[oneijoe]

A players launches himself headfirst into Casey's head. Seeing my precious son laying there. Face numb. Unable to move for fear of paralysis. Ambulance.... Backboard.... Prayers... CT scan - and good news - he walked to my car. I was never so happy. And still find myself giddy just watching him walk around.

Two years ago Codi (KC Class of 2011 / eldest Diamond son) lost 20% of his senior season when a TN ref ejected him for throwing a punch. He did not - but that is the refs job. Two D1 colleges walked away from the recruiting process. Big penalty to pay for nothing more than pushing a kid off you. Today, a player can launch himself like a missle at a kids head - head first - and all that can happen is a 15 yard penalty. I don't even blame the kid who did it nor the kids who do it every Friday night. They are coached for the big hit. Does a kid ever get taken out of the game for taking an action that could end another kids life? Never. That is why in 10-20 years football as we know it will be gone. Lawyers, insurance companies, and parents with kids in wheelchairs will see to that.

Football should save itself by drastically changing the rules around contact. When a player uses his helmet to lead in any way they should be immediately ejected and suspended for a game. Launching yourself in anyway for any reason should be treated the same. The medical data will only continue to accumulate. The lawsuits are only going to get bigger. Either change or become a part of American history.

Dave Diamond
[email]cdavediamond@gmail.com[/email]

As a parent, I can sympathize with what you've written and agree with most everything you've said.

Unfortunately, I don't believe there's a way "drastically changing the rules around contact" is compatible with keeping the nature of the game as we know it.

As long as offensive coaching teaches runners to lower his head in running "through" a tackler while defensive coaches instruct players to stand their ground or jar the ball loose from receivers, there WILL be head-to-head contact. You get away from those basics and the game of football changes on a very basic level.

It wouldn't matter how long a player would be suspended for a hit to the head, the REAL problem is the result of the hit.