Leatherneck Nation

With all the worries about concussions, brain damage, and other long-term injuries, I wonder if something like this could really grab hold: https://www.wired.com/story/american-fl ... onal-affl/

Like they said at the end of the video, I'm not sure it'll ever actually replace or "take down" the NFL, but it could end up being a pretty popular alternative, especially if this moves it's way down to the college level and you start seeing top-quality athletes go this route rather than traditional "tackle football".

I'm wondering when HS will start to stop offering football. With the concussion liability combined with the lack of funding and expense of offering football I wouldn't be surprised to start seeing a non-football trend beginning fairly soon.

What do high schools and colleges typically pay for football team liability insurance?

Tere North wrote: Tue Jul 11, 2017 11:26 am I'm wondering when HS will start to stop offering football. With the concussion liability combined with the lack of funding and expense of offering football I wouldn't be surprised to start seeing a non-football trend beginning fairly soon.

I think it's already been trending that way for a few years...much fewer people putting their kids into football and going out for other sports instead. I remember reading something a year or so ago about a lot of smaller high schools having trouble having enough players to field a team. Obviously not so much of a problem at the larger schools or in Texas...at least not yet anyway. You are seeing a lot of the youth football leagues (like, spring and summer leagues for high schoolers to keep them in shape and stuff) moving away from tackle football, towards either flag football, or variations on the rules that don't involve anywhere near as much hard contact.

I think you'll gradually see a progression of the really good athletes towards sports like baseball, basketball, even soccer (although there's a decent amount of contact with that too). Also, more of the really fast guys going towards track. Really, you're probably already seeing it in terms of guys who are good enough to play multiple sports. I mean, you had guys like Jeff Samardzija, Matt Szczur, or more recently Aaron Judge who could probably have ended up playing in the NFL, but chose to go into baseball. Judge, in particular (if you aren't aware) is currently a right fielder for the Yankees, is probably the best home run hitter in the MLB in...well....in a VERY long time, and he's HUGE for a baseball player. Judge is listed at 6' 7" tall and 282 lbs....the dude is HUGE. From his wikipedia page:

Judge attended Linden High School, where he was a three-sport star. He played as a pitcher (9-3, 0.65 ERA, 65K) and first baseman (.500 AVG, 7 HR, 32 RBI) for the baseball team, a wide receiver (54 REC, 969 YDS, 17 TD) for the football team, and an "all-state" center (18.2 PTS, 12.8 REBS) for the basketball team.

He was recruited by schools like Notre Dame, Stanford, and UCLA to play Tight End (and honestly probably could have played DI basketball if he wanted to do that as well), but chose to go the baseball route.

So, I think it's already happening, and I could see, a ways down the road, all levels of football having to go a "safer" route, such as that above listed "flag football" version, just to keep the league alive and popular.

sealhall74 wrote: Tue Jul 11, 2017 12:49 pm What do high schools and colleges typically pay for football team liability insurance?

Here's some info about that, although this is targeted more at "youth football"...so it could be higher for college or whatever.
https://www.sadlersports.com/football/
I'd imagine that the more that research comes out about the dangers of tackle football, the higher the insurance rates will be, and it could really start to price a lot of groups out of the game (or that specific version of it).

As much as I love football in it's current incarnation (and have fond memories of watching some pretty "hard-nosed" football with Western and with the Bears), you can't deny the physical toll it's taking on the players, and as more of them choose to play other sports, retire early, or at the very least, become more aware of the situation, football as we know it is going to have to change.

ST, I agree with you. Players today at all levels of play are just too big and too capable of imposing their will on another body. Something has to give. Can technology make a dent in protecting the players better. Maybe. This chart shows how NFL players bodies have changed over time. Not uncommon to see 280 to 300 lb HS players today.

http://www.businessinsider.com/nfl-play ... ime-2014-7

sealhall74 wrote: Tue Jul 11, 2017 2:06 pm ST, I agree with you. Players today at all levels of play are just too big and too capable of imposing their will on another body. Something has to give. Can technology make a dent in protecting the players better. Maybe. This chart shows how NFL players bodies have changed over time. Not uncommon to see 280 to 300 lb HS players today.

http://www.businessinsider.com/nfl-play ... ime-2014-7

The push has been to get bigger and bigger, where weight alone is a factor in high school, with some ridiculously "fat kids" playing.

One consideration might be to have a weight limit. Say no pros over 300, no college over 275, no high school over 250.

I played flag football in 7th and 8th grade! Of course tackle football followed when I became a freshman. I loved tackle football!!! I enjoyed the physical contact I experienced playing the game. I guess it was my way to beat the crap out of the guys that had made fun of me because I was uncoordinated, smart, and had glasses! The games were a challenge to say the least. And I know I got my head wacked a few times, seeing stars......My sophomore year I played a great game at homecoming but in a bit of a fog the second half. But gosh, it was Friday night, under the lights, the stands were packed and it was just magic. As time went on I had some interest from West Point and Air Force and then I lost a kidney in a sledding accident and that was the end of that. I have some cervical vertebrae problems, a direct result of football. Some lumbar vertebrae problems too, the result of the sledding accident. Funny, when I made some of the hits I made, the coaches just yelled, "great hit" but never said, "your gonna have cervical problems someday!" I love the game of football. But I am not sure I would want my grandson to play the game. My son in law played Lacrosse! Can't beat that game with a stick!!!!!! jc

One more thing! I played intramural 160 football at WIU! It was 6 man, everyone was eligible. I played center, learned to long snap and then basically played the game like a tight end. It was an absolute blast and very very competitive. Don't know if it was flag or touch, but huge crowds came out to watch the playoffs. A cute Sigma Kappa came out to watch me play all the way to the semifinals. We have been married for 41 years! jc