While this is true, I wasn't just talking about the padding. There is MUCH more regulation as to how a player can go after another these days; helmet-to-helmet hits, horse collar tackles, chop blocks, facemasks, late QB hits...all of these are things you could do in the game back in the day that you can't do now without getting penalized. As well, at least in recent years, concussions are being viewed as far more serious than they were, and as such players aren't coming back onto the field one week (or the same day!) after getting one like they used to.
I suppose it probably evens out in the end, but I still dispute the phrase that it's becoming increasingly dangerous.
i agree that concussions are being viewed more, thus causing people to think that its happening more. But some other things.
All of those things are very serious, some of the most serious injuries in football. And it does appear that the number of these infractions are declining a bit. But when I played high school ball, i remember my coach reading an article to us saying how the average NFL OL, RB, DL, TE, and LB takes the equivalent of about 5 car crashes a game. I really wish I still had that source.
The amount of increased penalties does not "even out in the end" of seeing guys like haloti ngata maul a QB/RB causing his head to bounce off the ground on a perfectly legal play.
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