Are You Ready for Some Football (science)?!?!?!
Are you ready for some football (science)!?!? Whenever I tune into the pregame shows I keep hearing the same word over and over, especially in reference to the Ravens defense: Physical. The key to the Ravens’ fortunes is the “physical defense imposing its will” on the opposition.
Well, I know what the football gurus are talking about but it seems rather goofy to say it that way. Every play of every game is physical! Or should I say involves physics: The trajectory of the ball, the speed and acceleration of the players, the leverage of blockers, the force of a linebacker on a ball carrier and then, the ball carrier on the ground. And the science of football goes FAR beyond physics. There’s physiology, weather, statistics and all the cutting-edge technology required to bring the game from the stadium into your living room.
NBC, in cooperation with the NFL and the National Science Foundation, is currently producing a series of videos “The Science of NFL Football.” Four episodes are already online, covering the nutrition required for such strenuous activity, projectile motion of punts, vectors of passes and the kinematics of running backs’ evasive moves.
Another great resource for cool videos about football science is ESPN’s Sport Science. While Sport Science covers all sports, it’s focusing a lot on football lately. I think the best feature of the series is that Sport Science invites star athletes to its lab to get exact measurements on their speed and power. Some of the numbers will floor you! You definitely will want to see their video of Ray Lewis crashing through a door with 1,000 lbs of force.
Scientific American has a great archive of football-related science articles, with information on how randomized play calling keeps defenses off balance, the medical explanation of turf toe, the consistency and performance of grass vs. turf fields, and the technology that allows for the first down marker to be represented by a yellow line on your TV screen.
Preventing and treating concussions is now a top priority for football leagues of all levels. The long-term damage that results from repeated concussions and returning to action too soon after a concussion has been made evident by recent medical studies of retired football players. ESPN Page 2’s Gregg Easterbrook, who writes the Tuesday Morning Quarterback, spends a large part of this week’s column talking talking about the latest concussion science and football’s response. While it may be a bit upsetting, it’s a must-read for all sports fans.
Here’s hoping for a great 22 weeks of safe, live science demonstrations by the NFL.
