Bob Costas predicts the demise of football

[Howie'81]

I think it was Isaac Newton that came up with the famous formula F=MA. Force equal Mass times Acceleration.

So to reduce the Force, you have to reduce the Mass and the Acceleration.

To reduce the Mass....extensive PED policy with state of the art testing both in NCAA and NFL. Caught one time, out for 2 years just like Olympics. Twice is gone forever.

Acceleration....slow players down. Simple, make them where pads. Not only slows them down, but lessens the hits. Look at players now, knee pads don't exist. Defensive guys don't where thigh pads or hip pads or tailbone pads, some Dlineman barely where shoulder pads. Force every player to where a full set of complete pads that are regulated, so the players don't decide what size, every player essentially wears the same set depending on position and size. This includes rib protection via bodysuit and a full set of pads like you saw back in the 80's. This would greatly reduce injuries seen.

Helmets...probably the #1 thing that needs advancement. Could be done in a heartbeat. Simple to do. NCAA and NFL each put up $10 million to the two main helmet suppliers and say they require a 33% reduction in force of collision in helmets (easily measured with modern technology and they are doing it now) in TWO years. Helmet suppliers would figure it out in no time with some money. Even if the helmets had to get 50% bigger with more padding. Then give another $10 million to 3 Universities and tell them they want a 50-75% reduction in 5-10 years and let some PhD's figure out some new stuff.

Football can be made much safer, but the NCAA and NFL don't want to make is safer as they are concerned it will slow the game down and be less violent. They equate that speed and violence to viewership and viewership is $$$. The NFL owners and NCAA Presidents's and AD's are addicted to the money, it is drug they cannot give up.

Not quite correct. You must reduce one or the other or both, but you're really using the wrong equation. What you want to reduce is energy on impact. That is represented by the equation: 1/2MV^2, where M=mass, V=velocity.

Since the V term in the equation is squared, reducing velocity has an exponential impact on reducing the energy in a collision, whereas reducing mass only has a linear impact.

 

[RossValory]

The thing about going over the middle is, I can't see safeties and corners and linebackers projectile tackling if they have no facemask, and need to lower their heads, which puts neck injury at a high risk, that they would knowingly enter, into such a hit. No, I'm not saying leather helmets, but a regulation, helmet such as the ones we use today, without facemasks.

 

[dbsteel]

https://www.usatoday.com/story/spor...-this-game-destroys-peoples-brains/842904001/

Its already falling off. These kids teams around here (Pittsburgh suburbs) are having a much harder time filling their rosters. Baseball seems to be making a resurgence.

 

[dbsteel]

Perhaps football as we know it today may come to an end during the next 50 to 75 years but it will never go away completely. There's too much money in football and the rich will see to it that it continues in one form or another. Unfortunately it will be much worse for the players because once the NFL collapses there will be no players Union, no contract negotiations and no concussion guidelines. The hits will be harder than ever and the rating will go literally through the roof.

During the very early 80's the buzz was that boxing was too dangerous and had to be outlawed, so Championship fights went from 15 round fights to 12 round fights. Remember when Senators said that UFC and MMA fighting would never be tolerated in the U.S. Today it's more popular than ever.

In 50 years, they will be playing with robots. It will be super cool.

 

[dbsteel]

Youth sports are down across the board. So its not like the kids that 'arent allowed' to play football are jumping to other sports. Your area may be different but flag football has also declined nationally.

In fact one of the reasons all youth sporrs are down is that kids are only playing one sport and not multiple sports.

The biggest factor seems to be the cost of youth sports. Middle income and lower income family participation has fallen significantly while upper income participation has actually increased over the last decade.

Of course the safety of football has always been a concern when it comes to participation. That is the case more than ever today but it doesnt seem to be the biggest factor. At least yet.

I don't know about that- around here, youth baseball is really picking up, swimming is pretty huge, soccer is big, and lacrosse is picking up too. We had our entire tourney baseball team- some of the better athletes- continue playing baseball in the fall instead of messing with football.

