Where will football be in 40 years?

[RonMexico3]

interesting perspective on the future of football from Outkickthecoverage.com. This was his response when a question about footballs future was asked. I would love to hear what other people have to say:

 

"The reality is, football's future doesn't rest with men, it rests with women. If moms decide football is too dangerous, their sons won't play.

 

That's why I believe football will go the way of boxing over the next forty years. Right now no self-respecting helicopter parents would put their kids in a boxing ring and let someone else's kid pound them into submission. That's because just about every parent has seen the harms of repeated blows to the head. It's just not worth it.

 

As football players age -- and we all see them falling apart right before our eyes -- most of us are going to decide it isn't worth the risk for our kids to play football either. Especially for young kids. Those kids who would have played football will filter into basketball and soccer and baseball and other sports. That diminishes the pool of potential stars, thereby diluting the product. Eventually football will end up like boxing, a sport that only the very poor pursue as a way out.

 

Football's never going to die as a sport -- just like boxing won't -- but I think in forty years the sport will have to be drastically altered -- maybe it moves to more of a seven on seven style with less linemen involved -- or the people who play it will just acknowledge that their lifespans are going to be dramatically shortened. Again, I'd encourage you to read "League of Denial." Everyone who plays high level football ends up really f'ed up. And we haven't even seen all the consequences of the modern era's size, strength and speed.

 

Of course, I'm sure the gladiators who survived didn't have great retirements in ancient Rome either. So maybe football won't change at all."

Edited February 16, 2015 by RonMexico3

[cbg]

I have said for the last two years that WRESTLING will become the contact sport for the youth and high school athletes in the United States. Statistics prove that wrestling has far fewer overall injuries than football and most other sports offered at the high school level. Coaches are telling me that the participation numbers for middle school football are down significantly at some schools due to the concussion reports and mothers are not allowing their sons to play football. Unless major changes are made you will see football become a minor sport at the high school level in the next 25 years.

[RonMexico3]

I have said for the last two years that WRESTLING will become the contact sport for the youth and high school athletes in the United States. Statistics prove that wrestling has far fewer overall injuries than football and most other sports offered at the high school level. Coaches are telling me that the participation numbers for middle school football are down significantly at some schools due to the concussion reports and mothers are not allowing their sons to play football. Unless major changes are made you will see football become a minor sport at the high school level in the next 25 years.

Interesting you said wrestling....never thought about it.

 

If you look at the history of all the "it" sports of the past century, the most popular sport of the time has changed. Boxing and horse racing pre 1950's. Baseball till the 80's. Even basketball with the Jordan era, now football.

 

I've stated it before and I'll say it again.....ice hockey and lacrosse participation numbers are sky rocketing while other sports number are dwindling.

 

Something needs to be done to protect the kids so we can protect the sport.

[cbg]

Interesting you said wrestling....never thought about it.

 

If you look at the history of all the "it" sports of the past century, the most popular sport of the time has changed. Boxing and horse racing pre 1950's. Baseball till the 80's. Even basketball with the Jordan era, now football.

 

I've stated it before and I'll say it again.....ice hockey and lacrosse participation numbers are sky rocketing while other sports number are dwindling.

 

Something needs to be done to protect the kids so we can protect the sport.

Ice hockey is having problems with concussions and LAX also has a higher than normal injury rate due to players swinging a stick. The sport that surprised me with a higher than normal concussion rate was soccer.

[DCTIGERFAN]

I have said for the last two years that WRESTLING will become the contact sport for the youth and high school athletes in the United States. Statistics prove that wrestling has far fewer overall injuries than football and most other sports offered at the high school level. Coaches are telling me that the participation numbers for middle school football are down significantly at some schools due to the concussion reports and mothers are not allowing their sons to play football. Unless major changes are made you will see football become a minor sport at the high school level in the next 25 years.

That will never happen, never.

[RonMexico3]

That will never happen, never.

Then tell us what you think will happen. The status quo can not stay the same....it NEVER does.

[cbg]

That will never happen, never.

