What is the future of football?
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When you just look at the current established CTE data it doesn't look good for tackle football.
Out of 111 former NFL player brains voluntarily donated for autopsies 110 showed signs of CTE and as time goes on those autopsies will grow.
I wouldn't be investing my money into professional football in the near future, and public multi-billion dollar facilities who knows?
And latest studies seem to show it's the hits not just concussions that are the problem.
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It's going to have to change - IMO.
Indications are now that just banging your head around at non concussion levels is enough to cause brain damage.
One would have to assume that with that knowledge being known more mothers & fathers are going to keep their kids from playing the game as youngsters. And they're going to more fervently persuade them against playing the game as they get older. This will lessen the supply of players in the pipeline, over time. And I would suspect more players will retire from the game earlier. - I mean, just look at Myles Garrett, he called 'concussion' on himself and didn't play for a couple of weeks (was it 2? or more? I forget). That's something that's light years different from not all that long ago when they gave players a sniff of smelling salts and sent them back into the game.
The 'attitude' of the game is changing. Players hop from team to team (with few exceptions). It used to be that the players were very much like the fans...rabid fans of the team...they felt the same rivalries as the fans. Now, with the players union and free agency, it's like they all work for the same supermarket chain, but at different stores....and someday they'll probably transfer to your local store. - It's truly a business. Let me get INTO the business... then chase the money around the league when my rookie contract ends...stockpile my money and get out of the league before my brain gets scrambled. - Is that where we're headed in the short term? And where are we headed beyond that?
It's going to have to change - IMO.
Indications are now that just banging your head around at non concussion levels is enough to cause brain damage.
One would have to assume that with that knowledge being known more mothers & fathers are going to keep their kids from playing the game as youngsters. And they're going to more fervently persuade them against playing the game as they get older. This will lessen the supply of players in the pipeline, over time. And I would suspect more players will retire from the game earlier. - I mean, just look at Myles Garrett, he called 'concussion' on himself and didn't play for a couple of weeks (was it 2? or more? I forget). That's something that's light years different from not all that long ago when they gave players a sniff of smelling salts and sent them back into the game.
The 'attitude' of the game is changing. Players hop from team to team (with few exceptions). It used to be that the players were very much like the fans...rabid fans of the team...they felt the same rivalries as the fans. Now, with the players union and free agency, it's like they all work for the same supermarket chain, but at different stores....and someday they'll probably transfer to your local store. - It's truly a business. Let me get INTO the business... then chase the money around the league when my rookie contract ends...stockpile my money and get out of the league before my brain gets scrambled. - Is that where we're headed in the short term? And where are we headed beyond that?
Why? JUst because OJ now claims that he is suffering from CTE? Why don't we find out for sure: let's cut his brain open. We can let Ron Goldman's dad make the first incision.
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How about if we put all the players in a Hyperloop cannister?

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It's going to have to change - IMO.
Indications are now that just banging your head around at non concussion levels is enough to cause brain damage.
One would have to assume that with that knowledge being known more mothers & fathers are going to keep their kids from playing the game as youngsters. And they're going to more fervently persuade them against playing the game as they get older. This will lessen the supply of players in the pipeline, over time. And I would suspect more players will retire from the game earlier. - I mean, just look at Myles Garrett, he called 'concussion' on himself and didn't play for a couple of weeks (was it 2? or more? I forget). That's something that's light years different from not all that long ago when they gave players a sniff of smelling salts and sent them back into the game.
The 'attitude' of the game is changing. Players hop from team to team (with few exceptions). It used to be that the players were very much like the fans...rabid fans of the team...they felt the same rivalries as the fans. Now, with the players union and free agency, it's like they all work for the same supermarket chain, but at different stores....and someday they'll probably transfer to your local store. - It's truly a business. Let me get INTO the business... then chase the money around the league when my rookie contract ends...stockpile my money and get out of the league before my brain gets scrambled. - Is that where we're headed in the short term? And where are we headed beyond that?
Why? JUst because OJ now claims that he is suffering from CTE? Why don't we find out for sure: let's cut his brain open. We can let Ron Goldman's dad make the first incision.
Why? JUst because OJ now claims that he is suffering from CTE? Why don't we find out for sure: let's cut his brain open. We can let Ron Goldman's dad make the first incision.
I'm sure that would be "must see TV"

Sadly though the list of tragic stories continues to grow over time, Iron Mike Webster, Ken Stabler, Junior Seau and many, many others over time paint a bad picture of one of our favorite pastimes.
Sad but very true.
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Why? JUst because OJ now claims that he is suffering from CTE? Why don't we find out for sure: let's cut his brain open. We can let Ron Goldman's dad make the first incision.
