Just a football question

TXDirt
Profile picture for user TXDirt
Posts
7399
Joined
7/29/2015
Location
Plano, TX US
TXDirt
Why don't more players wear knee braces? Especially on the O and D lines? I've never understood this. Carbon fiber knee braces can weigh less then a pound. Why are these guys not wearing anything. Yes, when you first put them on they feel awkward. But if they wore them during a whole training camp they would get used to them.

During tonight's game we have seen two knee injuries with guys wearing no knee brace.

So what is the deal here?
|
ocscottie
Profile picture for user ocscottie
Posts
69108
Joined
8/16/2006
Location
Redding, CA US
ocscottie 10/23/2017 7:56pm
10/23/2017 7:56pm
...and in college almost every linemen wears them, doesnt make sense to me.
TXDirt
Profile picture for user TXDirt
Posts
7399
Joined
7/29/2015
Location
Plano, TX US
TXDirt 10/23/2017 7:58pm
10/23/2017 7:58pm
ocscottie wrote:
...and in college almost every linemen wears them, doesnt make sense to me.
Yup. I see college guys wearing them. I've never understood frankly why every player doesn't wear them. They wear all kinds of other gear. I guarantee if players would get used to them they would not be slowed down one bit. So seems so strange at this level with the money these players make they wouldn't wear them.
Hut
Profile picture for user Hut
Posts
10286
Joined
4/27/2010
Location
WA US
Hut 10/23/2017 8:13pm
10/23/2017 8:13pm
Gotta be a good reason. It's not like these guys don't take every aspect of their profession seriously. They have committed their entire lives to the sport at an insane level of competition.
Maybe they are worried about breaking something else?
TXDirt
Profile picture for user TXDirt
Posts
7399
Joined
7/29/2015
Location
Plano, TX US
TXDirt 10/23/2017 8:34pm
10/23/2017 8:34pm
Hut wrote:
Gotta be a good reason. It's not like these guys don't take every aspect of their profession seriously. They have committed their entire lives to the...
Gotta be a good reason. It's not like these guys don't take every aspect of their profession seriously. They have committed their entire lives to the sport at an insane level of competition.
Maybe they are worried about breaking something else?
I'll take a bone break rather then a blown out knee. I mean even a broken femur is a better outcome then a catastrophic knee injury.

So I really can't think of a single good reason why they don't wear carbon fiber knee braces. Once you get used to them you don't even know they are there. I'm open to trying to understand why they don't. Just seems crazy to me.

The Shop

See All »
ocscottie
Profile picture for user ocscottie
Posts
69108
Joined
8/16/2006
Location
Redding, CA US
ocscottie 10/23/2017 8:43pm
10/23/2017 8:43pm
Just like they dont wear cups! Thats crazy Dizzy
Dtat720
Profile picture for user Dtat720
Posts
1588
Joined
2/20/2015
Location
Flowood, MS US
Dtat720 10/24/2017 3:42am
10/24/2017 3:42am
One, they dont like them.
Two, it gives them a disadvantage at the bargaining table. Seriously, teams will use it against them when negotiating contracts. Braces give the impression they have a weakness.
kzizok
Profile picture for user kzizok
Posts
8393
Joined
10/19/2010
Location
AS US
Fantasy
2068th
kzizok 10/24/2017 4:34am
10/24/2017 4:34am
Im not sure if they even work or not.
TXDirt
Profile picture for user TXDirt
Posts
7399
Joined
7/29/2015
Location
Plano, TX US
TXDirt 10/24/2017 6:39am
10/24/2017 6:39am
Hut wrote:
Here is a good article. They just don't like them and inconclusive if they actually work or not.
http://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/08/sports/ncaafootball/college-football-…
Interesting article. More opinion based then scientific of course. The two players hurt in last nights game were linemen not wearing a knee brace. So we can definitely say not wearing a knee brace can lead to a potential knee injury. That much is very clear.

I wore CTI's starting in the early'ish 90's all the way through my racing career and there were many instances the knee brace saved my knee from exploding. You can feel it when the brace hit's full stop. And think if you didn't have the brace the knee would just keep going until you tore ACL/MCL etc.

I used them every time for practice and race and it became a part of me so to speak. I forgot them one practice day and wouldn't even think about getting on the motorcycle without them.

I just found it strange these players in the trenches don't wear them more often considering the abundance of knee injuries.
APLMAN99
Profile picture for user APLMAN99
Posts
10108
Joined
4/1/2008
Location
Dallas, TX US
APLMAN99 10/24/2017 7:28am
10/24/2017 7:28am
UW lost their starting right tackle to a knee injury a few weeks ago, so we'd also have to say that playing with a knee brace can lead tto a significant knee injury........
scooter5002
Profile picture for user scooter5002
Posts
4761
Joined
6/6/2010
Location
Nanton Alberta CA
scooter5002 10/24/2017 7:59am
10/24/2017 7:59am
From personal experience, I can only offer this. Brace take away flexibility, needs to move quickly, and change direction. Learned this when I strapped mine on, and played hockey with them the first time. Very weird sensation, and it's a bit of a learning curve to skate with them. Even 15 degrees of flex is more than none, which is what braces give.
Also tore an ACL riding with a brace on, but it wasn't as bad as the tear without one. THAT............was my left ankle against my left hip sideways, just like that mag ad you hate to look at.
hellbillyohio 10/24/2017 6:00pm
10/24/2017 6:00pm
My buddy told me that his line coaches in college would not let them on the practice field without them.
JRT812
Profile picture for user JRT812
Posts
2730
Joined
3/4/2014
Location
Cottontown, TN US
JRT812 10/24/2017 6:04pm
10/24/2017 6:04pm
ocscottie wrote:
...and in college almost every linemen wears them, doesnt make sense to me.
Was going to say the same thing. Feel like I see them all the time in college ball
Hut
Profile picture for user Hut
Posts
10286
Joined
4/27/2010
Location
WA US
Hut 10/24/2017 7:23pm
10/24/2017 7:23pm Edited Date/Time 10/24/2017 7:24pm
That article I posted explains that many big college teams require knee bracing for Lineman. As in not optional they are mandatory to be on the team.
The NFL players have collective bargaining so it's not so easy for coaches to require them to wear it without having actual stats to support their effectiveness.

Michigan->http://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/college/university-michigan/wol…
TXDirt
Profile picture for user TXDirt
Posts
7399
Joined
7/29/2015
Location
Plano, TX US
TXDirt 11/2/2017 6:48pm
11/2/2017 6:48pm
Watson who was on pace for rookie or the year and possible MVP tore his ACL in practice today. A Bills player looked to have a hyperextension and damage not yet known.

Neither player wearing a knee brace.

Makes you wonder....
TXDirt
Profile picture for user TXDirt
Posts
7399
Joined
7/29/2015
Location
Plano, TX US
TXDirt 11/9/2017 5:59pm
11/9/2017 5:59pm
Arizona player down with knee injury. No brace.

Post a reply to: Just a football question