different issues, such as players' access to medical records, prescription usage
and the situation with professional football's first responders, NFL referees.
We always look forward to meeting with the NFL to discuss any and all matters
related to player health and safety."

Meanwhile, the owners say that any
safety precaution -- even if it's not going to help with concussions -- is
better than not making any safety adjustments at all.

The saga, I
imagine, only has just begun. If only for this reason."



</p>
[/quote]
“It's dumb,” Jammer said. “Ridiculous to me. I don't think anybody should be required to wear (them). I don't get hit, so I don't need to worry about pads. Offensive players should wear them because we hit them, but I don't think it should be mandatory.

“You play this game because you want to play this game, and the risks you take are the risks you take. If you don't want to wear hip pads, knee pads or thigh pads, you shouldn't have to. It should be a choice.”


<font color="#0000FF">The problem Mr Jammer is former players are suing the NFL. So not everyone is thinking the same way as u</font>[/quote]

This is exactly the point. I don't get the "we won't wear them" mentality in the first place. But given the ever growing number of lawsuits being filed how does the NFL simply keep on keeping on?

The NFLPA ignoring the retired players during the CBA didn't help things either. What choice do the former players have than to sue the League when they can't even get D. Smith to talk to them?

[ShakeNBake]

[quote user="RoanokeFan"][quote user="ShakeNBake"]I understand the league wants to improve safety but thigh pads and knee pads give little if any protection at all. The league should be more concerned with improving helmets and enforcing players to wear these newer improved helmets.
[/quote]

I'm not sure you can take one position about a particular protective device and not on another. I guess to have an intelligent debate, we'd have to know how many and what types of injuries head the list of most frequent injuries as well as what the rehabilitative costs are in terms of time and money.

The concussion issue has taken center stage because of the number of suicides, real or imagined, being linked to head trauma. But how much do we know about other issues such as orthopedic injuries. It could be argued that no helmet in the world will significantly reduce concussions. The damage caused by the brain striking the skull is a result of the rapid movement of the head. Are we sure headgear alone will address that problem?
[/quote]

I'm speaking from personal experience when I say that knee and thigh pads do not help to prevent injury outside of cosmetic injuries such as bumps and bruises. I think that the increase in knee injuries are more closely linked to the playing surface, especially considering many of these injuries are not a result of impact. As far as head injuries go you're right we really do not know enough about them and the brain in general to really determine if helmets are indeed effective. Improving the helmet may not help with reducing brain injuries, but it is definitely worth looking in to.

[RoanokeFan]

[quote user="ShakeNBake"][quote user="RoanokeFan"][quote user="ShakeNBake"]I understand the league wants to improve safety but thigh pads and knee pads give little if any protection at all. The league should be more concerned with improving helmets and enforcing players to wear these newer improved helmets.
[/quote]

I'm not sure you can take one position about a particular protective device and not on another. I guess to have an intelligent debate, we'd have to know how many and what types of injuries head the list of most frequent injuries as well as what the rehabilitative costs are in terms of time and money.

The concussion issue has taken center stage because of the number of suicides, real or imagined, being linked to head trauma. But how much do we know about other issues such as orthopedic injuries. It could be argued that no helmet in the world will significantly reduce concussions. The damage caused by the brain striking the skull is a result of the rapid movement of the head. Are we sure headgear alone will address that problem?
[/quote]

I'm speaking from personal experience when I say that knee and thigh pads do not help to prevent injury outside of cosmetic injuries such as bumps and bruises. I think that the increase in knee injuries are more closely linked to the playing surface, especially considering many of these injuries are not a result of impact. As far as head injuries go you're right we really do not know enough about them and the brain in general to really determine if helmets are indeed effective. Improving the helmet may not help with reducing brain injuries, but it is definitely worth looking in to.
[/quote]

It could be the NFL is simply doing whatever it can to be able to show a positive effort to improve safety.

[ShakeNBake]

[quote user="RoanokeFan"][quote user="ShakeNBake"][quote user="RoanokeFan"][quote user="ShakeNBake"]I understand the league wants to improve safety but thigh pads and knee pads give little if any protection at all. The league should be more concerned with improving helmets and enforcing players to wear these newer improved helmets.
[/quote]

I'm not sure you can take one position about a particular protective device and not on another. I guess to have an intelligent debate, we'd have to know how many and what types of injuries head the list of most frequent injuries as well as what the rehabilitative costs are in terms of time and money.

The concussion issue has taken center stage because of the number of suicides, real or imagined, being linked to head trauma. But how much do we know about other issues such as orthopedic injuries. It could be argued that no helmet in the world will significantly reduce concussions. The damage caused by the brain striking the skull is a result of the rapid movement of the head. Are we sure headgear alone will address that problem?
[/quote]

I'm speaking from personal experience when I say that knee and thigh pads do not help to prevent injury outside of cosmetic injuries such as bumps and bruises. I think that the increase in knee injuries are more closely linked to the playing surface, especially considering many of these injuries are not a result of impact. As far as head injuries go you're right we really do not know enough about them and the brain in general to really determine if helmets are indeed effective. Improving the helmet may not help with reducing brain injuries, but it is definitely worth looking in to.
[/quote]

It could be the NFL is simply doing whatever it can to be able to show a positive effort to improve safety.
[/quote]

Exactly, and that's why they chose to go after those who do not wear thigh and knee pads since many players choose not to wear them nowadays.