[stupac2]

I don't think I've posted this before, so here it goes.

The reason I'm uber-rustled over Shaw's play calling --- particularly, pounding CMac into nine in the box --- is that I am sincerely concerned for the players' short and longterm health. As a fan of CFB since age 7, there is nothing I have enjoyed more than hard hitting and the violence of the  game.  That feeling has changed over the past few years. The NFL lawsuit, the cases of depression, the suicides, 'league of denial', ... has had a profound effect on me. When Shaw bashed Tyler Gaffney or Stefan Taylor at nine in the box, it made me uncomfortable. When Shaw bashes CMac at 11 guys all keying on CMac, and I see UKLA with multiple helmet to helmet -- strategically punishing hits, it makes me sick to my stomach.

TBH, I don't want to see our players put in situations that maximize their exposure to repetitive brutal hits. I would gladly accept 3,4, or 5 losses a year, and seeing less of CMac straight ahead into 2500lbs of humanity for a 2yd gain. 

While I absolutely love Stanford's success over the past 7 yrs, and their physical style of play, nothing is more important than the health of the students who represent Stanford.

/rant

I don't think those hits are the problematic ones, because there's not really enough space for players to get moving rapidly and collide with a lot of energy. When you see injuries on those types of plays it tends to be of the form "someone rolled into the player's lower leg", which is unfortunate but hardly worrisome for the future (and can happen on any type of play). The really dangerous injuries are in the open field, where two guys are moving at high speed, sometimes right at each other, like with Owusu. Frankly I'd be surprised if Stanford's offensive scheme weren't less conducive to injuries than more pass-happy schemes, both because we run fewer total plays but also the plays we do run don't tend to put players in harm's way as a matter of course.

[stupac2]

I don't think I've posted this before, so here it goes.

The reason I'm uber-rustled over Shaw's play calling --- particularly, pounding CMac into nine in the box --- is that I am sincerely concerned for the players' short and longterm health. As a fan of CFB since age 7, there is nothing I have enjoyed more than hard hitting and the violence of the  game.  That feeling has changed over the past few years. The NFL lawsuit, the cases of depression, the suicides, 'league of denial', ... has had a profound effect on me. When Shaw bashed Tyler Gaffney or Stefan Taylor at nine in the box, it made me uncomfortable. When Shaw bashes CMac at 11 guys all keying on CMac, and I see UKLA with multiple helmet to helmet -- strategically punishing hits, it makes me sick to my stomach.

TBH, I don't want to see our players put in situations that maximize their exposure to repetitive brutal hits. I would gladly accept 3,4, or 5 losses a year, and seeing less of CMac straight ahead into 2500lbs of humanity for a 2yd gain. 

While I absolutely love Stanford's success over the past 7 yrs, and their physical style of play, nothing is more important than the health of the students who represent Stanford.

/rant

I don't think those hits are the problematic ones, because there's not really enough space for players to get moving rapidly and collide with a lot of energy. When you see injuries on those types of plays it tends to be of the form "someone rolled into the player's lower leg", which is unfortunate but hardly worrisome for the future (and can happen on any type of play). The really dangerous injuries are in the open field, where two guys are moving at high speed, sometimes right at each other, like with Owusu. Frankly I'd be surprised if Stanford's offensive scheme weren't less conducive to injuries than more pass-happy schemes, both because we run fewer total plays but also the plays we do run don't tend to put players in harm's way as a matter of course.