Recreation Football

Between youth football, high school football, college football, and professional football, millions of Americans take the field every year to sport their teams' colors. Football is America's game, but is also a physically demanding, high-impact, collision sport that can take a toll on the body. No matter what level you're playing at, it's important to make sure you take care of your body and address any injuries that arise as soon as they happen to prevent problems later on in life.

Here's a list of the top 15 most common sports injuries in football:

1. Broken Bone
Any bone can be broken when playing football- from small bones like fingers and toes to large bones like legs and even spines. Broken bones should be splinted immediately by a trainer if possible and x-rays should be done to determine the location and type of break so that they can be properly set.

2. Pinched Brachial Plexus
Commonly referred to as a "Stinger" or "Burner." A stinger is an incredibly painful nerve injury that results when the nerves in the neck are stretched, causing nerves in the shoulder to pinch or bruise. The result is a sharp pain (like that of an electric shock or lightning strike) and arm numbness and weakness. Effects are usually temporary and subside quickly. If effects linger consult a doctor.

3. Concussion
Concussions are graded 1-3 based on severity and can vary greatly in terms of recovery time. If a player is suspected to have a concussion they need to be evaluated by a medical professional immediately. Certain tests may be run to determine if a player has a concussion and a doctor may order that a player wait days, weeks, or even months before returning to the field.

4. Shoulder Dislocation
An upward and backward wrenching of the shoulder can cause a shoulder dislocation. Once a shoulder is dislocated from the socket it should be popped back in right away to avoid unnecessary pain and additional injury to the area. Depending on the situation x-rays may be needed to determine if any damage has been done to the area.

5. AC Separation
Commonly referred to as a "Separated Shoulder". Many people believe a dislocated shoulder and separated shoulder are the same thing, but they are actually different injuries. A separated shoulder is often the result of a fall, and involves a tear of the ligaments between the clavicle (collar bone) and acromion bone (the highest point of the shoulder blade). The result is that the clavicle will actually stick up. Depending on the severity of the injury cold packs and a shoulder immobilizer may lessen the pain and allow the shoulder to heal. In other cases surgery may be needed.

6. Back Sprain
Back sprains can come in all shapes and sizes but with ice and the right lumbar back support back sprains can usually be corrected. It's always a good idea though to consult a physician, sports therapist, or chiropractor to make sure that they injury isn't severe, requiring more extensive treatment.

7. Herniated Disc
Commonly referred to as a "Slipped Disc" or "Ruptured Disc." Small spongy discs cushion the vertebrate in your back and act as shock absorbers while you engage in activities like running and tackling. When a disc is overly strained it can bulge or rupture, causing the disc to become herniated. To avoid serious back injuries later in life it's important to consult a doctor to determine the best course of action.

8. Quadriceps Contusion
Contusions to quadriceps can result from impact to the front of the thigh from something like a helmet. Compression and ice are important in the recovery process with quadriceps contusions, and often early motion can also aid in preventing stiffness from developing.

9. Hamstring Sprain
Commonly referred to as a "Hamstring Pull". Hamstring pulls are actually a tear in the hamstring muscle fibers and can result from sudden acceleration or a blow to the body. Hamstring pulls can vary greatly in severity but often plague sufferers with repeat problems throughout an athletic career. Ice, compression therapy and rest are important to properly heal a hamstring pull.

10. Iliac Crest Contusion
Commonly referred to as a "Hip Pointer." An iliac crest contusion is a bruise or a fracture to the iliac crest region of the hip that is treated with ice and padding.

11. Ankle Sprain
Ankle sprains are the most common sport injury and result when damage is done to the soft tissue and ligaments surrounding the ankle because of excessive twisting. The "RICE" method (rest, ice, compression, and elevation) are used to reduce swelling after an ankle sprain. Ankle braces and wraps can help speed up recovery as well.

12. Syndesmotic Sprain
Commonly referred to as a "High Ankle Sprain." A high ankle sprain is caused when the leg and foot twist outward and can be much more serious than a regular ankle sprain. In addition to using rest, ice, compression, and elevation to treat a high ankle sprain, a hinged ankle brace or cast maybe necessary in more severe cases.

