My dirty little secret is one which, is in its own habitat, is neither little nor secret.
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I am a huge fan of American football. It’s nasty, ludicrous, often unethical, and slow, and I can’t get enough of it – even when Green Bay’s not on. I watched every Superbowl play and rereplay. I’ve loved it since age 13 – especially the helmets.
I even cheered Jarryd Hayne’s tilt at the San Francisco 49ers. While this time only lives on in a few sad #38 jerseys still being worn, I’ll argue Hayne could have saved the sport.
Not with that nickname – this is a league where the best have tags like Megatron (Calvin Johnson), Beast Mode (Marshawn Lynch), Prime Time (Deion Sanders) and Sweetness (Walter Payton).
Team-wide there’s the Legion of Boom (Seattle’s defensive backs), the Evil Empire (New England Patriots), the Killer Bs (Brown, Bell and Ben of the Pittsburgh Steelers) and the Purple People Eaters (Minnesota’s defensive line, early 70s, an oldie but awesome).
And Hayne wasn’t going to save anyone with his play. He had neither the jets, the foot candy, nor the mental grip on the playbook that running backs develop since their first word (which is almost invariably “cutback”, occasionally “A-gap”).
Not with his ill-fated tilt at Olympic rugby 7s with Fiji, or his NRL cut-and-run act with one team and eventually another.
Not with the allegation he raped a woman in California (Hayne strongly denies this). The league is up to its neck in domestic violence (and team owners who don’t care) and legal problems (especially the 49ers).
No, Hayne’s gift to the NFL was simply the fact that in his previous life, he didn’t wear a helmet.
The greatest threat to US football, and its players, is concussion – head injuries, and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). More players are being diagnosed (after they die), or are retiring young. Or have suicided to end their CTE torment, leaving their brains intact so science can follow up. Parents are thinking twice about kids playing.
I say, scrap the helmets, and you’ll save lives.
Like any weapon, they might be useful for protection but if they weren’t there you wouldn’t need so much protection.
Helmets beget helmets, and there seems to be an increasing willingness in American football circles to consider getting rid of this piece of equipment.
It’s won’t be easy. They’ve been compulsory only since the 1940s, but have become the metonym of football, emblematic of not just teams but the game itself.
Put simply, the most damaging weapon onfield is the headgear itself. Without the recklessness and abandon the helmet brings, the harder hits might be tamed somewhat, as self-preservation assumes its rightful place in the hierarchy of human motivators.
Most importantly, head-to head-hits (which are already restricted) would have to go, as you wouldn’t last long if you hit with your own head.
Yes, there’s an argument rugby league needs helmets too. But if the NFL keeps them, it may destroy itself. Let’s hope Jarryd told them.