Millennial generation could kill the NFL

ChristianScienceMonitor ^ | October 19, 2012 | Morley Winograd and Michael D. Hais

[chessplayer]

Many protective mothers and fathers of Millennials aren't allowing their kids to play tackle football because of health risks. These attitudes could close the NFL’s pipeline to many talented players. But these concerns also have the potential to change the violent NFL culture for the better.

Professional football has been America’s favorite spectator sport since 1972 when baby boomers became the most important TV audience demographic. Steve Sabol, the genius behind NFL Films that helped to popularize the NFL in the 1960s, captured the drama and danger of pro football with his slow motion films of big violent hits backed by stirring music.

Pro football, depicted by Mr. Sabol as a confrontation between good and evil in which there can be only one winner, matched the values of baby boomers a half century ago. But this focus is not as appealing to the Millennial generation with its focus on win-win solutions and an instinct for avoiding confrontation.

[chessplayer]

Today’s football is nothing but sissified arena ball as far as I am concerned.

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Tell players who have had career ending knee or ankle injuries what sissys they are. A lot of injuries these “sissys” suffer now will make them virtually cripples when they reach their 50’s or 60’s.

[GunRunner]

I’d still root for them over the Steelers. The only team owned by a member of the Obama administration.

[Darren McCarty]

I prefer college football anyway.

If I'm a dad of boys, he'll have a football in his hand by the time he's a year old, and ice skates by the time he's four. Sports keep a lot of kids out of trouble.

[Alberta's Child]

Like hockey kept Darren McCarty out of trouble?

LOL -- just kidding. I like that attitude with young boys. It gets them focused on setting goals, meeting them, and measuring performance.

[cripplecreek]

Hell, Dan Rooney was one of the primary reasons I voted against his nephew Brian Rooney when he ran for congress in my district in 2010.

Guess I just have trouble trusting politicians who sit down to Christmas dinner with liberal politicians.

[Last of the Mohicans]

Figure shaking, huh? Kind of an odd alternative to football.

[Last of the Mohicans]

Figure shaking, huh? Kind of an odd alternative to football.

[Defiant]

The pussification of American boys continues.

[Tijeras_Slim]

Read the short story “The National Pastime” by Norman Spinrad. He had it all figured out in the 70’s.

[Darren McCarty]

I used to have one of those! Never had a bicycle helmet either. I know. That why I turned out the way I did.

[LS]

Yes you’re right, but the perception is that football is more dangerous.

[perez24]

I love lacrosse and coached it for years. When my son tells me that it’s the fastest growing sport in the country, I remind him that when I was a kid the fastest growing sport was soccer...and it hasn’t replaced the NFL in any way.

Still, I hope you’re right.

[chessplayer]

Millennial generation with its focus on win-win solutions and an instinct for avoiding confrontation.

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Thats the part that caught my attention the most. Avoiding confrontation. Watch the animal kingdom. For the most part animals will avoid confrontation if at all possible. There are exceptions,,,protecting their young, mating season. They will threaten each other, huff and puff, etc., but when it comes down to it if there is an escape exit they can take to avoid a fight they will take it. Why? Because they know that even if they “win” the fight, the injuries they suffer from it may very well kill them afterward. Too much blood loss, too injured to hunt for food, etc. It seems we are the only species that deliberately seeks injury. When you think about it, how intelligent is that.

[cripplecreek]

When we were kids we were all in little league baseball and even if we weren't on a team we still ended up playing pick up games.

[Darren McCarty]

Maybe skating figures around goalies and driving defenders into the boards. :)

[dfwgator]

I recently got hooked on Gaelic Football, combines all of the best aspects of Football, Rugby and Soccer. Sort of like Aussie Rules, but I think the Irish game flows better.

[Chode]

i guess it's a start...

[Reily]

Well I think I can put my finger on when the problem occurred. I can remember in little league football when all of a sudden they changed how they were teaching kids to block and tackle. It went from blocking and tackling with the shoulder ‘Get your shoulder in there, son!’ to blocking and tackling with the helmet, ‘Put your helmet in there at the numbers, son !’. All of a sudden there was these proliferation of neck rolls as part of your equipment. From then Jr high to high school you struck with your helmet. There were pseudo-scientific explanations from the coaches about how this was safer then using the shoulder. Of we all accepted their explanation, back in the old days of open face helmets and lighter pads you could only hit so hard. Any harder, you hurt yourself more then you hurt the opposition. I played rugby during and after college for almost 20 years and concussions occurred, but it wasn't common. In rugby shoulder tackles were used and the goal in the tackle was as much to tie up or take the ball as bring the man down.

I am not sure what the final answer should be, but banning football isn't it. Demphasizing striking with the helmet my be the best choice. However its a rough game and a right of passage for young American males you can get hurt. You can also drown fishing.

[ccmay]

My son only played soccer for a few years as a small child, and played regular football a couple years in high school, but all he and his friends care about is English Premier League soccer.

[Darren McCarty]

Animals also learn dominance and do not hesitate to be dominant when they are able to do so. Birds chase each other out their area all the type, usually by biting their target in the arse. Goosed is called goosed for a reason. I've seen racoons scrap before. Those are viscous creatures and I wouldn't want to tangle with them unarmed.

How do animals get tough? They do it by playing. Wolves play and nip. Humans play football. While sports is common, most humans don't actively seek out actual street fights unless they are backed into a corner.