I'm not a football fan, but that Gronk hit...

[Darren Dirt]

...looked pretty painful.

And now apparently it's the new normal for defensive tackles, going for the legs (which basically means the full force is gonna be absorbed by the knees) for fear of looking like you're trying to cause a head injury.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/11/30/after-gronk-knee-injury-brady-says-rules-force-low-hits/#comments

As some lament in the comments, is this pretty much the end of HandEgg As We Know It?

[Thorin]

Are you talking about the player who jumped in the air and then had an opposing player contact his knee rather than his hip, because he jumped that high?  To me, it looked like the opposing player was targeting the hip area for the hit, which is pretty much the best place as it avoids the weak head and the weak knees and instead hits on a solid set of bones - pelvis and femurs.

But I don't follow the NFL and didn't watch that game, so I don't know what else was happening in the game that people may be complaining about.  I highly doubt American Football is going anywhere, though.  And it's a lot rougher nowadays than it used to be.

[Darren Dirt]

Are you talking about the player who jumped in the air and then had an opposing player contact his knee rather than his hip, because he jumped that high?  To me, it looked like the opposing player was targeting the hip area for the hit, which is pretty much the best place as it avoids the weak head and the weak knees and instead hits on a solid set of bones - pelvis and femurs.

That's actually what a lot of comments pointed out -- that Gronk had some air and so the hit was not intended for his leg -- although plenty of other hits are now directed there, especially for huge guys like Gronk. Now that above-the-waist hits are dangerous to your career or something, so the defenders have little choice but to aim for the upper legs (but sometimes will miss, or the receiver might jump and have poor timing etc.)


Just thought it was interesting how for literary a century of playing the game has not really changed much, but now with all the brain damage of veteran players it's forced to change ... and likely will never return to the game it once was. Actually quite amazing to see health and safety be an issue actually taken seriously enough in the PRO league to change how the game is played. Change is tough to take for the hardcore fans though, by the looks of it.

[Thorin]

I dunno, a hundred years ago the players had little padding and a soft leather helmet to protect them.  The protective equipment has greatly improved over the years to protect the players, unfortunately that means they hit each other harder because it hurts them less.

The NFL is putting in rules about head contact just like other contact sports, because they've been successfully sued over head contact injuries by a host of retired and active players.  It's not that the NFL as a league gives two @%&#s about player safety, it's that they wouldn't be able to withstand another lawsuit in ten years with a much higher payout.

[Mr. Analog]

I can't remember where i read it but in rugby there are less serious injuries because of the lack of equipment. Apparently the equipment adds to the impact

I'll try and find it, it was an interesting read

[Thorin]

Don Cherry has spoken out recently (like in the last year) about how the solid plastic armour players are wearing now is causing them to collide harder because it doesn't hurt nearly as much.  And he's right, the reason shinny hockey doesn't have hitting is because it hurts a lot to run into someone without your gear on.  Then again the gear also stops a slapshot from breaking your bones (well, most of the time).

Rugby also has less of a focus on hard plays.  There are still stories of people playing through excruciating injuries (ear ripped off, sewn back on on the sidelines, scrotum ripped open, sewn back together on the sidelines).  But through all of that, rugby as a sport espouses stopping the opponent, not violently colliding with them.  To the point where teammates will berate you if you intentionally hurt an opponent.  Although there are still lots of collisions between players, and they do still get hurt.