I'm sure that would be "must see TV"

Sadly though the list of tragic stories continues to grow over time, Iron Mike Webster, Ken Stabler, Junior Seau and many, many others over time paint a bad picture of one of our favorite pastimes.
Sad but very true.
Sadly though the list of tragic stories continues to grow over time, Iron Mike Webster, Ken Stabler, Junior Seau and many, many others over time paint a bad picture of one of our favorite pastimes.
We do not yet know what the future is because we do not yet know the impact that the rules changes to this point will have. Foremost of these is the installation of the concussion protocol.
All the old timers listed "shook it off" and played on. How many sideline shots do you still see in NFL films of grizzled, old players kneeling on the sideline waiving a cracked vial of smelling salts under their nose? That was "treatment" back in the day.
The science of concussive impact and its relationship with CTE is not settled. However, if you play with a concussion, which at its core is a bruised and swollen brain, you lower the impact threshold for compounding the brain injury you originally suffered. That much is understood. That, by and large, has been eliminated.
Equipment? Not going to see magnets or more straps or bubble wrap... won't see any outward changes. What we will "see" if monitoring... accelerometers on the headband at the center of the helmet suspension system to monitor players better than they are today. Transponders to send the info in real time.
Other rules? Sure there will be some around permissible contact, but better enforcement of those on the books is most likely.
The one new rule I can see is shortening the game. Everyone complains that they take too long as it is anyway, so shorten the game to 10 minute quarters. This would follow the example of the other major, concussive sport, boxing, which went from 15 round championships to 12 decades ago.
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It's going to have to change - IMO.
Indications are now that just banging your head around at non concussion levels is enough to cause brain damage.
One would have to assume that with that knowledge being known more mothers & fathers are going to keep their kids from playing the game as youngsters. And they're going to more fervently persuade them against playing the game as they get older. This will lessen the supply of players in the pipeline, over time. And I would suspect more players will retire from the game earlier. - I mean, just look at Myles Garrett, he called 'concussion' on himself and didn't play for a couple of weeks (was it 2? or more? I forget). That's something that's light years different from not all that long ago when they gave players a sniff of smelling salts and sent them back into the game.
The 'attitude' of the game is changing. Players hop from team to team (with few exceptions). It used to be that the players were very much like the fans...rabid fans of the team...they felt the same rivalries as the fans. Now, with the players union and free agency, it's like they all work for the same supermarket chain, but at different stores....and someday they'll probably transfer to your local store. - It's truly a business. Let me get INTO the business... then chase the money around the league when my rookie contract ends...stockpile my money and get out of the league before my brain gets scrambled. - Is that where we're headed in the short term? And where are we headed beyond that?
It's going to have to change - IMO.
Indications are now that just banging your head around at non concussion levels is enough to cause brain damage.
One would have to assume that with that knowledge being known more mothers & fathers are going to keep their kids from playing the game as youngsters. And they're going to more fervently persuade them against playing the game as they get older. This will lessen the supply of players in the pipeline, over time. And I would suspect more players will retire from the game earlier. - I mean, just look at Myles Garrett, he called 'concussion' on himself and didn't play for a couple of weeks (was it 2? or more? I forget). That's something that's light years different from not all that long ago when they gave players a sniff of smelling salts and sent them back into the game.
The 'attitude' of the game is changing. Players hop from team to team (with few exceptions). It used to be that the players were very much like the fans...rabid fans of the team...they felt the same rivalries as the fans. Now, with the players union and free agency, it's like they all work for the same supermarket chain, but at different stores....and someday they'll probably transfer to your local store. - It's truly a business. Let me get INTO the business... then chase the money around the league when my rookie contract ends...stockpile my money and get out of the league before my brain gets scrambled. - Is that where we're headed in the short term? And where are we headed beyond that?
The answer? Zombo (and maybe Gipper) - aren't going to like it. You're seeing it already- SOCCER. We're slowly catching up to the rest of the world. Youth soccer was unheard of in my teen years back in the 60s- and take a look at it now. If you have an interest, you can catch the Premier League on the tube. Back then, Pele (the Jim Brown of soccer) was a curiosity. Super Bowl viewership worldwide pales in comparison to the World Cup final. I have no doubt with the level of kids playing now the good old USA will take it's rightful place and be challenging for the World Cup down the road- we already have some elite players, just not enough currently. Some kids (and smart parents) have figured out if you're good enough at the sport- you can haul in more loot than any football or basketball player. The top 10 paid soccer players all make more than $20 million. Cousins' $28 million a year pales in comparison to Ronaldo's $50 million, and he pulls in another $15 million in endorsements on top of that.