13. Turf Toe
Turf toe is an injury to the base of the big toe from running or jumping on hard surfaces. This makes basketball players and football players on artificial turf more likely to sustain this kind of injury.

14. ACL/MCL/PCL Tear
ACL, MCL and PCL injuries most frequently result when landing from a jump or changing directions suddenly. When the ACL, MCL or PCL tears often a "pop" will be heard and the knee will give out. These type of injuries are incredibly painful and require highly specialized hinged knee braces, extensive physical therapy, and surgery to recover. Amongst athletes these are some of the most feared injuries due to the long recovery times associated with them.

15. Meniscus Tear
The meniscus is two pieces of cartilage that cushion and support the knee joint. Meniscus tears often accompany ACL and MCL injuries and are very easy to reinjure if not given the proper time to heal fully. Ice, compression, elevation, and physical therapy are essential in healing properly after a meniscus tear. Surgery may even be required depending on the individual circumstance.

When is a youth football coach being over the top and when is someone simply being enthusiastic? When it comes to games and scrimmaging, where is the line in the sand?

While there may be a fine line with some of this, there are a few simple guidelines:

When people start paying attention and noticing you more than your players, you may have a problem. When you are playing a team you obviously are much better than, keep the celebrations to an absolute bare minimum. When you have a game clearly in hand, keep the celebrations to a bare minimum. Act like you expect your kids to execute, not like you've just hit a 1 in 20,000,000 lottery.

The guys that score their first and maybe only touchdown of their lives seem to lose their minds when they score, we kind of almost expect that type of behavior from them. However guys like Barry Sanders and Walter Payton didn't make a big deal out of when they scored, they fully expected to score again later in the game or at least the season. As a leader of young men, lead by example. There is nothing wrong with encouraging your kids, but making a spectacle out of yourself and making a big deal out of things you expect the player to be doing can be counterproductive. Fist bumps and high fives do not have to be accompanied by trash talk or bellowing accolades, many times that is for the coach, not the players.

Once your team is up by a couple of scores, it's not sportsmanlike to be getting all pumped up when your team does well or even worse, when he other team does poorly. Use some discretion based on the point spread and where you are in the game.

One way to determine where you stand with this, compare your actions with the coaches that have had consistent success in your league and those coaches you respect and admire. In Omaha that guy was Monte O'Hara, his team lost something like 2-3 games in the 8 years I coached in that League. When Monte's teams won, he had a little smile on his face at the end of the game, it didn't vary much from game to game, championship to championship. No raised arms, screaming, yelling or running around the field in jubilant celebration. In the league I'm coaching in now, there is another guy just like that who unfortunately is in administration and no longer coaching. The best ones don't have to draw attention to themselves, because it isn't about them and they know that.

Since the 1960's, Nebraska has kept a very consistent football helmet design. They have always had a very conservative design; they have never had a flashy or unusual design, even for a special occasion like a Bowl Game. In 1960, Nebraska had a red helmet with a white stripe and the player's number on the side (e.g. 22). In 1961, apparently the powers that be felt that even that design was too colorful and action-packed and instead opted for a white helmet with black numbers on the side. This Nebraska football helmet design is about as plain as you can get for a football helmet. In 1966, the numbers changed to red and a red vertical stripe appeared on the helmet for the first time. The white background and red stripe have never left the helmet since then.

The red numbers lasted just one regular season before they were dropped altogether. Rather than have the player's number on the side of the helmet, the letters "NU", made their way to the helmet for the Sugar Bowl game in 1967 and remained for 2 full seasons. During the third season with this helmet design (1969), a "100" decal appeared on the front of the football helmet. It was football-shaped in blue with white numbers outlined in red. The "100" marked the 100 year anniversary of the chartering of University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

From 1970 to 1981, the Cornhuskers kept the exact same design. The helmet had a white background, a red vertical stripe, and the letter "N" replaced "NU". This football helmet looks very much like today's design with one exception. In 1982, the team switched from the basic gray facemask to the red facemask. For almost 30 years, that same exact design has remained. The "N" is about as plain as you can get. It has no serifs and looks like your basic Arial font uppercase "N" that you could type on any word processing program. It probably fits well into the image of the program as a hard-working, Midwestern school, where they like to run the ball up the middle. In many ways it is the antithesis of some of the flashier designs out there at schools like Oregon, Maryland, and Boise State. There is not even a catchy logo like the Texas Longhorn or the Florida State spear. Looking at this football helmet, you can start to see why the cold weather, Rust Belt schools of the Big Ten were quick to admit the Cornhuskers for full conference membership in 2010.

