Post by @dailymailsportusa

Guardian Caps, the soft padded shells covering a growing number of NFL players' helmets, appear to be 'a bit of a scam' aimed more at 'virtue signaling' than actually preventing head trauma, according to one expert. A former college football player and WWE wrestler who went on to found the Concussion Legacy Foundation, Chris Nowinski is now accusing the NFL of pushing misleading research on the effectiveness of Guardian Caps, which he sees as a fig leaf in the battle against the degenerative brain disease, chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). As Nowinski claimed during his interview with podcaster Pablo Torre, the NFL is giving a false sense of security to young players, who predominately use a cheaper model known as the Guardian Cap XT. Nowinski further claimed the professional-grade model known as the Guardian Cap NXT offers little benefit, if any, for NFL players, most of whom are required to wear them at all league practices. Players also have the option of wearing them in games, although only around 35 have done so thus far. 'Much of this Guardian helmet story appears to be a bit of a scam,' Nowinski said during an interview with podcaster Pablo Torre. 'More padding is not the answer. We already know, your brain is Jell-O floating in fluid. Putting more padding out will help in some situations but it's going to hurt in other situations, especially rotation. Bigger, heavier helmet, bigger radius, more rotation.' Spokespeople for the NFL and Guardian Sports have since pushed back against Nowinski's claims in emails to The Daily Mail by offering more context on the existing research. One key issue is the discrepancy between the Guardian Cap XT and NXT models, according to Nowinski, who stressed his belief that the former is completely ineffective. 'So,' Torre asked Nowinkski, 'the kids are getting what version of this?' 'It's the version the NFL rejected,' Nowinski said. According to Nowinski, the XT model used by amateur players offers only a 2-percent reduction in rotational acceleration, which he portrayed as inconsequential. 'So Guardian Caps don't work in high school,' he said. 'They might work in the NFL a little bit.' But according to Guardian Sports co-founder and CEO Erin Hanson, Nowinski is mistaken about the cheaper XT model being ineffective. While Hanson readily acknowledged the difference between the two models, in a statement to The Daily Mail, she pointed to testing conducted at Virginia Tech and Stanford to argue for the XT's efficacy. 'According to independent testing from Virginia Tech, the XT consistently improved the helmet's overall performance rating, and the report concludes it lowers the forces reaching the head, thereby helping to reduce risk,' Hanson told The Daily Mail. 'In addition Virginia Tech showcased that a heavier cap does not mean more rotation. 'A peer-reviewed Stanford study tested the Guardian Cap XT across three helmet models, three impact speeds, and six impact locations, concluding that "a significant reduction in angular acceleration was afforded" by use of the XT,' she continued. 'The two models are different. The XT was built for all levels of play. When we later developed the NXT, it went first to professional players. Nothing was rejected. In fact, the XT model was the winner of the NFL HeadHealthTECH Challenge in 2017.' As for the availability of the NXT model to the public, Hanson wrote that lab testing is still being conducted to determine if it's appropriate for youth players. 'We have not offered it to youth,' she said, 'and we will not until we are confident it is the right call.' To be clear, the product is not sold as a surefire way to prevent CTE, the brain disease blamed for a number of health issues and even suicides among former NFL and NHL players. In fact, a warning on the company website specifically states that no 'helmet, headgear, or chinstrap can prevent or eliminate the risk of concussions or other serious head injuries.' #nfl #guardiancaps #concussion #nflfootball