Tag: NFL

Instead of going to the Army to solve their concussion problem, the easiest thing the NFL could do is get rid of helmets.  If players were not wearing helmets they would not lead with their head as much and use it as a weapon against opposing players.  It would be interesting research to see what the concussion rate is between NFL players and professional rugby players who do not wear helmets:

The NFL’s quest to become safer has extended to an Army lab at Aberdeen Proving Ground, where rubbery, fluid-filled straps tether a crash test dummy’s football helmet to its body. While they allow turning of the head, the straps tighten automatically under jarring blows to minimize violent head whips.

Designed by Army Research Laboratory scientists, the “smart” strap system was one of three recent winners of an open competition for funding to develop new approaches to reduce brain injuries to players.

Concussions are a billion-dollar problem for the league as a new feature film spotlights the issue and raises questions about how the NFL is trying to tackle a matter that could threaten the sport’s future.  [The Baltimore Sun]

You can read the rest at the link.

A US Marine officer who recently served in South Korea has earned the scorn of Deadspin.com for what was basically a publicity stunt reunion during a St. Louis Rams preseason game:

During last weekend’s preseason St. Louis Rams game, a familiar ritual played out: With a stadium full of fans and a television audience watching, Rams cheerleader Candace Ruocco Valentine was surprised by the arrival of her husband August Valentine, a Marine Corps first lieutenant, who had just returned home from service abroad.

As a series of visuals, shown in the video below, it was a sterling example of the genre. The All-American cheerleader literally drops her pom-poms to run toward her husband, relief written across her face as she does; the happy young couple embraces; and Rampage, an anthropomorphic ram, looks on approvingly at their release from anxiety and fear.

As a set of facts, though, the heartwarming moment was basically bullshit, despite which the viral glurge machine went ahead and ran with the story of a joint triumph for the Valentines, the St. Louis Rams, the NFL, and the Pentagon. [Deadspin]

You can read the rest at the link, but 1st Lieutenant August Valentine is part of the Busch family of Anheuser-Busch beer fame and his wife’s first game as a cheerleader just happened to be when he makes his surprise arrival back from Korea.  Anyone think this was just coincidence?  According to this Fox News interview his wife knew her husband’s unit recently came back from South Korea which made me think he may have just been over there for UFG and not even on a long deployment like most other servicemembers.  Also of interest is that Mrs. Valentine’s mother is running for an Illinois State Representative seat and using the publicity of this reunion to help her campaign.  I am willing to bet this was all setup by Busch family connections to be the publicity stunt that it became.

Despite all this what gets me is that Mrs. Valentine is also a Marine officer.  You would think that with all the sexual harassment and assault criticism that the military has received that cheerleading which sexually objectifies women would be frowned upon.  Then again with all the issues of alcohol abuse in the ranks, the military allowed itself to be used to sell beer during the Super Bowl.  Guess who was also involved in that controversy, you guessed it Anheuser-Busch.

Super Bowl MVP Hines Ward has now arrived in Korea and even brought his mother with him. Guess who the first person to see him is?:

Korea has adopted the American football star as its own, inspired by his prowess even if most people are baffled by the game.
His rags-to-riches story and his mother’s sacrifices to raise him have touched a chord in the national psyche.

The visitors will lunch with President Roh Moo-hyun and his wife, Kwon Yang-sook, tomorrow and throw the first ball at the opening game of the 2006 Korea Baseball Organization season on Saturday at Jamsil Stadium in southern Seoul.

Yes the I’m not really anti-American president himself Roh Moo-hyun made sure he got his photo op with Hines Ward first. How about he instead go with Hines Ward to a mixed race orphanage and get a photo op there to draw attention to this problem in Korea?

Here is a shock; con men in Korea have been illegally using Hines Ward’s image:

Korean companies have jostled for position in an effort to associate themselves with Mr. Ward and his mother.
Some less ethical businessmen reportedly have registered copyrights related to Mr. Ward or have passed themselves off as his representative here.
Lim Sang-hyuk, a lawyer representing the gridiron hero in Korea, said, “If necessary, Mr. Ward will take legal action against the illegal use of his name, portrait and other things.”

For those that haven’t seen it yet, Newsweek ran an article last week about Hines Ward. I was actually contacted by the reporter to provide some insight into the Hines Ward phenomenon. It is kind of interesting to see how the blogosphere can influence the reporting a mainstream media outlet. Anyway, the article was well balanced between explaining Hines Ward life, his admiration for his mother, and the bias towards mixed race children in Korea, but nothing really ground breaking that we haven’t heard before.

I did find this passage interesting though:

Some Korean-American activists have also complained about the fact that Ward hasn’t contributed to the community yet. “If he’s going to be a role model, he should do something for the community,” gripes a representative of one Korean-American youth group.

I find it ironic that the same Korean-American groups that shunned him when he was younger are now making demands of him now. How about these groups do more for mixed race children themselves instead of making demands from Hines Ward.

Anyway the hysteria over the Hines Ward visit to Korea ought to provide some interesting blogging over the next few days at least.