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George Will - Football kills. Parents are wussies; therefore, football is dying
Posted on 8/5/12 at 11:40 am
Posted on 8/5/12 at 11:40 am
4
Posted on 8/5/12 at 11:45 am to bulldogger
Football has been dying for a while now. It's nowhere near as physical as it used to be. Some changes were necessary, but they went overboard with it.
It's a shell of what it used to be.
It's a shell of what it used to be.
Posted on 8/5/12 at 11:52 am to CNB
quote:
Bear Bryant’s 1966 undefeated Alabama team had only 19 players who weighed more than 200 pounds. The heaviest weighed 223. The linemen averaged 194. The quarterback weighed 177. Today, many high school teams are much bigger.
In 1980, only three NFL players weighed 300 or more pounds. In 2011, according to pro-football-reference.com, there were 352, including three 350-pounders. Thirty-one of the NFL’s 32 offensive lines averaged more than 300.
quote:
Football has been dying for a while now. It's nowhere near as physical as it used to be. Some changes were necessary, but they went overboard with it.
It's a shell of what it used to be.
Agreed. Eventually football won't be football. Not that long ago it wasn't dirty or cheating to hit a player before the catch, now you can't touch 'em without a fifteen yard penalty.
This post was edited on 8/5/12 at 11:53 am
Posted on 8/5/12 at 11:59 am to bulldogger
if baseball was causing brain injury, I'd bet Will's opinions would be different...
Posted on 8/5/12 at 12:01 pm to LBC
quote:
Agreed. Eventually football won't be football. Not that long ago it wasn't dirty or cheating to hit a player before the catch, now you can't touch 'em without a fifteen yard penalty.
just before you wrote the above you posted EXACTLY why the game needed rule changes.
playing size has rocketed up in the last 20 years.
a 245 LB hitting you across the middle is going to do a hell of a lot more damage than a 190 guy that could have played in the 80s.
it wasn't that long ago a 300+ pound lineman was a rarity.
This post was edited on 8/5/12 at 12:03 pm
Posted on 8/5/12 at 12:08 pm to LBC
The rules are going overboard but if players keep getting bigger as stated in the article, then I see why some changes are needed.
Posted on 8/5/12 at 12:38 pm to bulldogger
Love football, huge fan. Attend every game.
I don't let my son play football. He'll play baseball, soccer, basketball, etc....
I don't let my son play football. He'll play baseball, soccer, basketball, etc....
Posted on 8/5/12 at 12:41 pm to SLC
quote:
Love football, huge fan. Attend every game. I don't let my son play football. He'll play baseball, soccer, basketball, etc....
exactly. if you wanted to prove out GW's point, you'd need to look at total number of (male)athletes in all sporting options, and what is the trend of participation in football relative to other sports. not sure if data like that exists, but it would be interested to see. also, i'd be willing to bet there's a socio-economic element at work too.
This post was edited on 8/5/12 at 12:46 pm
Posted on 8/5/12 at 12:49 pm to bulldogger
My analysis and how I made my decision is fairly simple.
1) They don't completely understand the impact head injuries have on these players long term. IMO, it is not simply concussions in the NFL or college. The equipment cannot preven concussions or other serious injuries.
2) The athletes have outgrown the rules and the equipment. Others have discussed the size and speed aspects, physics tells me those collisions are worse than ever before and are only going to get worse.
3) Every guy I know who played competatively in high school, my age and older, can hardly get out of bed without hurting.
Not very scientific but I am convinced playing the game isn't worth the price paid. At least for my son.
1) They don't completely understand the impact head injuries have on these players long term. IMO, it is not simply concussions in the NFL or college. The equipment cannot preven concussions or other serious injuries.
2) The athletes have outgrown the rules and the equipment. Others have discussed the size and speed aspects, physics tells me those collisions are worse than ever before and are only going to get worse.
3) Every guy I know who played competatively in high school, my age and older, can hardly get out of bed without hurting.
Not very scientific but I am convinced playing the game isn't worth the price paid. At least for my son.
