What It Was Was Football
David G. Haase and Elizabeth R. Snoke
North Carolina State University
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.