Football is a beautiful but violent game. It's the most popular sport in America and some are not trying to just make it safer, but destroy it. Since I began my association with the NY Jets (my dad and uncle as team physicians) at age 12 it has evolved in so many ways. There were no offensive lineman over 300 lbs., LBers were 210-225 and hardly anyone lifted weights. There was form tackling, wrapping up another player to bring them to the ground, not hits to get on ESPN highlights. Helmets had single or double bar and were not used as weapons, because they didn't feel like weapons. Sometimes making things stronger made players feel indestructible and I believe may have actually led to more injuries on the field. Sports medicine has changed since the days when a torn ACL meant the end of a career. Now, an ACL tear means that you could lead the league in rushing the next year. The science of sports medicine has advanced significantly and the treatment improved. We now know more about brain science than ever before, and teams are making an effort to protect their players. Are you really worried about player safety, and them getting too big? A simple answer would be to do HGH (human growth hormone) testing. The size of the modern player, and their speed definitely increases the likelihood of injury.
Connie Carberg, the NFL’s first female scout, would often talk to Idzik as part of her duties with the Jets. “[He was] a quiet man who I remember just constantly watching films — all football but a friendly smile and willing to answer any football questions I had in my scouting,” Carberg said.
The New York Jets are going to have it tough this weekend against the Dolphins and will need Tim Tebow and perhaps even some Broadway Joe to help them win. It's not a prediction coming from some television or newspaper pundit, but rather from Connie Carberg, a 61-year-old Coconut Creek woman who really, really knows the New York Jets.