Never underestimate the political power of women. If the mothers band together under the umbrella of there are too many head injuries in football you will see the participation numbers drop even faster than they are presently declining. Folks, I love football as much as the next person but when the NFL is offering to pay over 1 billion into a fund to assist with former players that have brain injuries there is a problem with football. Everyone can hide behind the theory of participation numbers in football are declining due to today's kids not being tough all they want but the major reason for the decline is brain injuries. Edited February 24, 2015 by cbg

[BigDave1967]

I think by then you could very well see most of the High School kids playing Baseball,Basketball or running Track. Those who can't do that will play Football. That will probably weaken College Football and the NFL.

[wingman10]

running

[BigDave1967]

interesting perspective on the future of football from Outkickthecoverage.com. This was his response when a question about footballs future was asked. I would love to hear what other people have to say:

 

"The reality is, football's future doesn't rest with men, it rests with women. If moms decide football is too dangerous, their sons won't play.

 

That's why I believe football will go the way of boxing over the next forty years. Right now no self-respecting helicopter parents would put their kids in a boxing ring and let someone else's kid pound them into submission. That's because just about every parent has seen the harms of repeated blows to the head. It's just not worth it.

 

As football players age -- and we all see them falling apart right before our eyes -- most of us are going to decide it isn't worth the risk for our kids to play football either. Especially for young kids. Those kids who would have played football will filter into basketball and soccer and baseball and other sports. That diminishes the pool of potential stars, thereby diluting the product. Eventually football will end up like boxing, a sport that only the very poor pursue as a way out.

 

Football's never going to die as a sport -- just like boxing won't -- but I think in forty years the sport will have to be drastically altered -- maybe it moves to more of a seven on seven style with less linemen involved -- or the people who play it will just acknowledge that their lifespans are going to be dramatically shortened. Again, I'd encourage you to read "League of Denial." Everyone who plays high level football ends up really f'ed up. And we haven't even seen all the consequences of the modern era's size, strength and speed.

 

Of course, I'm sure the gladiators who survived didn't have great retirements in ancient Rome either. So maybe football won't change at all."

I think Football will become like a two hand touch Iron Man type football just like Arena Ball but played on a football field.

[AlcoaBasketball]

I watched the PBS documentary of it, and I'm glad I did.

 

Obviously, I wouldn't want my child to endure the same trauma that "Iron Mike" Webster did (equivalent of 25,000 car crashes, Good Lord).

 

Likewise, I believe those as the top will continue to do whatever it takes to keep football going the way it is now (rich get richer). It's all about the money to them. Sad.

 

Only when they start losing money will they truly care about it, and by then, it might already be too late and football could be an afterthought by that point. It's so sad they went as far as they did to cover it all up to begin with. JMO

 

"The TRUTH is incontrovertible. Malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is." -Winston Churchill

Edited April 6, 2015 by AlcoaBasketball

[tradertwo]

Interesting you said wrestling....never thought about it.

 

If you look at the history of all the "it" sports of the past century, the most popular sport of the time has changed. Boxing and horse racing pre 1950's. Baseball till the 80's. Even basketball with the Jordan era, now football.

 

I've stated it before and I'll say it again.....ice hockey and lacrosse participation numbers are sky rocketing while other sports number are dwindling.

 

Something needs to be done to protect the kids so we can protect the sport.

The economic principal of supply and demand has and will dictate which sport kids will choose to play...the "cool" sport is football now because of the attendance at games. The "it" sports mentioned lost some of their popularity due to the changing times, some for administrative failures, and some from public opinion. Bird, Magic, and primarily Jordan's retirement, along with the "evolution" of the game from skill and technique to brute physicality ruined basketball's favor...horse racing has become antiquated and outdated, except for the "big three" triple crown events, which are still revered events. Baseball...strikes, lockouts, free agency...'nuff said. Boxing...lack of competitiveness and  talent in the heavier classifications, along with pay-per-view. Football may well dwindle from the pro's problems similar to baseball, but college and high school currently have fanatical followings.

   For those who rail against football for fear of injury to the participants...check the stat's, cheerleading is #1 for frequency of injury and severity.