The NFL Helmet Of The Future.

[r8rh8rmike]

I'm all for a helmet that helps stems the tide of concussions, but with the ever increasing size, strength and speed of NFL players and the violent collisions they produce, no helmet is going to prevent them.

[laram0]

What is it about this new helmet design that's going to help prevent concussions???

[r8rh8rmike]

More-forgiving headgear

Industrial designer Bert Straus at Protective Sports Equipment developed the Gladiator as an alternative to current helmets, which use a hard polycarbonate shell, inflatable bladders that cushion impacts and hold the helmets on, and inner foam pads. He calls this a “hard-soft” design, with the hard shell the first line of defense, backed up by softer materials.

The Gladiator, a “soft-hard-soft” design, has a relatively soft urethane-foam outer covering over a polycarbonate shell holding foam inner pads. It should be lighter than current helmets, which should reduce neck strain and fatigue. (Fatigue is a known factor in head-down tackling, a poor technique that can lead to severe injuries.)

The Gladiator will also have resin-composite face guards. This should better balance the design, move the center of gravity back toward the center of the player’s head, and reduce the potentially harmful moment around the neck. The faceguard will have a quick release, important for access to the player’s airways when the head and helmet are immobilized. Current helmets must be cut or the four clamps unscrewed in similar situations. A second quick-release latch holds the chin cup in place.

This eliminates snaps and buckles which can lacerate the skin. Inside, contoured pads with a viscoelastic layer should improve fit and comfort. They are covered with a wicking material, as opposed to being crammed into PVC pockets, again for comfort, especially in colder weather. These pads still inflate for fit, but a bladder comprised of inflatable cells give the pads an inward, evenly distributed push.

Finally, Gladiator helmets will contain no metal, making them transparent to X-ray machines, CAT scanners, and MRI imagers, an obvious plus in cases of spinal or head injury. The final helmet will likely cost more than the current $198 models, but it will also contain significantly more technology.

[bigredman]

Originally Posted by HUbison

It's just evolution......what can ya do?

Yeah? Well, I evolved from a monkey!

What do you think of your theory now?
Evolution doesn't necessarily mean improvement!

[bigredman]

Ummmmm....where's the rush of opinion that I'm wrong?
:\

[Ramer]

Bigredman, that was pretty good. Got a laught out of me.

[ramsanddodgers]

Originally Posted by bigredman

Ummmmm....where's the rush of opinion that I'm wrong?
:\

Although the similarities are there, I contend that you (nor anyone) evolved form monkeys, apes, or any other simian or prosimian. Though there are those (visibly) who do present a good argument for it!

[AvengerRam]

Originally Posted by bigredman

Yeah? Well, I evolved from a monkey!

What do you think of your theory now?
Evolution doesn't necessarily mean improvement!

BRM, I think you made a mistake. You seem to have posted the same picture twice.

[Tampa_Ram]

If Trent Green gets signed anywhere they better get him one of these helmets right away.

[rams 24/7]

They look like were going past instead of future. They don't look much different from where Running Backs wear them in the 60's, 70's and early 80's.

[RAMFANRAIDERHATER]

I've believed that the NFL is going in the wrong direction with equipment.

As players get bigger, stronger, and faster, they attempt to make a helmet that adds padding and protection to the head, in an effort to stave off concussions. It may help reduce concussions, as it will better dissipate the energy of a hard blow to the head. But, is that really the way to go? What will happen, I would bet, is that the players wearing these helmets will be more likely to use the helmet as a spear, knowing they're better protected. So, concussions may go down, but other injuries caused by the helmet impacting unprotected body parts may go up. Also, couldn't more neck and back trauma occur with the helmet because the player wearing it may be more likely to lead with the head? I say this because if you watch old NFL film, back in the days of the old leather helmets, players rarely used the head to tackle.

So, go back to the old days of leather helmets and reduce the padding and I believe we'll have fewer injuries.
..oh, and get rid of artificial turf and indoor stadiums while we're at it.

[Chris58]

Some good points. Congrats on #800 RamFan.