Re: What sort of thread have you made for us? A Wentz thread, if you can keep it.

Originally Posted by
tjamz
Easy answer: You have more players available once the season starts and are much more likely to have them available on gamedays during the season if you can minimize the amount of injuries they sustain while practicing. This, overall, keeps your team more "fresh" and less banged up as you aren't constantly engaging in full contact sports. By limiting the amount of concussions and other injuries during practice you minimize the lifelong impact that those things can have on the athletes. Self-reported concussions (that occurred during practice) decreased by 57% among HS athletes once the 2014 rule changes on contact in practice was minimized, the amount of concussions sustained in games did not significantly change however.
Now, lets look at the NFL, and I'm going to look at the 2020 season vs the 5 previous season specifically because it's taking it to the extreme. No in-person workouts/practices, extended acclimation period before training camp and no preseason games, etc... but let's see how that season played out from an injury and competitiveness standpoint:
The average number of Missed Time Injuries (number of days players missed due to injury) annually for all NFL teams 3,524 per season in the 5 years leading to 2020. In 2020 that number dropped 23% to 2,716. There was also a 30% reduction in concussions. LEX strains were within the 5 year average as were ACL tears. This was in a year when points were up (12,692 which was the most in NFL history at that point with an average of 49.6 points scored per game), penalties were down and missed tackles were down. Average margin of victory was 11 points, 69.9% of games were within 1 score (8pts) in the 4th quarter, 43 games had teams come back from -10 points to win.
Don't forget they extended the season to make the owners some more money. I don't blame grown ass men for not wanting full contact during the off-season. They're professionals gosh dang it.
"What's wrong with you people? Go back to your shanties." Shooter McGavin