Not painting anything but the truth. All I can say is if that shoe fits feel free to lace that bad boy up.

 

:ohbrother:

I'm pretty liberal and I support the game, but it is ignorant to believe the game was safe and doesn't need innovation to improve the safety measures for players.

 

This is not a liberal vs. conservative issue. This is an issue of saving our game and protecting players.

I'm all for improving safety, not for banning the sport because someone else feels it's too unsafe. In the end it's a gladiator type game and is never going to be safe for everyone.

I came from a single parent home with the occasional boyfriend. My peewee coach made a greater impact on my life than any of them and more than he probably knew. In Ohio we had the same coach that moved up with his group. He asked us to promise not to drink , not to smoke, the nightly talks in the powow after practice consisted of doing well in school, citizenship, sportsmanship, respect for others and yourself. Standing up for others, Teamwork, pride in your effort. I could go on and on. While my neighborhood friends were doing all the wrong things , I abstained. While some of them were committing crimes and going to prison, I was going to college. I made it because a man taught me my word was worth something and I promised not to do those things. I was worth something and was accountable to my team for my actions. You don't really get all that in other activities and sports. That's why you hear poeple say football teaches life lessons. The risks of the sport are over exaggerated and the benefits far outweigh any potential injury. Athletes tend to stay in school and graduate. As an exampleThe typical school shooters and bombers are not football players, (who are portrayed as big bullies.) Its quite the opposite. They are the outcasts, misfits who have nothing to belong too. Football builds men. It's the greatest game on earth.

Only reason I'm reading this thread if for the Science Friction vs UK fan showdown this site has been waiting on.

I agree. That's why there is a band and cheerleaders. Plenty of non contact activities to do. We will leave the glee club alone with chess club and similar, and they leave contact sports to those kids and parents who want to play. I'm sick of liberals trying to tell me and my family what's safe and what we are allowed to do. Worry about the kid with asthmatic condition trying to play the tuba who isn't aloud to carry his inhaler or use someone elses on school grounds because liberals consider it a drug and a crime to share.

 

Liberals know what's best for all of us

 

My goodness, is everything a Liberal vs Conservative debate? My political beliefs have nothing to do with my love or anyone's love of football. The constant attacks on liberals by some are exhausting. Sorry, I'm a liberal, and have been a football coach for over 15 years, and played the sport for 8 years. And yes, the sport is evolving and changing in the name of safety, and I'm all for it. And there have always been parents who kept their kids out of football because of it's dangers....I had several friends growing up whose parents did not allow them to play. And while safety concerns are certainly keeping kids out of the game, there are a multitude of reasons why less kids are playing these days. The advent of year round baseball, basketball and other sports certainly hurt participation numbers, as has the steady growth of soccer. A couple kids here and there make a difference, especially on smaller teams. We also have to do a better job of encouraging participation at the youth level by keeping kids involved. Win at all costs coaches, lack of playing time, and long seasons drive kids away from the sport at that level, drive the kid away from the sport before way before high school.

 

Keep working to make the sport safer. Keep encouraging participation, especially at the lower levels. Most importantly, keep it fun. We may never have the numbers we had years ago, but we can definitely not only keep the game alive, but keep it strong.

Only reason I'm reading this thread if for the Science Friction vs UK fan showdown this site has been waiting on.

 

The problem with football is a problem with all sports today IMO. In my day boys played football, but also played other sports, both organized and street ball as well. Today, most kids pick a sport and focus on that. Coaches and parents are more intense and competitive and push kids to work out year round. Add to that the fact that kids are just plain bigger and stronger than they were 30 years ago. In my day if a high school boy weighed 200 pounds, he was HUGE. That is nothing now. I don't think young bodies were meant for that continued, intense stress.

