Ed Cunningham Abruptly Resigns From ESPN

StPaulHusker said:
I'm not sure what the rules are where you are from, but where my son plays they are only allowed 30 minutes of contact in a 2 hour practice.  Plus, the force of impact between the kids isn't too great at this age.  It's a lot more falling down than getting knocked down.  
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The problem being that the trauma is cumulative in a tissue that has VERY limited recuperative potential.  Also the threshold for significant problems/symptoms, is unknown and likely different for each individual.  Then, there are the asymptomatic cognitive concerns.  

I just don't see the upside for playing football compared to other sports with less risk.

I don't really even like that my daughters play soccer.  I keep encouraging swimming over soccer both for the injury potential and the team sport political b.s. associated with youth sports.

StPaul:

I should add that I am in no way criticizing your, or anyone's, decision to allow your son to play.  It's a difficult decision for those of us who love football so much (that we are here).  

 
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307husker said:
The problem being that the trauma is cumulative in a tissue that has VERY limited recuperative potential.  Also the threshold for significant problems/symptoms, is unknown and likely different for each individual.  Then, there are the asymptomatic cognitive concerns.  

I just don't see the upside for playing football compared to other sports with less risk.

I don't really even like that my daughters play soccer.  I keep encouraging swimming over soccer both for the injury potential and the team sport political b.s. associated with youth sports.
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Soccer is worse than football, isn't it?  Or is that for all injuries?

 
Mowins knows a decent amount about football but my problem with her is she seems to generally point out the super obvious and I feel like she says the same commentary over and over again through the whole game

 
StPaulHusker said:
I have a 10 year old son.  He is in his 3rd year of tackle football.  I was nervous for him to play at first but the more I am involved the more i realize that head injuries aren't all that common at a young age in football.  I think soccer and hockey may have more in youth sports. 
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You are correct, but I am not seeing them as much in HS football either.  The game has changed.  I have people ask me if I worry about my son playing FB.  I said I worry more about the white suburban males who have seen the suicide rate go through the roof.  I worry more about the issue of drinking and driving.  I think it is a lot of noise by people who are worried about everything.  I frankly worry more about youth sports where the coaching is so bad, kids learn bad technique when they come to HS.  I would rather see youth FB turn into flag football and teach kids proper techniques when they get to HS or at least 7th grade.  The meatheads in youth sports especially football scare me more.  You won't have to worry about HS football head injuries and kids are being driven away from the game by over protective parents who have no idea the risky behaviors their teenages and engaged in every day.  (putting soap box away)

 
Crusader Husker said:
You are correct, but I am not seeing them as much in HS football either.  The game has changed.  I have people ask me if I worry about my son playing FB.  I said I worry more about the white suburban males who have seen the suicide rate go through the roof.  I worry more about the issue of drinking and driving.  I think it is a lot of noise by people who are worried about everything.  I frankly worry more about youth sports where the coaching is so bad, kids learn bad technique when they come to HS.  I would rather see youth FB turn into flag football and teach kids proper techniques when they get to HS or at least 7th grade.  The meatheads in youth sports especially football scare me more.  You won't have to worry about HS football head injuries and kids are being driven away from the game by over protective parents who have no idea the risky behaviors their teenages and engaged in every day.  (putting soap box away)
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I agree with this opinion.  I don't see the value of having the kids in full pads and helmets at the age of 7 or 8 years old.  They can barely hold their bodies and heads up while they are trying to move around.  I don't see the skills or techniques they are learning with the pads on at that young age.

 
NUinID said:
I am with on this one, I have never understood the hate for Mowins or Pam Ward.  It must just be the fact they are women calling a mans sport.  
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I've got no problem with women calling football.  I've got the same set of standards for her as a man.  I just don't think she is knowledgeable enough about the game of football to justify her calling games on national TV.  She screws up names, numbers, penalties, down-and-distance, etc. on a regular basis.  It has nothing to do with her being a woman.  I like to be informed by the playcallers and commentators.

She might be better now than in the past, but I've been irritated by listening to her frequent mistakes in the past, and have my mind made up.

 
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Yeah, those "rules" about contact during practice are enforced as often as the "no swearing" rules during the game.  Especially at the younger levels where there is basically no one monitoring anything.  

 
teachercd said:
Yeah, those "rules" about contact during practice are enforced as often as the "no swearing" rules during the game.  Especially at the younger levels where there is basically no one monitoring anything.  
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I know there are "no contact rules", but like you said, who is going to enforce them?  If a parent says something to the coach, the coach is going to immediately bench the kid as punishment.  If there is a league representative at practice, the coach would probably limit contact, but that league rep isn't going to be at every practice.

If the kids are in pads, there is going to be contact, and the kids are in pads at pretty much every practice I see.  It might be different if the coach only had padded practices once a week, and had the kids in shorts and helmets the other days of the week.

 
ColoradoHusk said:
I agree with this opinion.  I don't see the value of having the kids in full pads and helmets at the age of 7 or 8 years old.  They can barely hold their bodies and heads up while they are trying to move around.  I don't see the skills or techniques they are learning with the pads on at that young age.
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My son played flag football as well.  I saw more injuries with kids bumping heads, getting knocked to the ground, etc without any protective equipment than I have in 3 years of tackle.  

 
ColoradoHusk said:
I know there are "no contact rules", but like you said, who is going to enforce them?  If a parent says something to the coach, the coach is going to immediately bench the kid as punishment.  If there is a league representative at practice, the coach would probably limit contact, but that league rep isn't going to be at every practice.

If the kids are in pads, there is going to be contact, and the kids are in pads at pretty much every practice I see.  It might be different if the coach only had padded practices once a week, and had the kids in shorts and helmets the other days of the week.
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If you're afraid of the coach, then your kid really shouldn't be playing.  I am my son's advocate.  If I see a problem, I speak up.  and I have.  Maybe I have just been lucky with my relationship with the coach.  Or maybe it's my naturally sunny disposition.  But I have never had an issue with a coach overstepping the rules.

 
Kids now days (here) wear headgear when playing flag football.  It's similar to the headgear you see HS players wearing in 7 on 7 tournaments.  

 
No kid should be playing padded football before they get into 7th grade. There is such a major gap of maturity before that age, and with the progress of brain growth occurring. They would learn a lot more and have way better movement and understanding playing flag football.

 With that said, CTE is way misunderstood IMO. Those same signs can show up from people who never even played sports, or ones who didn't play football, but basketball, soccer, tennis etc. I know football for sure can lead to injuries and head trauma, but this whole issue is way overblown. 

 
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