I wonder what state it will be in 25 years from now. 50 years.
We have had a general knowledge for a long time that it is rough and people can get hurt, but some of the specific studies lately showing the seriousness of the health implications in terms of brain injury and premature dementia are very eye-opening. This, on top of destroyed knees and backs and whatnot.
A person would have to be in serious denial at this point to not accept that American football is directly linked to reduced life expectancy as well as quality-of-life expectancy. The higher level you play, the greater the hazard.
Not only can I imagine parents forbidding their sons to play the game, I find it a bit hard to imagine any responsible parent not doing that. It would seem a no-brainer that if you had kids that wanted to get into sports, you would point them in another direction. To let them play football seems on par with buying them cigarettes so they can get started at that.
It makes me wonder if football will shrivel up and die at the grassroots level. Or will there be drastic changes in rules and equipment to reduce the health hazard?
Or will enough people just say, "meh," that things will carry on with no change.
We have had a general knowledge for a long time that it is rough and people can get hurt, but some of the specific studies lately showing the seriousness of the health implications in terms of brain injury and premature dementia are very eye-opening. This, on top of destroyed knees and backs and whatnot.
A person would have to be in serious denial at this point to not accept that American football is directly linked to reduced life expectancy as well as quality-of-life expectancy. The higher level you play, the greater the hazard.
Not only can I imagine parents forbidding their sons to play the game, I find it a bit hard to imagine any responsible parent not doing that. It would seem a no-brainer that if you had kids that wanted to get into sports, you would point them in another direction. To let them play football seems on par with buying them cigarettes so they can get started at that.
It makes me wonder if football will shrivel up and die at the grassroots level. Or will there be drastic changes in rules and equipment to reduce the health hazard?
Or will enough people just say, "meh," that things will carry on with no change.