7 Comments
User's avatar
Joe Meehan's avatar

Anyone who has ever worn football pants knows that those knee pads don't prevent much. Maybe a bruise or two. I think there is an aesthetic look to football pants that we have come to know. I have also seen the rise of them in the college game and think it looks awful.

I remember a few years ago when the craze among NFL defenders was to not wear the pads in the pants at all. Czar Roger I helped institute a rule requiring the knee and thigh pads for all. The size and shape seem to be purely for looks.

Pad size is a great topic for Football Archaeology. I know shoulder pads have been written about before.

Now on to hip pads...

Expand full comment
Football Archaeology's avatar

I have a piece I'm working on regarding hip pads, though it is in the sort of working on it pile.

Expand full comment
Joe Meehan's avatar

Another great pad topic would be neck rolls.

Expand full comment
Joe Meehan's avatar

I expect to see a picture of Franco Harris with the Steelers

Expand full comment
Mark Ferguson's avatar

Been complaining about this. In fact my beloved and struggling Red Wolves uniform reveal video pants were above the knee.

I am 100% on the side of make the rules reflect how games are officiated. If a rule is not enforced or worse sporadically enforced it needs to be changed.

Expand full comment
Purple & Proud's avatar

And aren't players required to have their mouth guards, you know, in their mouths during plays? I thought that was a rule. Maybe it's not. But too often I see the mouth guards dangling off facemasks during live action.

Expand full comment
Sports Dispatch's avatar

Great point Mr Lockney. You are absolutely correct in your call out.

Expand full comment