Football has become the iconic American past time that brings family and friends of all ages together for weekends of victories or losses. The team we cheer on becomes a part of who we are. We wear the team's emblem on tee shirts and the names of the players we love on our backs. Football marks the time of season for draft picks, rookie players, player ranks, team statistics, and of course, your own fantasy football league. The top 4 NFL running backs have played their way into history and have contributed to many victories. These men command the attention of NFL enthusiasts and have made many amazing plays that come to life as we relive them in stories.

The first of the top 4 NFL running backs is Arian Foster of the Houston Texans. Standing at 6'1" and over 200lbs Arian has an impressive profile. For the last three years Arian has rushed for over 1,900 yards, with 391 attempts, and 105 first downs.

Next we have Adrian Peterson #28 for the pride of Minnesota who deserves to be called one of the top 4 NFL running backs. The Minnesota Vikings running back has had an impressive season since his 7th round draft in 2007. His total rushing yards for his career is over 6,000 with over 1,200 attempts, and receiving yards equaling 1,216. The "Purple Jesus" lead his college team in rushing yards with 1,925, setting the college record.

Chris Johnson is not only one of the top 4 NFL running backs in the league but he also is a pro bowler. This 24th round draft pick for the Tennessee Titans has proved himself strong by running a 4.24 second 40 yard dash and also claimed the NFL rushing title achieving a rushing total of over 2000 yards. He also claimed the Offensive Player Of The Year in 2009. No doubt this player is the one to watch as one of the top 4 NFL running backs.

The last of the top 4 NFL running backs to make a name for himself is Maurice Jones Drew of the Jacksonville Jaguars. With his five years of experience on the field his rushing yards are well over 5,000 yards, not too bad for this 26 year old second round draft from UCLA who shows no signs of slowing down. No matter what colors you bleed, you have to show respect for these top athletes who have been honored as the top 4 NFL running backs in the NFL.

Now that the first quarter of the National Football League's season is over, it is time to find out what to look for as the season goes until the Super Bowl takes place in February 2012.

What to look for:

1. Indianapolis Colts

For Colts fans, this was the year that Indy is supposed to contend for another Super Bowl, instead this campaign might be a total wash with 4-time MVP Peyton Manning on the sidelines after undergoing neck surgery a few weeks ago. He is supposed to miss 2-3 months, so in the meantime, The Colts signed veteran QB Kerry Collins. But the results so far has not been good because the Colts are 0-3. They have Curtis Painter as the backup quarterback, but they might as well sign another veteran QB such as Carson Palmer (see below) or David Gerrard (see below.) Then again, Indy could say "forget it" about this season and wait in April 2012 for the Andrew Luck sweepstakes in the NFL Draft.

2. Cincinnati Bengals

This is going to be interesting to see how the Cincinnati Bengals are going to do this season. The team has made some major changes on its roster:The Triplets are gone. Earlier this year, the team decided not to renew the contract of Wide Receiver Terrell Owens, making him a free agent; In July, the team traded All-Pro Wide Receiver Chad Ochocinco to the New England Patriots; and starting quarterback Carson Palmer have requested that he wanted to get traded from the Bengals (the team refused the request) because they are not committed to winning (since appearing in the AFC Championship Game vs. Pittsburgh, the team has been going downhill), plus he said that he would rather retire than play for the Bengals this season. Their number one pick in the NFL Draft Andy Dalton has taken over the quarterback duties this season. Despite the ongoing drama, Coach Marvin Lewis was able to keep his job and actually signed a new contract during the off-season.

3. Jacksonville Jaguars

Right before the season began, the Jags have decided to release David Gerrard, their starting quarterback for the last 4 years, in favor of Luke McCown. Ironically, the Jaguars did the same thing in 2006, where the team dumped starting quarterback Byron Leftwich for Gerrard. Currently, the Jaguars are 1-2 but they have changed quarterbacks: McCown is out and the team first round pick in the 2011 NFL Draft Blaine Gabbert is in. We will see how the change at quarterback will pan out this season.

