I know, I know, I've heard it all before, "Give Blood, Play Rugby" and "we don't need no stinking pads" and all that other tough guy talk. But the truth is that "rugby players" is the answer to the question of why football players where helmets. The key is that the NFL is far and away the class of all major sports for one reason. Cheerleaders. There's a reason sweetie-pie cheerleaders don't grace the sidelines of Rugby games.
C'MON, PUT 'EM UP, PUT 'EM UP... ;-)