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NFL Referees Could be Getting Helmets

fansided.com — As if they're not blind enough, now NFL referees are rumored to be getting helmets as a committee is said to be looking into the safety of referees following multiple incidents this season.

Who dugg this? Made popular Oct 26, 2009

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  • Sploxy, on 10/25/2009, -1/+40And just today: http://digg.com/d318Bh8
  • wilf_brim, on 10/26/2009, -1/+34The blog makes a pretty convincing point. NFL players are getting very big and very fast. Incidents are increasing. Finding a light helmet that would be a compromise between safety and visibility wouldn't be that hard.
  • zbcincy30, on 10/25/2009, -0/+32Lets just skip this and move to robot refs!
  • RoroCo, on 10/26/2009, -0/+26Couldn't they just keep the helmets on that they wear on the bus ride to the game?
  • Atomixor, on 10/26/2009, -1/+23It works in hockey, why not football?
  • MatzahMan, on 10/26/2009, -1/+15There was just an incident today during the Pittsburgh/ Minnesota game. The guy took a huge hit and flew at least a couple yards.
  • vsujohn2, on 10/25/2009, -2/+16They need to get the ***** out of the way, lol.
  • WhiteHatTrick, on 10/26/2009, -1/+12At the vikings/steelers game today a ref was trampled. Also, the stupid refs made a bad call that negated viking touchdown in the fourth to take the lead and led to the steelings winning when they shouldn't have. I ***** hate when refs make miscalls, it happens all the time and totally ruins the entire purpose of the game.
  • hokie47, on 10/26/2009, -2/+13For the retarded calls they have been making they should wear helmets.
  • TobiasParker, on 10/26/2009, -0/+10You do realize the players need to see the flags as well eh?
  • Nlewis4, on 10/26/2009, -1/+11because there isnt a 6 ounce piece of hard rubber that can kill you flying in random directions at 100 mph in football
  • WayGroovy, on 10/26/2009, -1/+10Dugg for "As if they're not blind enough"
  • tacojohn48, on 10/26/2009, -0/+7They don't already? Oh, that's just the SEC refs.
  • Wamzlee, on 10/26/2009, -1/+8Make the entire field a multi-touch screen surface.
  • hakkola, on 10/26/2009, -0/+7Peko, you have to change the pressure to pounds-force per square inch. With that logic it's better to get shot in the head than hit by a car.

    There are cases of people getting killed by pucks, but I haven't seen one death due to Brian Urlacher.
  • nepidae, on 10/26/2009, -0/+7Will they also ride to the game on the short bus?
  • YanMan, on 10/26/2009, -0/+7***** SeomonĂ© is always stealing everybody's *****.
  • NoamChimpsky, on 10/26/2009, -0/+6I think their vision might actually be improved by wearing something like this:
    http://www.nautical-mart.com/pcat-gifs/products-sm ...
  • 2Pharcyded, on 10/26/2009, -4/+10ive been saying this for a while. they need to scrap all the referees except one, who will primarily act as a puppet, and have 10-20 remote controlled cameras being watched and controlled by people (hell, make it the refs) all with individual screens. the people watching the screens could relay a call down to the ref who could relay it to all the fans in the stadium.

    because personally i hate games being determined by the poor calls of tired old refs.
  • rayde, on 10/26/2009, -0/+6@Peko in what world do humans run 40 mph?

    for comparison, Usain Bolt reached 27.45mph at his top speed in his world record 100m.
  • kolobcreek, on 10/26/2009, -0/+5Give them pads too then get rid of the rules that say you can't tackle a ref.
    That would make the game MORE AWESOME!
  • Nlewis4, on 10/26/2009, -0/+5go back to 2005
  • tomcat4u, on 10/25/2009, -0/+4Make em look extra dorky
  • bcool, on 10/26/2009, -1/+5They should just replace them with cameras!
  • lazy6pyro, on 10/26/2009, -0/+4I'm sure it's been proposed before; heck im sure someone proposed putting a GPS in the football, so that there would be no question if a player got a first down or not.

