In 2013 the NFL made the one shell rule in the name of players safety. I had always thought that the teams repainted helmets after each game. Guess I saw Rudy too many times because apparently that's not the case. This rule probably wouldn't of had so many against it if they did but apparently the process takes too long. And new helmets like shoes have a 'break in' period.
Supposedly, The league thought the switching of helmets made players less safe. Let's be real for a second. The league was worried about paying more in CTE settlements.
According to Paul Lukas, it was "the Head, Neck, and Spine Committee and the Player Safety Advisory Panel — that limited teams from switching helmets during the season."
Lukas continued, "Advisory committees believe it’s safer, on balance, for a player to stick with one helmet for the entire season."
The CFL, the only thing the NFL has remotely close to a rival, would adopted the rule in 2019.
In 2017, the Philadelphia Eagles submit a rule change to the one shell rule, asking for teams to be allowed one alternative. The change obviously did not occur.
According to Barth, who quoted sources, starting in 2022 teams can have alternate helmets. For those that don't get it, it's so teams can wear different colored helmets.
So why would the NFL make the change now? The answer is money. Take the Patriots for example. They have had three logo's over their history (minor color changes don't count.) People love the Patriots second logo. And will pay good money for it. With different helmets normally comes different uniforms. When players wear multiple uniforms, sales go up.
Many teams have changed helmets and uniforms. Personally I miss the 1980s Seahawks, Buccaneers, Falcons helmets. In the grand scheme of things the only thing that will happen besides fans spending money, is new fans may get to see some older uniforms and experience their team's history.
No comments:
Post a Comment