What It Was Was Football

David G. Haase and Elizabeth R. Snoke

The Science House,

North Carolina State University

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Notes:

Good morning, I am David Haase, Professor of Physics and Director of The Science House at North Carolina State University. My colleague, Beth Snoke, and I would like to remind you of some of the physics aspects, especially the contact part, of football.

The title of the talk comes from a humorous monologue presented by a young Andy Griffith being a North Carolina country boyâs description of first seeing a college football game. He could not figure out what all the fighting and hitting and cheering was a

This paper started with my assisting in writing an article for ESPN magazine that was written by Alan Grant in October 5, 1998. Mr. Grant wanted a scientists view of tackling and blocking in the NFL. What are the most destructive hits and why?

I am going to make a few comments about the science in football, develop some useful units for measurement and then discuss some particular hits.