Whether you head is up or down, if you are playing football properly you will take impacts to the head. Heads up football gives a dangerous sport a veneer of safety that doesn't exist.

 

Its not even like boxing where if you are really good you can avoid head blows, everyone except kickers, punters and QBs are expected to initiate contact at some point in a football game which means hitting your head.

 

With that in mind it is hard to justify full contact football for children below a certain age. There is no protecting the brain in football, all that can be done is to make the risks clear and for an age to be agreed on when kids can make an informed decision.

 

I don't blame Goodell. He didn't design the program, his job is to protect the financial interest of the game and that's what he is doing.

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