Anyone see this yet??

[ajmc]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

Kids get hurt and die in other sports almost as much as football, depending on the sport. This is a PR thing not a reality thing. Also most kids will never play beyond high school. I think people will just have their kids play later and not so early which is a good thing IMO. But it will never completely die when the carrot for scholarships and professional opportunity will be out there. Even if schools decide to drop the sport all together, there will be some club or non-scholastic option which many will take. Not everyone is going to play soccer or baseball because those sports cost a lot of money to participate at this time. At least at this point football is popular at all levels that I doubt players will completely stop participating. You might have fewer teams and more consolidation, but I do not see it going completely away even in 20 years. Peace

Think of the opportunities for all those excess football helmets. They could be used by our children while eating dinner, to protect against the possibility of falling off a dining room chair and striking their heads on the floor.

Then again, we could do away with tables and chairs, and simply eat off the floor, eliminating all risk of head injuries from falling. Unfortunately, that of course raises the risk level of other objects in the house possibly dislodging and becoming flying objects threatening those children sitting on the floor.

Wow, seeking absolute protection from everything can get very complicated.

[Rich Ives]

Originally Posted by ajmc

Think of the opportunities for all those excess football helmets. They could be used by our children while eating dinner, to protect against the possibility of falling off a dining room chair and striking their heads on the floor.

Then again, we could do away with tables and chairs, and simply eat off the floor, eliminating all risk of head injuries from falling. Unfortunately, that of course raises the risk level of other objects in the house possibly dislodging and becoming flying objects threatening those children sitting on the floor.

Wow, seeking absolute protection from everything can get very complicated.

Except falling off the chair is accidental and banging heads in football (or the ball in soccer) is deliberate and much more frequent.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by Rich Ives

Except falling off the chair is accidental and banging heads in football (or the ball in soccer) is deliberate and much more frequent.

True, but there are a lot of sports that have potential harm. I love it when people say, "7 kids have died playing football this year" but when you examine that number, you find out there are other conditions that might have killed them other than actual football activity. I have heard of kids dying in baseball or basketball.

Peace.

[scrounge]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

True, but there are a lot of sports that have potential harm. I love it when people say, "7 kids have died playing football this year" but when you examine that number, you find out there are other conditions that might have killed them other than actual football activity. I have heard of kids dying in baseball or basketball.

Peace.

From what I read, 4 of the 7 (actually I think it's 8) this year were from underlying causes - could have happened in any game. Or even no game at all. But 3 or 4 were from actions directly attributable to the game (1 a ruptured spleen during a tackle - ok, kind of a freak accident, but still - and the others from head impacts).

Again, I don't think that fear of the extremely unlikely acute tragedy will kill the sport. But as we learn more about the long-term effects of everyday, subconcussive hits - the kind that are simply integral to the game - we'll see the sport wither to a fraction of its current size at the youth levels.