Gridiron Football

[Tora! Tora! Tora!]

This is topic probably best suited for off season dicussion, but this has been on my mind a lot lately and the Mike Leach situation has only exacerbated it. This is second time we've seen a Big 12 coach reprimanded/investigated for allegedly abusing his players (either emotionally or physically). In addtion we've seen increased concern all the way down the youth level over the physical tool football can take on ones brain. The NFL players association as of late has been displaying bruised and broken NFL retirees trying to get medical funding. This all leads me to wonder if there are significant enough americans that no longer have the stomach for gridirion football?

 

Personally, what I love about the sport is the mixture of the violence and the strategic. I'm worried there is going to be so much push to increase the safety of the sport that ultimately the likelyhood of physical or emotion harm will be reduced nothing.

 

There have been many rules changes over the years that have increased the safety of football (the forward pass being one of the first), and none of these have descreased the popularity of the sport. Football is still easily the most popular sport in America. However, is there a line that can't be crossed? Would you still watch this sport if the coaches were no longer allowed to chew out their players or the refs? Would the game be as interesting to you if you knew there was no chance of them getting hurt, much less injured? This might seem extreme, but I promise you that is the direction we are heading. I for one would not be that interested in watching THAT version of football. I don't think I'm alone here either.

 

This all brings me to sad quesiton I must ask. Has football peaked?

[sarge87]

It's a conspiracy to make the Euroweenie sport of soccer the number one sport in America.

[Scratchtown]

if football were to be outlawed then everything i've been working for in college will have been in vain. the thought of this pisses me off

[WCHusker]

It's quite simple. Knowing what they now know about concussions, you can't punish a kid for having one-all it does is make other kids hide them and create a big legal liability for the school.

[AR Husker Fan]

Three posts from this thread have been moved to the Politics & Religion sub-forum in the BS forum.

 

Please stay on topic and post to the correct forums.

[BIGREDIOWAN]

I see what you're saying and I for one don't like how the football world is looking right now. I'm tired of all this pu&&y footing, my feelings got hurt, ow I have a scratch B.S. If you don't like the way the game is played don't watch it. If your feelings get hurt or your sensitive little ears can't stand the cursing and yelling, don't play it. I realize that some things have been put into place to protect the players and that's fine, but when is enough a enough? Are we going to wrap the QB in bubble paper and not allow him to be touched during the game? When you play this game you have to take into consideration the risks involved. You make that decision as a player and if you make it to the NFL are well compensated for your abilities. With that compensation comes risks and if you're willing to cash the check your willing to risk your body for the game. I for one hope like hell that my boys want to play football when they get older. I also hope they get a coach as hard assed as the one that taught me how to play ball.

 

I hope football hasn't peaked, but what else can it do?

[HUSKER 37]

I cannot think of a sport that's near as much fun to watch as it is to play...(Football comes the closest).

And I never enjoyed watching players get hurt..That's just messed up...Although I've heard some people watch auto races just for the chance to see some carnage...I just use it as a sleep aid.

 

My opinion about Football has changed a lot since my playing days..Back then I was invincible, I LOVED hitting ball carriers almost as much as I liked catching passes...But I immediately felt bad if I hurt someone.

I now have trouble watching my Son get hit..Somehow the invincibility gene didn't get passed on?

 

And you also enjoy watching coaches holler? I usually wish I could fast forward over that part...That and the obligatory chase scenes in action movies.

 

They're both usually pointless and unnecessary.