Posted on 8/5/12 at 12:55 pm to Dr RC
quote:
just before you wrote the above you posted EXACTLY why the game needed rule changes.
playing size has rocketed up in the last 20 years.
a 245 LB hitting you across the middle is going to do a hell of a lot more damage than a 190 guy that could have played in the 80s.
it wasn't that long ago a 300+ pound lineman was a rarity.
I understand this argument, but I don't completely buy it. Sure, that 245 pound linebacker might be killing that 190-200 pound receiver, but I don't see how that's different then a 190-200 linebacker killing a 160 pound receiver. Body's have grown on both sides of the ball.
Posted on 8/5/12 at 12:59 pm to LBC
It seems to be more about the skull's ability to take an impact, and the increased force in today's game. No matter how big you are, if you are repeatedly exposed to impact at a certain level, your brain is gonna slosh around. And sloshing brains probably aint good over the long term.
Posted on 8/5/12 at 1:05 pm to LBC
I remember watching on ESPN Classic recently, a sugar bowl game between Bama and Arkansas from the early 80's. The starting right guard for Alabama weighed 245 lbs. That kid coming in from HS now would weigh close to 300 and be minimum of 6-3. After strength and conditioning, he'd play at 315-325. He'd be bigger, faster and stronger than his daddys generation of players.
Posted on 8/5/12 at 1:09 pm to AUTiger83
Football doesn't need more rule changes, it needs to support R&D for new tech and materials for equipment. The old standards just aren't keeping up with the physicality of today's game. IMO why so many new rule changes.
The rub is that with better equipment players hit harder.
just my .02
The rub is that with better equipment players hit harder.
just my .02
Posted on 8/5/12 at 1:27 pm to SLC
quote:
I don't let my son play football.
My son got hurt worse playing soccer and basketball then he ever did playing football.
Basketball injury:
Posted on 8/5/12 at 1:29 pm to 10888bge
quote:
Football doesn't need more rule changes, it needs to support R&D for new tech and materials for equipment.
No amount of padding will prevent a brain injury from the sudden stop of the skull from high speed to zero speed.
Better coaching from Tiny Tot to the NFL to *avoid* head shots is the only way to avoid this.
Posted on 8/5/12 at 1:32 pm to beatbammer
Hate that your son was injured but the odds of a severe debilitating injury are far greater in football. Hope your boy is doing better, is fully recovered and doesn't suffer any other injuries. It looks like he's had his share.
Posted on 8/5/12 at 1:46 pm to beatbammer
quote:
My son got hurt worse playing soccer and basketball then he ever did playing football.
People definitely underrate the physical toll basketball can take on you.
Posted on 8/5/12 at 1:48 pm to SLC
quote:
Hate that your son was injured but the odds of a severe debilitating injury are far greater in football. Hope your boy is doing better, is fully recovered and doesn't suffer any other injuries. It looks like he's had his share.
No problems, bro.
That injury was years ago. His playing days are over (he's starting his senior year in college this year).
All I know was that when he was much younger playing soccer, those kids running around on that field out of control, I saw too many kids run into each other and their heads hitting together sounding like ripe coconuts.
Don't get me wrong, my son got crack-backed once pursuing down the line of scrimmage (he played cornerback) and he was seeing stars. But, in general, with proper coaching, his injuries were few. His team had knees and ankles... even an occasional broken arm/wrist... but never saw too many kids helped off the field because they got their bell rung. Maybe he and his friends were just lucky.
(P.S. From what I've read, the "sport" with the highest incidence of injury is frickin' competitive CHEERLEADING.
)
Posted on 8/5/12 at 1:58 pm to SLC
quote:
3) Every guy I know who played competatively in high school, my age and older, can hardly get out of bed without hurting.
If they didn't play any after high school I find this hard to believe or at least it is not bc of football
Posted on 8/5/12 at 2:00 pm to beatbammer
quote:
(P.S. From what I've read, the "sport" with the highest incidence of injury is frickin' competitive CHEERLEADING. )
I'd believe it. Throwing women who are too skinny to have any cushion for their bones/organs 10+ feet in the air and doing flips and crap with no padding on a stage.
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