Here's an interesting helmet design: Bulwark football helmets aim to improve concussion safety without compromising style - ESPN It has an inner shell covered by "panels" that supposedly absorb impact.
That's on the individual. You protect a person as best you can. If he chooses to use that protection as permission to act more dangerously that is his prerogative.
Do you disagree? Would you really prefer providing suboptimal protection to frighten players into playing nicer?
i agree with you. it's a situation where the damage has been done and the game has already changed. say you went back to leather helmets. long term maybe it's healthier, but you'd have at least 2 years of absolute carnage.
Kelley Washington had a pretty bad concussion just from bouncing his head on the ground while being tackled. He needed his helmet that play. There are other times when knees strike heads and whatnot where a leather helmet just isn't going to do the job. The solution is to he guys to stop using the helmet as a weapon, not take the helmet away.
A lot of concussions occur because of the whiplash and subsequent head bouncing off the turf. That's where I think a helmet like that can help. See this as an example: [video=youtube;XlsCQA9H3Sw]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlsCQA9H3Sw[/video]
I don't think "jumped on" is accurate. I asked if you disagree with me and then outlined the implications of such a disagreement.
This story is two years old, but this is the first I've heard of it. Researchers: Chris Henry had brain damage at the time of his death - ESPN Only 26 years old and already showing signs of chronic damage from trauma.