SFCityBear said:

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Do you feel that players today are more susceptible to injuries, and if so why?

I'd like to hear your thoughts.

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I have no inside knowledge, just opinions. With that caveat I think today's players train harder and longer than those in my day. It's what they have to do to remain competitive if everyone else is doing it. Kinda like performance-enhancing drugs.

Also I'm sure there have been advances in both athletic training and injury prevention but where they conflict I'm afraid competitive pressures favor the former. And I'm not sure all college-age athletes are capable of fully-informed consent.

stu said:

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SFCityBear said:

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Do you feel that players today are more susceptible to injuries, and if so why?

I'd like to hear your thoughts.

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I have no inside knowledge, just opinions. With that caveat I think today's players train harder and longer than those in my day. It's what they have to do to remain competitive if everyone else is doing it. Kinda like performance-enhancing drugs.

Also I'm sure there have been advances in both athletic training and injury prevention but where they conflict I'm afraid competitive pressures favor the former. And I'm not sure all college-age athletes are capable of fully-informed consent.

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Actual study on this topic:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1941286/

calumnus said:

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Actual study on this topic:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1941286/

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Thanks for that. Big improvement over my speculation.

Do you know if similar data are available for the 1950s and 1960s? The latter is what I meant by "my day".

I'd also like to see data on post-career outcomes like early joint replacements or disabilities (e.g. Bill Walton's feet).

Regarding head injuries, I wouldn't mind seeing helmets in basketball games. Not football helmets but something smaller and lighter which could provide concussion protection from floor strikes.

stu said:

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calumnus said:

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Actual study on this topic:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1941286/

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Thanks for that. Big improvement over my speculation.

Do you know if similar data are available for the 1950s and 1960s? The latter is what I meant by "my day".

I'd also like to see data on post-career outcomes like early joint replacements or disabilities (e.g. Bill Walton's feet).

Regarding head injuries, I wouldn't mind seeing helmets in basketball games. Not football helmets but something smaller and lighter which could provide concussion protection from floor strikes.

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Or being struck in the head by any kind of blow. in 1961, I suffered a concussion in a pick up game at Harmon. I was in the paint, playing man defense, and had my eyes on my man to my left while the ball was in the right corner. The player rifled a pass which I never saw, and it hit me flat on the right side of my head. I was stunned, and didn't feel well afterward. After dinner, I had a low grade fever of 100 deg, but that was all. I went to bed and was OK the next day. I never got checked out because nobody ever did in those days.