4. Denver Broncos

During training camp, the Broncos had a quarterback controversy on its hands. The incumbent QB Kyle Orton was competing for the starting job against 2nd year backup Tim Tebow and third-stringer Brady Quinn. For a while, the buzz was that Tebow was the odds on favor to take over the job, however there were reported that the team wanted to trade Tebow or even turn him into a wide receiver. New coach John Fox decided to stick with Orton, but the team right now is 1-2. We have to see if this controversy spills over into the regular season.

Teams to look for this season

1. Detroit Lions

After finishing the 2008 season with a 0-16 record, the Lions began to make smarter picks in the NFL Draft and right now it is pay off. The team is 3-0 with both the offense and defense playing great. Now, it would be great that the Lions can make it to the playoffs and win the Super Bowl, but that all depends on keep Matthew Stafford injury free. The last two season, Stafford lost significant playing time due to shoulder injuries. The Lions resurgence coincide with the Tigers winning the American League Central and the possible odds on favorite to win the pennant in the American League in this year's baseball postseason is showing that the city of Detroit is coming back. Side Note: the story would be even better once jobs come back to the Motor city.

2. St. Louis Rams

The Rams lost in the NFC West Division Championship game in January against Seattle and the thinking was that St. Louis has quarterback Sam Bradford, Running Back Stephen Jackson and an improving defense that the team can get better despite the 7-9 record. Well, right now it doesn't look good with a 0-3 record. Look for the team to change course and start winning again.

3. Atlanta Falcons

Despite being taken apart at home by the eventual Super Bowl Champion Green Bay Packers, the Falcons are a team that people should pay attention to right now. It has been a slow build, but ever year since 2007, the team has turn itself into a title contender. Currently, Atlanta is 1-2, but it's like the old saying in football "No one wins the championship in September," so we will see if the team can turn it around by December.

Head Coaches on the Hot Seat

1. Tony Sparano, Miami Dolphins

In 2007, the Dolphins made it the NFL Playoffs and even though they lost the game against Baltimore, the feeling was they the had both the offense and defense to become an up and coming team they no wanted to play. Since then, the team went 7-9 the last two seasons. So far the Dolphins are 0-3 and there is talk that the team might replace Sparano sometime during the season. Hopefully he can turn it around or another coach will take his talents to South Beach and revive the Dolphin franchise.

2. Jack Del Rio, Jacksonville Jaguars

Once a upon of time, the Jaguars were a playoff contending team, now they have gone backwards and missed the playoff three seasons in a row. This year, the jags have a new starting quarterback and drafted another one last April. It hasn't worked out yet because the team is 1-2 so far. The Jaguars has to turn in around this year or else Coach Del Rio might be out of a job.

3. Gary Kubiak, Houston Texans

From their inception in 2002 until 2008, the Texans were an easy win for any team that played against them. Since then, Houston has built a strong defense led by Mario Williams and a really good offense with quarterback Matt Schuab, running back Arian Foster and wide receiver Andre Williams. The problem the team has is that Coach Kubiak has led Houston to an 8-8 record for two years in a row and a 9-7 mark last season but no playoff appearances. The Texans has crossed one hurdle last year and finally beat Indianapolis in Houston two years in a row and the team could possibly beat the Colts in Indy (there's a really good chance that can happen) when the two teams meet again later on this year. In order for Kubiak to keep his job, Houston must make the playoffs or else someone will take over as head coach and make the Texans a serious contender in the NFL.

I suppose you could say that the modern day canopy is a prehistoric design. If you go back as far as you can in history and look into the shape and design of the cavemen you will probably find a form of shelter similar to the modern day canopy. It may of been constructed of grass, leaves, fronds or leather, but still pretty much like the current day design. Now granted, they probably would have had side curtains on these shelters, but we can provide those today also.

A canopy is usually considered a "tent" without the side curtains all the way around. They come in many shapes and sizes, for many purposes. There are canopies that are attached to buildings that fold in and out to provide shade and protection from the elements. There are canopies that serve as small shelters over hot dog vendors on the city streets or by the sea shore. The Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts use canopies when they are at events and camp outs. Weddings, graduations, barbeques, birthday parties, and the list goes on and on. You don't realize how much the simple canopy is needed and used in our daily lives.

