Quote:
Originally posted by GarthB
The primary intended, designed and provable benefit of a helmet is safety...
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While safety was a concern, I think neck problems were one of the main reasons the HSM came about. Actually, Rich Rieker, former MLB Umpire and now a supervisor, was one of the first to try it out because of some spinal/vertebre issues he had. The HSM evenly distributes the weight of the mask on the center/top of your head rather than the front side. There's no doubt that the mask is safer, especially on those long backswings which clip catchers as well as umpire.