Gizmodo
With all of the news about football players and concussions these days, it is about time that the helmet was redesigned to offer more protection. The folks at Xenith are hoping to offer a solution with the X1, a helmet that features 18 shock absorbing discs that release air slowly to reduce the force of an impact. These Aware-Flow Shock Absorbers, along with an innovative comfort fit system called Fit Seeker make for a helmet that promises to greatly reduce sudden movements of the head that cause concussions.
The Xenith X1 has just received approval from the National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE), so we could be seeing these helmets on the sensitive melons of unfortunate athletes like Miami's Trent Green sometime in the near future. [NY Times via Core77]
Comments
If its one thing footplayers love to wear its a 'flexible bonnet'
footplayers, huh? Wow. I must be tired or drunk...
SMRT! I mean, S M A R T.
Really thoug,h it's cool and all, but if the NFL didn't promote to their athletes that they all have to be HUGE this entire situation wouldn't be as big a deal as it is.
If I recall correctly, Virginia Tech was studying new helmets along with some other organizations. Supposedly most concussions come from jaw impact and not hits to other parts of the head. That is why more helmets are extending farther.
@homerjay: I dunno. "Football" players touch each other's butts a lot. They also love the "sack". I'm pretty sure they like to huddle a lot too.
I think football players just got gradually bigger over time. It just, you know, makes sense from a standpoint of winning. If you're bigger and faster than the other guy, then you can kick his ass.
If you can kick his ass, you've got a better chance to win.
it will allow the players to hit each other harder, it will have a reverse effect on the amount of concussions. it will increase them. Take a look at rugby, the amount of concussions they have stays the same, while football goes up. more protection = less technique, more brawn. not a 'smart' approach. no pun intended.
How about a helmet that protects against face mask penalties? Sure the 15 yards and the automatic first down you get is nice, but the aching neck you wake up with the next morning really sucks. Not to mention, when you are running full speed and your head is turned 180 degrees you could possibly-oh I dunno-DIE!
Awesome, this helmet protects American football players--leaving the rest of the world to suffer football-related concussions.
@Sqube: But "Too Tall" Jones was enormous back in the late 70's, and "Refrigerator" Perry was enormous in the 80's... Big dudes have always been big, it's just that nowadays they have steroids to make them stronger and faster as well.
Why not remove all padding from American football? Then these guys would, I don't know, maybe have to think about how to hit someone for a tackle instead of smashing in head-first. It'd devolving into a sport of endless fouls and instant replay reviews, but if they're going to continue wearing pads and such I suppose this helmet would be pretty awesome. I'm curious if it'll cost too much for high school teams to afford them. If it's too expensive then that stinks because there sure are a lot more high school football players than NFL'ers... and the kids deserve better protection.
@thepounder: Ever heard of rugby? That for real men who don't need armour...
Anyway, what about that 3do stuff that has been shown here in gizmodo? That would seem a better shock absorbing material.
@rdldr1: Thats right. All for America. The rest of you can go screw!
Hey, we can't police the whole world.
oh, wait.
Is that brett favre?
RDLDR1: Football without pads and some rules changes is, if I'm not mistaken, generally known as "rugby". They don't want pads.
ThePounder: Remove all the padding, and you have rugby. Also, you'd have a whole host of hair-related penalties. And can you imagine how much of a bitch you'd feel like when you got a 15 yard penalty for pulling some guy's dreads out of his head? The hell is that?
TheRunningBoard7: No, that's not Brett Favre.
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