Football is dead it's just too stupid to fall over.

[Scout26]

Robert quit last year, as pressure from his mother over concussions and CTE pushed there.   And I live in Wheaton.  For decades Wheaton Rams football wasn't just a activity for boys, it was a cult.  Once you were in, you were in, swept along with coaches and other parents to be the best, pushing the boys to greater and greater heights of competition with teams from other suburban cities and towns.   You learned to worship the g-d Football, and the saints of Practice and Workouts.

And the boys learned. Toughness, Perseverance, Teamwork, and Sportsmanship.   The hardest-assed coaches produced hard-assed teams.  And they were winners, making the playoffs each year, and frequently winning the "Super Bowl" for their weight class.

When Wheaton can only field one 4th grade team, Football is dying.  Then you have Pro players spitting in the eye of those patriotic Americans that pay their salary....They stop buying tickets and merchandise, they turn off the TV.  Sunday Afternoons and Monday nights become family time to do other things...

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/kass/ct-football-concussions-youth-kass-met-0906-20170905-column.html

[grampster]

I don't know if it was a BS thing on Fakebook, but a post there claimed to show a letter from the owner of the KC Chiefs who said he didn't give a damn who it was on the team, player, coach...anyone who did not stand for the Anthem would be fired on the spot.  He further said that all were welcome to their freedom of speech and action off the field.  But when they put on the uniform, they would do as he dictated.  He has a business and sets the rules.

[MechAg94]

Don't worry, will bleed out and die in a few several decades. 

I can certainly see pee wee football dying out.  I don't see high school and college football going anywhere.

[just Warren]

I love football and I don't want to see it die. But it will if it doesn't change.

It has got to move to a no-hitting flag football rule set.

Is hitting the most important part of the game? No. It's the strategy going into the game and the tactics during the game as expressed by the athletes. I'd say hitting is the least important factor.

With just a few rule changes we can keep the game we love. These would be for the pro-level.

1. No hitting or tackling. You can push a player down or out-of-bounds using open hands only.

2. Otherwise to be considered down a player must have both flags taken. Any player that is within five yards of the line of scrimmage can have his flags taken and if that happens he is out of the play and must stand completely still or move away from the direction of the play without interfering with an opposing player.
  2A The only exception to this is receivers who, while within the 5 yard zone, can either be bumped (with open hands) or an attempt can be made to take their flags but not both.

3. After the receiver passes out of the 5 yard zone their flags cannot be touched until the ball is given to a running back for a run play or the ball is passed and it is touched by anyone on the field of play.


That's a much safer game and it leaves the athleticism intact.

[RoadKingLarry]

Around here high school football is a religion.
I look at the guys I still know that I played with in high school and I can't think of a single one of us that doesn't have some lingering reminder of playing high school ball. Mine is a bad knee that I think has been a serious contributor to my bad hip and back problems. Others it's an ankle or a shoulder, all souvenirs of football. A year doesn't go by that we don't see in the news some teenage kid getting seriously hurt or dead from the sport.
For what?

[Mannlicher]

football is certainly dead to me.  I just don't care any more, and won't watch it at any level.  It has turned into a black thug culture. 

[Andiron]

football is certainly dead to me.  I just don't care any more, and won't watch it at any level.  It has turned into a black thug culture. 

This.

I've followed the Browns since they came back in 99'.  They've stunk on ice.  Whatever,  if I had nothing better to do I'd watch or listen to the game.  I'm not a diehard football fan by any stretch,  but hey, go local team.  Then they pull the mass kneel stunt...

They've manged to win all four pre season games this year, which equals the wins of their past 2 real seasons.  Good for momentum heading into regular season... And after that BLM moment,  I utterly don't care how they do, and it saddens me.

[cordex]

It has got to move to a no-hitting flag football rule set.

I don't think that would prove to be very popular.

If the goal is to improve safety, maybe prohibit helmets and pads?

[HankB]

. . . I look at the guys I still know that I played with in high school and I can't think of a single one of us that doesn't have some lingering reminder of playing high school ball . . .

When I was in high school, during gym class one of the football coaches came over and asked me to try out for football. When I declined, he got in my face and TOLD me that I WAS going to be there SATURDAY for tryouts - and DID I HEAR HIM?!?!   

I told him I heard him. But of course, I didn't show up - besides having a paying job after school and on weekends, I was getting tired of being told what to do all the time, and didn't want some coach screaming orders in my ear after school and on weekends . . . for no pay. (I knew I was a poor prospect for an athletic scholarship to college.)

Monday rolls around, the coach comes to my gym class and starts bellowing at me. We exchanged a few words, and he told me - in front of the whole class - 'YOU'RE NOT MAN ENOUGH TO BE ON MY TEAM!"   I agreed, and told him I WAS man enough to say NO to him - and make it stick. Which counted for a lot more. Much laughter from the class. Coach stomped off cursing. Guys told me it looked like the coach wanted to slug me - and I told them I wish he had; not because I could take him in a fight at that time, but because then in addition to a new car, the cash settlement would have paid for college and grad school.

Oh, and the few guys who DID play football that I've kept in touch with DO have some lingering effects - knee arthritis, back problems and such.

[K Frame]

I've really stopped following professional football. I was a huge Eagles fan... until they signed that bastard Michael Vick.

College football, thought? I'll always be a huge Penn State fan.

[Doggy Daddy]

I was a huge Eagles fan... until they signed that bastard Michael Vick.

I wish I used to be an Eagles fan so that I could also say that and be like Mike.

Props, dude!

[RoadKingLarry]

I've really stopped following professional football. I was a huge Eagles fan... until they signed that bastard Michael Vick.

College football, thought? I'll always be a huge Penn State fan.

College football is more important than many things.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2017/09/10/more-details-on-what-joe-paterno-knew-sandusky-child-rapes.html

[grampster]

I live in Michigan.  We have the Lions.  Need I say more?

[K Frame]

Dogs I care about.

Humans, not so much.

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[RoadKingLarry]

So not OK with animal abuse but old men buggering boys in the shower is OK as long as the football program doesn't suffer.

Got it.

[Hawkmoon]

Looks like pro football is well along the road to self-immolation:

https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl-opening-weekend-sees-more-star-spangled-banner-224910673--nfl.html

I think (and hope) that the more players do this, the more fans will vote with their feet.

[K Frame]

There ya go.

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