Sure there's head to head collisions- but they're rare. I'd guess getting hit in the head by a shot at the pro level is concussion territory. LOL, maybe they should be wearing helmets too?
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Soccer will take over.
Football is going to slowly die as parents won’t sign their kids up for it.
Then there will need to be an outdoor fall sport to replace the void, with Spanish soon to be the most spoken language in this country, it’s a no brainer
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Pussification of football will be its demise. Poor kiddies.
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Pussification of football will be its demise. Poor kiddies.
Pussification of football will be its demise.
I just don't see the problem!

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Pussification of football will be its demise. Poor kiddies.
Pussification of football will be its demise. Poor kiddies.
But there will still be MMA if you want real violence.
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Sadly though the list of tragic stories continues to grow over time, Iron Mike Webster, Ken Stabler, Junior Seau and many, many others over time paint a bad picture of one of our favorite pastimes.
We do not yet know what the future is because we do not yet know the impact that the rules changes to this point will have. Foremost of these is the installation of the concussion protocol.
All the old timers listed "shook it off" and played on. How many sideline shots do you still see in NFL films of grizzled, old players kneeling on the sideline waiving a cracked vial of smelling salts under their nose? That was "treatment" back in the day.
The science of concussive impact and its relationship with CTE is not settled. However, if you play with a concussion, which at its core is a bruised and swollen brain, you lower the impact threshold for compounding the brain injury you originally suffered. That much is understood. That, by and large, has been eliminated.
Equipment? Not going to see magnets or more straps or bubble wrap... won't see any outward changes. What we will "see" if monitoring... accelerometers on the headband at the center of the helmet suspension system to monitor players better than they are today. Transponders to send the info in real time.
Other rules? Sure there will be some around permissible contact, but better enforcement of those on the books is most likely.
The one new rule I can see is shortening the game. Everyone complains that they take too long as it is anyway, so shorten the game to 10 minute quarters. This would follow the example of the other major, concussive sport, boxing, which went from 15 round championships to 12 decades ago.
We do not yet know what the future is because we do not yet know the impact that the rules changes to this point will have. Foremost of these is the installation of the concussion protocol.
All the old timers listed "shook it off" and played on. How many sideline shots do you still see in NFL films of grizzled, old players kneeling on the sideline waiving a cracked vial of smelling salts under their nose? That was "treatment" back in the day.
The science of concussive impact and its relationship with CTE is not settled.........
.........This would follow the example of the other major, concussive sport, boxing, which went from 15 round championships to 12 decades ago.
True we have to see how things play out from here including rule adaptation and any possible improvements in helmet and other technology.
On boxing I remember that well, my dad was a club fighter and fought in the NAVY during the WWII era. (before my time) he got out. I used to watch fights on TV with him in the late 1950s, 1960s, a friend of his post WWII was a top 10 heavyweight and later was nicknamed "punchie" and died early from complications of dimmencia.
Heavyweights in particular could be out on their feet after 12 rounds, guys like Ali paid a price for that.
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We do not yet know what the future is because we do not yet know the impact that the rules changes to this point will have. Foremost of these is the installation of the concussion protocol.
All the old timers listed "shook it off" and played on. How many sideline shots do you still see in NFL films of grizzled, old players kneeling on the sideline waiving a cracked vial of smelling salts under their nose? That was "treatment" back in the day.
The science of concussive impact and its relationship with CTE is not settled.........
.........This would follow the example of the other major, concussive sport, boxing, which went from 15 round championships to 12 decades ago.
True we have to see how things play out from here including rule adaptation and any possible improvements in helmet and other technology.
On boxing I remember that well, my dad was a club fighter and fought in the NAVY during the WWII era. (before my time) he got out. I used to watch fights on TV with him in the late 1950s, 1960s, a friend of his post WWII was a top 10 heavyweight and later was nicknamed "punchie" and died early from complications of dimmencia.
Heavyweights in particular could be out on their feet after 12 rounds, guys like Ali paid a price for that.
True we have to see how things play out from here including rule adaptation and any possible improvements in helmet and other technology.
On boxing I remember that well, my dad was a club fighter and fought in the NAVY during the WWII era. (before my time) he got out. I used to watch fights on TV with him in the late 1950s, 1960s, a friend of his post WWII was a top 10 heavyweight and later was nicknamed "punchie" and died early from complications of dimmencia.
Heavyweights in particular could be out on their feet after 12 rounds, guys like Ali paid a price for that.
Some of Joe's left hooks were not truly appreciated until many years later. Ali took some wicked shots from Smokin' Joe.
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