The future of football

[Mudcat]

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.

[marabdl86]

If boxing still exist so will football

[iceminers26]

The higher the risk, the higher the reward. The league minimum in the NFL is like 6 times that of the average salary of a working American, therefore these guys know what they are getting into and get compensated quite well.

As for parents not allowing their kids to play football in the future, this will never be the case in the mid west, maybe in Cali, but not in the mid west.

[tacomax]

meh

[Chi_archie]

if they can play rugby without helmets or pads, i'm sure american footballers will be ok

[tripp]

football will only grow.

[LLXC]

Helmets that create the same noise but protect against concussions...

[2daBank]

worse quality of life? did u say that? not sure think playin football for money good quality of life? fuk what happens later if you worried bout living till 100 i guess stop? but Cmon MAN! if they didnt love it ..wouldnt do it(except oak qb his fat ass just getttin paid) and if that worried do like som of the guys who quit at 30

[Shahbucks]

We all still smoke and drink so who knows what decision people will make as far as football.
Maybe we see the emergence of professional flag football!

[iceminers26]

professional flag football

if it comes to this point, just shoot me

[2daBank]

cmon ice u know u would bet it!! ill be taking over 105 as my first flag football selection

[Shahbucks]

^lol It's closer than you know. You can barely hit Tom Brady

[iceminers26]

[2daBank]

^lol It's closer than you know. You can barely hit Tom Brady

there def some f#$kers out there callin there own fouls(thowin flags) i think every time wr starts beggin 4 flag they should get a T(personal foul)
l

[Shahbucks]

Lol Picture Guys like Ray Lewis playing semi-pro two hand touch

[pico]

it'll eventually be played by the blacks and the latinos. just like boxing.

[2daBank]

also like 2 add am a hell of a flag fb qb

[donjuan]

if they can play rugby without helmets or pads, i'm sure american footballers will be ok

Or you don't know what you're talking about. There are significantly fewer injuries in rugby than in football and there are studies to support this. Part of that is to do with the nature of the game (tackling in rugby is different than in football), part is because of the size of the players thanks to vastly higher fitness requirements and because you don't get heavy padding being used as a weapon on unprotected parts of the body.

[iceminers26]

IMO rugby is just as rough, if not rougher, than American football

[donjuan]

IMO rugby is just as rough, if not rougher, than American football

Whether it is rougher or not, there is no doubt that there are fewer injuries and less long term negative impact than there are in football.

[iceminers26]

Whether it is rougher or not, there is no doubt that there are fewer injuries and less long term negative impact than there are in football.

[Shahbucks]

NFFL(National Flag Football League is what they will call it). I thought those revolutionary helmets, with the holes on top, helped prevent concussions? Nfl need to put a lot of money into researching new types of helments imo. And the player should really consider the equipment they play with I see so many of them not properly equipped; with out knee pads, loose chin straps, no mouthpiece ect... But if we went to the moon and made spacesuits I think this could be resolved in less than 50 years.

[Dark Horse]

No worries. The popularity of UFC, a sport where people are encouraged to beat each others brains to a bloody mush, demonstrates that barbarism is not only well and safe, but on the rise.

[2daBank]

No worries. The popularity of UFC, a sport where people are encouraged to beat each others brains to a bloody mush, demonstrates that barbarism is not only well and safe, but on the rise.

[bombCanada]

Take the pads off.

Don Cherry (Hockey Night in Canada, is he still alive?) used to swear that there were fewer head injuries when the NHL didn't require helmets.

[iceminers26]

Don Cherry

HNC

[koby25]

The heavyweight fighters in boxing will be robots.