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The bone-shattering truth: U.S. football is doomed
Chicago Tribune ^ | May 04, 2012 | John Kass

Posted on 05/05/2012 1:03:49 PM PDT by MinorityRepublican

With the apparent suicide of NFL great Junior Seau, who played 20 years in the world's most violently glamorous sport, American football is dying.

It's about time. The nationally televised gambling and meat-rendering factory cannot survive without new players.

And the parents of future players are asking themselves this:

Is football worth it for my child?

(Excerpt) Read more at articles.chicagotribune.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: braininjury; football; nfl; seau
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To: Secret Agent Man

They actually wore conventional football uniforms, pads, and helmets. This was not lingerie football, which is exploitative and ridiculous, but serious full contact football


141 posted on 05/06/2012 2:29:21 PM PDT by Freestate316
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To: BigCinBigD

He grew up on the South Side, played at Illinois, was a first round draft pick of the Bears in 1965. For the next decade, no other player struck fear in the hearts of opposing offenses like #51. He didn’t just tackle the ball carrier: he physically punished them. He also played most of his career on bad knees, and was a first ballot Hall of Fame player. I agree that Obama and Ballerina Immanuel are metrosexual pansies, but not all men from Chicago are wusses. By the way, I grew up in suburban Philadelphia as an Eagles fan, but admired Butkus as a great player.


142 posted on 05/06/2012 2:47:56 PM PDT by Freestate316
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To: Secret Agent Man; ml/nj; SunkenCiv; All
I do get your point. Girls' and women's football has been tried and has been a big failure, fortunately. Rarely, though, you'll see a story in the lefty MSM about a female on an otherwise all-male football team who has the safest position on the field: placekicker. That generally would be high school when it occurs, with a handful in college.

Women's professional baseball was once tried as well and couldn't cut it. (Recall the movie "A League of Their Own.") Now they are confined to softball in college. They can win championships for their schools and even get invited to the White House if they do, but pro opportunities hardly exist.

143 posted on 05/06/2012 6:36:22 PM PDT by justiceseeker93
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To: justiceseeker93

I knew of a D3 place kicker. She had been the women’s soccer team goal keeper. I witnessed her kicking a goal, it won’t from her goal kick, bounced once in front of the opposing goalkeeper and right into the net.

She routinely made forty yard field goals. If the O line was any better she could have kick further.

I would take that any day of the week. And at least four times on Saturday.


144 posted on 05/06/2012 6:43:44 PM PDT by Vermont Lt (I just don't like anything about the President. And I don't think he's a nice guy.)
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To: Colonel Kangaroo
Basketball is good. I just avoid it because it's dominated by hoodlums, but as a sport, it's great. Even water polo is a good sport. I simply listed some examples.

The point is that part of the development of a young man should include a competitive team sport with a combative nature. It like other classes teaches something he needs: how to deal with adversity/conflict/fears, defeat/failure/victory, play as part of a team that will only succeed with a true “team” mentality and not only talking about it. You don't learn that in a Trig class in high school, but it's nonetheless important. The physical conditioning of the sport is but one component to consider and probably long term the least valuable.

145 posted on 05/09/2012 7:20:27 AM PDT by Red6
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To: Colonel Kangaroo

Lacrosse is exploding as a sport that kids are playing, especially here in Texas.


146 posted on 05/09/2012 7:23:34 AM PDT by dfwgator (Don't wake up in a roadside ditch. Get rid of Romney.)
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To: boop
Actually tennis is a great sport, but it can be very tough on knees

Don't play on hard courts.

147 posted on 05/09/2012 7:39:33 AM PDT by Publius Valerius
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To: LauraJean

Thank you for defending Kass - he’s far more solution than problem. As for football, I certainly wouldn’t want my son playing beyond the Pee-Wee level. Ignoring what’s going on with head injuries is graveyard whistling.


148 posted on 05/09/2012 7:47:22 AM PDT by Hegewisch Dupa
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To: Eric Blair 2084
I’ve never seen anyone turn away from a hockey fight and leave the building. Everyone stands and cheers.

Yeah. I remember reading this year all the articles and comments from the people that enjoyed the Flyers/Pens series and wished that all hockey games could be played like the ones in that series.

149 posted on 05/09/2012 7:52:39 AM PDT by Publius Valerius
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To: Freedom_Is_Not_Free
Point #1. — Ghettos are filled with kids that would give their left nut to play in the NFL.

That's true. But what will happen is that wealthy and educated parents won't let their kids play football, and when that happens, the game will eventually fall out of fashion with the middle class, and, over a longer period of time, will remain in fashion amongst only the working/poor class.

Goodell has the right idea. He understands that for the game to continue to grow (or even maintain its popularity), it has to be safe.

You think this guy is an idiot? The very fact that people are talking about this--including very well respected sports writers like Buzz Bissinger (who advocated in the WSJ to ban college football)--means that football has a serious problem that it has to nip in the bud. I would bet anything that Roger Goodell doesn't think that this guy is an idiot.

150 posted on 05/09/2012 8:01:50 AM PDT by Publius Valerius
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To: sergeantdave

God bless you and friends, but the Marines I know are far more disciplined and have far more sense then to comdemn a group of people with a blanket statement.


151 posted on 05/10/2012 7:57:48 AM PDT by cumbo78
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To: MinorityRepublican
This guy, John Kasshole, is on a one-man crusade to get rid of football.

Well, Kasshole, I hate football, but I'm on a one-man crusade to get rid of you, instead.

152 posted on 05/10/2012 8:01:49 AM PDT by Lazamataz (To the wall, street occupiers!!!!!)
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To: MinorityRepublican

“Is football worth it for my child?”

The idiot wussy obviously doesn’t know the first thing about football.


153 posted on 05/10/2012 8:03:12 AM PDT by CodeToad
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