    But, the human element is part of the game. I, for one, wouldn't watch a totally cyber-refereed game because it just feels to inhuman. Plus, I wouldn't have anyone to blame when the Colts are playing well.
  • IKORKYI, on 10/26/2009, -0/+4i see no reasons refs need to be on the field anymore
  • cawpin, on 10/26/2009, -0/+3Stop spamming your dupe submissions.
  • TheBigBad, on 10/26/2009, -2/+5Another step in the total pussification of America.
  • NoamChimpsky, on 10/26/2009, -0/+3And hear the whistle.
  • WhiteHatTrick, on 10/26/2009, -0/+2I dont know if youve heard of the butterfly effect but one small change from a bad call completely changes the outcome of the game
  • Gregus1032, on 10/26/2009, -0/+2with how idiotic some of the refs are, they'd put the helmet on backwards...but still manage to call a 15 yard penalty on someone getting within 3ft of Tom Brady.
  • jeffwmartin, on 10/26/2009, -0/+2Why do they need glasses to lol?
  • kingsox, on 10/26/2009, -0/+2First off the refs need to get out of the way. That fool was running in the pathway of a player headed to the endzone and needed to be guided out of the way.
    Second, you must have missed the momentum swing. Instead of the Vikings being in the lead they ended up on the wrong end of a 14 point swing against them. That wasn't the only bad call there was a defensive delay of game penalty as well giving Pitt a first down. When was the last time that was ever called?
  • Moralogic, on 10/26/2009, -0/+2They need more than just helmets, they need full padding. I am not sure a helmet would do anything for any of these videos, it seems like their bodies take all of the hit, and they may need a neck brace to protect against neck injuries.
  • rayde, on 10/26/2009, -0/+2I really doubt they're going for full face-mask helmets. think more like this:
    http://www.hockeydogs.com/browseproducts/CCM-892-H ...

    Vision is not going to be impaired by something like that.
  • kjones555, on 10/26/2009, -0/+2Proof that our robot overlords are on there way. I, for one, will gladly accept them.
  • dty2010, on 10/26/2009, -0/+2You didn't think this through very much, did you?
  • soil, on 10/26/2009, -0/+2I'll admit I came to the comments to see videos of refs getting clocked.
  • Nlewis4, on 10/26/2009, -0/+2@NoamChimpsky

    A helmet isn't going to protect internal organs other than the brain, so your analogy doesn't make sense
  • Boxtavious, on 10/26/2009, -0/+1I think it may be necessary more for the umpire standing behind the defensive line. I swear the quarterback uses this referee as a screen man more often then they should and the refs can take some blind hits this way.
  • lazy6pyro, on 10/27/2009, -0/+1Sure, if they players let it happen.

    Football is all about execution. There still were plays after those calls. Why didnt the Vikings step up? The
    They turned the ball over twice (a fumble and a pick-six) and Farve was getting pressure quite a few plays.
  • ChaosProfessor, on 10/26/2009, -1/+2I want to invent something it would be something portable that the chain gang would move, it would throw the yellow line on the field so the audience at the field and players could see, the hardest part would be a projection unit with enough lumens but it would be a great idea, now that I have shared this seomone will steal it from me and make millions.
  • prolikewhoa, on 10/26/2009, -0/+1Lets take off the players helmets and it will be even.
  • tacojohn48, on 10/26/2009, -0/+1@chaos - I know this weekend I saw the line off by about a yard during the UT vs Alabama game. Anyway with my fiber optic system you really could make it accurate. Also you are my witness that I have prior art for lighted strips embedded in the field.
  • SilenceGold, on 10/26/2009, -0/+1Nah..give them jetpacks!
  • CrazedChemist, on 10/27/2009, -0/+1Ok so what about the idea that if the puck hits the head, ref is pretty much unmoved (maybe 15 lbs/head whips back) and the puck maybe has a final velocity of 10 mph if it hits at an angle of some sort.

    With a spearing the ref will be pushed back, and the LB will keep moving forward as well. All momentum is not transferred to the point of contact with a spearing (unless ref is standing against a wall), as the result of the hit will be 450 lbs moving at a speed of 5 mph. (25 is pretty high, as is 5 im sure). There is also some give that comes with hitting the body vs. hitting a head (impulse?) but not sure if that ends up mattering

    do some magic math and see what you come up with.

  • newes, on 10/26/2009, -0/+1The old leather football helmets would work.
  • alrightwtf, on 10/26/2009, -0/+1no way.. just last night me and my brother were joking about this. they need to go through the same progression as the players have over the past 70 years or whatever.
  • gizram84, on 10/26/2009, -0/+1like they need one more thing to obstruct their view
  • leon1337, on 10/26/2009, -0/+1What? Wearing those helmets would greatly decrease-- AHHHH I see what you did there.
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