 

Football is far more physical, but even girls's sports are also more intense. I know lots of 20 somethings who have had knee and shoulder surgery. This was unheard of 30 years ago. As a former protective mom, I can understand why a mom wants to protect little Johnny from doing permanent harm to himself. Football probably has the greatest risks, but any sport a kid plays in has potential for harm.

 

That being said, I would not stop my child from participating in any school sport, because I believe the benefits outweigh the risk. I think rjs makes an excellent point about being aware of saftey and making sports as safe as you can.

Football lovers (myself included) have to avoid the wussification of America comments. Safety is a serious issue in football. Trivializing concerns of parents is the wrong way to approach from fans and coaches.

 

Heads up footbal, limited contact, and improved helmets will change the game if we will embrace the change. Fight back and our game will go the way of the dodo bird.

 

If you knew anything at all about me you'd know that I'm all for safety improvements in ALL sports not just football. MY wussification comment was aimed at the original post that seemed to be advocating for the ban of football and subsequent posts in which that poster described football as barbaric.

The wussification of America continues. What's next, kids being punished for making pretend guns with their fingers? Oh wait....

 

Somebody tell the Mom's it's time to cut the cord.

 

And yes I wold let my kids play football. Why only sons SF? Showing a little sexism there?

 

No sons OR daughters. Better?

I have friends that let their daughters play football.

 

 

End your friendship.

Maybe you should get educated with Heads up football and the new way of tackling. Coaches are teaching kids to keep their head up and not lead with their head.

 

Oh yeah, that'll make it safe. No more concussions. I feel better now. Thanks.

Like I said, I've been a fan for forty five years. With the information we have now about CTE, I just think it's not a risk worth subjecting little heads to. I'm sure there are many(maybe not on a sports website like this one) who agree with me. I'd rather have a son who followed in the footsteps of Neil deGrasse Tyson rather than Junior Seau.

Like I said, I've been a fan for forty five years. With the information we have now about CTE, I just think it's not a risk worth subjecting little heads to. I'm sure there are many(maybe not on a sports website like this one) who agree with me. I'd rather have a son who followed in the footsteps of Neil deGrasse Tyson rather than Junior Seau.

 

Any athletic activity that has physical contact carries the risk of concussion/injury. And there are people who have never had contact or concussions in their life and still end up with dementia, mental illness, thoughts of suicide, etc. I just believe that any organized sport teaches valuable lessons about hard work, effort and teamwork that are just too valuable to pass up. We take calculated risks every day just leaving the safety of our home. We can't live our lives in fear nor shelter and protect our kids from everything.

I guess I'm in the quickly growing minority who doesn't have a problem with my child starting football young. I officiate football, I'm 100% ate-up/infatuated with the game at all levels. My Saturday's consist of football in the fall. I can and will watch any game beginning to end.

 

My parents didn't allow me to start until the 6th grade while my older brother and little brother both were allowed to start in 3rd. Looking back I can tell there was a huge gap in the learning curve between us when we were in our respective 8th grade years. They had a three year head start. My son played flag football last and is now insisting on letting him start full contact in next year( he'll be a third grader). He had good size and speed. I am fully on board except for two things.

1: my own selfishness of not wanting to sit through practice three nights a week and 2: Him getting hit for real the first time and having him lose his very obvious flag football confidence.

 

Other than that I'm fine with it. His over confidence will quickly be gone and he will be humbled, he will realize he will have a specific role (a team game) that may seem insignificant but he will soon realize it's just as important as the other 10 guys. It'll teach him hard work does pay off just not as quick as he may like and that he will be able to over come mental and physical hurdles he may have thought impossible.

 

I'm not denying evidence of CTE and I think the NFL IS 100% wrong in the years of denying something was going on, but WE ALL KNOW that it's a physical game and things happen in physical games we may not like.

 

If you don't like the potential physical results don't play but don't tell me or my son (who is begging my wife and I, not the other way around) what's in our best interest.

I wouldn't let little Jimmy play until 14 or so. Not worth it that young, IMO, and can develop skill playing other sports.