Legendary Coach Bill Wilson
Our staff at Sebastian River High School (SRHS) could be so brutal toward one another. At the slightest sign of weakness, the rest of the staff would generally pounce on our brother and beat him verbally until submission, and this could/would go on all season. But, only we could get away with it....no one else was allowed to do it. Brutal? YES. Funny? Hell YES!
The elder statesman in our group was the legendary Coach Bill Wilson. We all had so much respect for this old man, and we all would generally leave him alone....but it did not mean he was COMPLETELY immune from our relentless teasing. Of course, Wilson was constantly telling us "How It Used To Be" before players had all this "Fancy Equipment" they have now. Coach had a home remedy for just about everything. I remember he once asked me to bring back (from Georgia) a five (5) gallon bucket of Georgia clay. He was going to mix the clay with some vinegar (and other witchcraft ingredients) and wrap an injured athlete's leg or ankle with the clay mixture. Somehow, Coach Wilson believed the clay would draw out the swelling and cure the injury. Hey, when Coach Wilson asked me to do something, I just did as I was asked to do...no questions asked. I gave him two nice buckets of freshly-dug Georgia clay. I am not sure if he ever got to use it.
The equipment used back in Coach Wilson's day was surely different, but did this mean the game was less violent? I don't think so, but the nature of the injuries player's receive today are absolutely different....or are they? Lets take a closer look...starting with cleats (Football Shoes)
When I was in college, I once wrote a paper on football injuries. Back in my day, ankle injuries were very common. This was a time when schools actually used their cleats year after year until they wore out completely. The old shoes never really fit correctly...they were usually too big, or too small, missing a spike here and there, or missing shoe laces. You never really had a good fitting pair of cleats unless you doubled up, or tripled up on your socks. Of course, the shoes offered no ankle stability at all, and arch support and shock absorption was unheard of. Companies like Hutch, Converse, Rawlings, Spaulding, and Puma usually made the old school footwear. Ankle injuries were very, very common.
The new shoes of today are much different, and much better than they have ever been. Companies like: NIKE, Adidas, New Balance, Under Armor, Reebok, and others have completely changed athletic footwear as we know it. Some of the shoes have gel inserts, some of the shoes have air pockets, some of the shoes have built-in springs. Some of the shoes actually have a computer connection used to monitor how far an athlete has run etc.. Modern shoes are far lighter than anything we ever used, and far more expensive to say the least. $250 Cleats are not uncommon. The ankle support is much better than it's ever been; nevertheless, Ankle sprains still happen, but not as often it seems. The major injuries seem to be traveling up the leg to the knee. Coincidence? I don't think so.
Coach Wilson's Helmet (LOL)
Suspension Strap Helmet
Lightly Padded Football Helmet
Modern Air Helmet (Computer Monitored)
Football helmets have changed the way we play football today without a doubt. I have a theory on all this, so bear with me as I spew my self-taught way of thinking. Lets get something straight right now. I NEVER PLAYED without a facemask. I NEVER PLAYED with lambs wool padding inside of my helmet. I NEVER PLAYED with suspension straps inside my helmets. However, my father did, and so did Coach Wilson in his day. Did the players hit as hard back in the day? Of course they did, but in a different way I think.
Football helmets have evolved from a simple lightly-padded leather hat, to an ultra-modern air-suspension helmet which are monitored by a computer for safety. Yet, we still have a rash of head concussions in today's game. Why? I don't know for sure, but I have my ideas.
Back in the day (my day) I remember getting hit so hard in the head that I would actually see stars and blackout on the field. I used to scream in pain because it hurt so much. My Coach used to say: "Shake out the stars, and get back in there." In today;s world, this would be a major concussion, and I would be required to sit out for a week to a month. However, back then, we never even heard of a concussion, so I guess it did not exist. It was just part of the game. I do remember avoiding a head to head collision because: "That shit hurts" and tackling with my shoulder instead. I was not alone....we all suffered with injuries like this. It was just the way it was.
I believe that today's football equipment is TOO GOOD. Now hear me out. Football helmets are so good now, that a player is not afraid to deliver a blow with the crown of his helmet...like a big sledge hammer. Players don't have the fear of blacking out like we used to. Defensive players have got away from the fundamentals hoping to deliver the 'Big Hit" instead of hitting and wrapping up like we were taught to do. Now days, the rules prohibit a defensive player from targeting an offensive player with helmet to helmet contact. What exactly is targeting? How can a defensive player avoid helmet to helmet contact? No one seems to know the answer, but I know this much. The game is played much different today than it ever was before.
Different does not mean better.
GZ
No comments:
Post a Comment