USING THE HELMET AS A WEAPON.

USING THE HELMET AS A WEAPON. With better football helmets, the use of the head to make a hit, a kind of spearing with the helmet, has increased. The top of the helmet gives better protection than the side, so a hit to the side of the head is rougher on the recipient. This article about Ted Johnson, retired middle linebacker for the New England Patriots, describes some of the damage that can come from this kind of hit and from cumulative effects. There has been some effort to penalize helmet to helmet hits in the NFL, but only on quarterbacks. Back in the day, a tackle was supposed to be made with the shoulder with the head on the side because it less dangerous and because it was easier to “wrap up” the ball carrier. Now, a good hit with the helmet is celebrated by the announcers (“Wow, he really put a hat on him!”) and shown on highlights. Meanwhile, I am flinching and muttering, “Kids, don’t try this at home.”