This my friends, marks the beginning of the end of football

[MikeWaters]

as a sport.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/01/26...ins/index.html

There will come a time that football is no longer played because of these issues.

[il Padrino Ute]

It's a known risk in a violent sport. All participants know it.

If football goes away, it will be because of political meddling.

[MikeWaters]

boxing and MMA aren't illegal. But they also aren't paid for with public funds by junior highs and high schools.

It will end as a public-sponsored sport. Then it will become a club sport, eventually dominated even moreso by poor minorities and rich backers. The real question will be the colleges. How will they handle this?

There are some huge class-action suits that are going to be headed down the pike as lawyers argue "institutions knew the risk, did not properply protect, evaluate, train, prevent, warn, and they profited."

I'm not aware of anymore colleges that have boxing teams, though it used to be common.

[creekster]

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

boxing and MMA aren't illegal. But they also aren't paid for with public funds by junior highs and high schools.

It will end as a public-sponsored sport. Then it will become a club sport, eventually dominated even moreso by poor minorities and rich backers. The real question will be the colleges. How will they handle this?

There are some huge class-action suits that are going to be headed down the pike as lawyers argue "institutions knew the risk, did not properply protect, evaluate, train, prevent, warn, and they profited."

I'm not aware of anymore colleges that have boxing teams, though it used to be common.

Maybe it will just mean that players AND fans will look silly while wearing cushiony oversized headgear to the games.

[SeattleUte]

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

as a sport.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/01/26...ins/index.html

There will come a time that football is no longer played because of these issues.

There is something sickeningly naive and insular about you saying this as all over the rest of the world people face much greater risks of death or dismemberment with not nearly the rewards available to big time football players. It took only about 20,000 Goths to occupy Rome peopled by millions of citizens because the Romans grew so wussified in their elaborate civilization. The day we do away with football because it's too dangerous we will have arrived at that condition.

[MikeWaters]

Originally Posted by SeattleUte

There is something sickeningly naive and insular about you saying this as all over the rest of the world people face much greater risks of death or dismemberment with not nearly the rewards available to big time football players. It took only about 20,000 Goths to occupy Rome peopled by millions of citizens because the Romans grew so wussified in their elaborate civilization. The day we do away with football because it's too dangerous we will have arrived at that condition.

what would your friends say if you put your son into boxing? we know what they would say.

second question, why don't you put your son into boxing?

What are the wages from football, for the average football player? Close to zilch. What are the revenues for football in college and pros? A lot.

I like sports. I just don't want to be brain damaged as a result.

As the evidence builds (and it is building), the risk/benefit ratio changes, and if the institutions do not change along with the new ratios, then they will be punished by the lawyers, no doubt.

The day is coming where putting your son into football will be viewed the same as putting your son into boxing. Boxing is a fabulously interesting sport. But I sure wouldn't encourage my son to go into it.

[Archaea]

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

what would your friends say if you put your son into boxing? we know what they would say.

second question, why don't you put your son into boxing?

What are the wages from football, for the average football player? Close to zilch. What are the revenues for football in college and pros? A lot.

I like sports. I just don't want to be brain damaged as a result.

As the evidence builds (and it is building), the risk/benefit ratio changes, and if the institutions do not change along with the new ratios, then they will be punished by the lawyers, no doubt.

The day is coming where putting your son into football will be viewed the same as putting your son into boxing. Boxing is a fabulously interesting sport. But I sure wouldn't encourage my son to go into it.

Gladiators put on a great show, but I wouldn't want a relative of mine to participate.

Football is one of those love/hate games, it's fabulous to watch, until you realize what damage is being done to the participants. My son played briefly but I'm glad it was for one season. I hate seeing the lifelong injuries kids in high school sustain to be average at a brutal game.

Title IX more likely took care of boxing than did its brutality. I believe the military academies and UNR still field boxing squads, though I may have missed their departure.

[MikeWaters]

According to my friend, boxing disappeared from colleges when it began to be perceived as no longer white-dominated. I.e. it was racism. Not a white man's sport any longer.

[SeattleUte]

I'm sure kids with different skill sets and opportunities than upper middle class folks like you will someday thank you for thoughtfully taking away their footballs. What would they do without folks like you making such judgments for them.

[MikeWaters]

Originally Posted by SeattleUte

I'm sure kids with different skill sets and opportunities than upper middle class folks like you will someday thank you for thoughtfully taking away their footballs. What would they do without folks like you making such judgments for them.

Which brings up another good point: in a sport where brain damage is not rare, but indeed, might be common--can kids make informed consent to participate in such a sport? Are parents consenting in an informed manner?

How much money is spent putting high school football programs together? A FREAKING LOT.

Answer is simple. Move it out of the schools, like boxing.