Years ago, at the turn of the century, a gentleman named W.C. Coleman was out selling office equipment door to door and happened across a type of kerosene lantern that had been converted to use gasoline. The gasoline burned a lot cleaner than the kerosine and provided a much whiter looking flame. The rest is history. As you know the Coleman company went on to make lanterns, coolers, gas stoves, sleeping bags, tents and of course canopies.

The current day canopies are no longer made of left over animal skins or grass, but high tech fabrics that fight the elements extremely well, and last many years. Coleman, just like the other manufacturers make several different sizes and colors of these canopies and most them can be set up in as little as three minutes. The mechanics of the canopies are quite easy to use. You simply pull the canopy out of the bag and stand it up on its legs. At this time it is compacted to about one square foot and has the fabric attached to the frame. It is a lot easier with four people to open it, with one at each corner, but one person can open it by just pulling one corner at a time out from the center. In just a few seconds you have all the legs out to their open position and are pushing the top up from the four corners to raise it up. They usually have convenient little buttons that pop out in preset holes on the legs to secure the proper positions.

Coleman has gone one step further with their smaller 10 x 10 canopies and is making canopies under a special license from the NFL (National Football League) that carry your individual teams colors and logos on the fabric of the canopy. Now, you can have your tail gate party out in the parking lot or where wherever you want and show off your team spirit.

I was encouraged to read in yesterday's newspaper that Rick Neuheisel decided to take responsibility for failing to communicate that he wanted his punter to kick the ball out of bounds, resulting in an 85-yard return for a "Momentum-swinging touchdown" right before halftime. This is the first public act of humility any of us have seen from him during his career. As recently as a few weeks ago he was quoted as saying if he gets fired he'll be fine and just get another job; not exactly the type of comment that endears you to people.

Perhaps the positive reaction he received from his team for his taking responsibility will help him learn the facets of leadership he never embodied before. One of the worst things that can happen to a young upstart in any vocation is having too much success before you are ready. I still remember what a successful college and NFL head coach told me at the time when I him asked about Rick Neuheisel's great success in his first year as a head coach at the University of Colorado: "Too much, too soon, too easily."

I was enamored with Neuheisel back then, and too young and inexperienced to fully comprehend what he meant by that. I even remember thinking he was crazy, and that Neuheisel's future was brighter than any other coach in the game. I must admit now that his analysis was spot on and mine was wrong. Now I fully understand the wisdom in his words and have seen it play out repeatedly in all areas of life since that day.

The problem is that when things come to people too soon they miss out on learning a lot of the important steps necessary to get and stay where they have ascended so quickly. This creates the illusion (in their minds) of having knowledge of things they are often completely ignorant of. The early struggles are often what teach you the most important lessons going forward.

For example, I have been both impressed and encouraged by the amazing start to Cam Newton's pro football career. He's the first rookie ever to throw for over 400-yards in his first two games and he led his team to victory in near hurricane conditions yesterday. No one knows what the future holds for Cam Newton, but there's a part of me that wonders whether it would have been better for him to have struggled more initially? Time will tell.

I have no doubt that Rick Neuheisel has more than enough football knowledge to be a great coach or strategist. The problem in my estimation is that he had success so quickly that he attributed his success (in his mind) to the very characteristics that are now bringing him down; specifically his charm and craftiness. The consensus of the people I know who have been associated with Neuheisel has always been that his biggest problem is that, like most teenagers, he thinks he's the smartest person in any room he walks into. So like most teenagers he fails to realize that there are a lot more important ingredients in success than intelligence.

I've personally met and even spent some time with Neuheisel on several occasions and he is an expert at coming across as though he's genuinely interested in you and making a great first impression. The problem is that long before the tenth or eleventh time he excitedly introduces himself to you, even an idiot can tell that it's not about you, it's about him and the impression he is making. He's a classic example of a person who has everything in the world going for him, but can't get out of his own way.

His showing of humility this past weekend is encouraging, but sadly probably too little too late. Regrettably, Rick never took the time to objectively look at himself to see how other people view him, and take it as an opportunity to better himself. Had he done this before taking the UCLA job he may very well have achieved what he dearly hoped to at his Alma mater.