re: Football is a dying sport

It's the gear.

In order to survive (decades more) the sport will be forced to abandon it's hard external shell that has weaponized the game. You can still go all out without hard plastic and it'll not diminish the manliness of the sport. Instead of helmets that are made to deliver a blow, as well as protect the player, the game is going to have to move onto a more protective (softer) type. Same with other gear that doubles as much to inflict pain as prevent it. And it'll feed on itself, as the need for protection becomes lessened, since the gear that necessitates it will become increasingly obsolete.