Your Men Can Smash Through

Abstract

By the mid-twentieth century, the unusually large amount of protective gear involved in tackle football became inextricably tied to the sport’s collision nature. Pads and helmets symbolized the sport’s dangers and, it was believed, conferred the protection necessary to render such an aggressive game feasible. Football equipment advertisements aimed at children promoted ideals associated with particular forms of twentieth century American masculinity. Banishing fears, and inspiring confidence and toughness, would enable boys to “smash through” their opponents. The embrace of manufacturers’ contributions to enhancing safety equipment was far more widespread than cynicism about the influence of financial motives. Most sports administrators contended that investment in top quality equipment clearly signified a program’s commitment to safety. Yet some doctors and engineers continued to question how much protection even the best equipment might afford the players who collided with one another on the gridiron.