 

[Howie'81]

I don't know about that- around here, youth baseball is really picking up, swimming is pretty huge, soccer is big, and lacrosse is picking up too. We had our entire tourney baseball team- some of the better athletes- continue playing baseball in the fall instead of messing with football.

A lot more money and longevity for the players in baseball if you have game.

 

[Chickenman Testa]

But I bet you'll let him drive your car. My guess is you won't be with him most of the time.

Maybe he'll get drunk. Maybe he will try to show off. Maybe he will try to text someone and kill himself. Heck. Unlike the football field, not only might he kill himself, he might kill some innocent grandmother or some innocent Family driving to church.

Over 2,300 kids between 16 and 19 were killed in car accidents in 2015 alone. Over 221,000 in that age group went to emergency rooms. Over 3 times the National average. I didn't bother to look up all the additional innocent people they killed or injured.

Football and other sports kept crazy kids like me off the road. I was a hundred percent safer on the football field than I was in a car at that age. Plus it taught me the discipline and gave me the self esteem I needed at that age to have no need to show off or get in trouble. Cars do just the opposite.

Wheras most parents aren't supervising their kids in their cars, when a kid is on the football field, he is being supervised all the time. If I have a choice of my son being out in a car at night, or on a football field, I'll take the football field every time.

All good points, but there are a variety of sporting alternatives that teach the same lessons, provide the same benefits, etc that are safer (or perceived to be safer). That’s the main problem football has.

 

[NC2017]

I don't think football has any choice but to continue to legislate (for lack of better word) hitting out of the game. It may end up resembling something more like flag football. The older generation is going to scream about this, but if you can only appreciate football with the intense hits, you are not going to have football in the long term.

I appreciate the athleticism and strategy of a football game and could still enjoy it if the big hits were taken out. Not sure if that means eliminating tackling altogether, or just making hard contact illegal.

Honestly, it works for me. I still enjoy PSU football but that's about it. If this is the last year for football I'll continue on with life and enjoy myself. Of course the nanny state will soon pick a new crusade but I can't fret about what might be. Besides if they were really serious about our health they'd study the hell out of cell phone usage. Way too much $$$$ involved tho, so our kids will keep those things in a pocket tucked next to their Jones.

 

[Nitwit97]

But I bet you'll let him drive your car. My guess is you won't be with him most of the time.

Maybe he'll get drunk. Maybe he will try to show off. Maybe he will try to text someone and kill himself. Heck. Unlike the football field, not only might he kill himself, he might kill some innocent grandmother or some innocent Family driving to church.

Over 2,300 kids between 16 and 19 were killed in car accidents in 2015 alone. Over 221,000 in that age group went to emergency rooms. Over 3 times the National average. I didn't bother to look up all the additional innocent people they killed or injured.

Football and other sports kept crazy kids like me off the road. I was a hundred percent safer on the football field than I was in a car at that age. Plus it taught me the discipline and gave me the self esteem I needed at that age to have no need to show off or get in trouble. Cars do just the opposite.

Wheras most parents aren't supervising their kids in their cars, when a kid is on the football field, he is being supervised all the time. If I have a choice of my son being out in a car at night, or on a football field, I'll take the football field every time.

This comment misses the mark so badly. The percentage of people who play football and probably have CTE is much higher than the rate of people who drive and get into life altering accidents.

You do not have to play football to function in society. You need vehicular transport to attend school, go to a job, etc. To compare the two is folly.

There are avenues other than football to keep kids busy. There are other sports, and you and I definitely agree - sports teaches so much to young people - discipline, teamwork, commitment, the list goes on

I have nothing against people who choose to play football, it is their life, their choice.

 

[psu1969a]

https://www.usatoday.com/story/spor...-this-game-destroys-peoples-brains/842904001/

First, get rid of current helmets. Go back to the type from the 50s & 60s. No plastics can be used. No facemasks.

Start enforcing the rules, especially: holding, clipping, spearing, pass interference, and few others.

No use of any types of electronics other than headset to talk to coaches in the press box.

QBs MUST call their own plays. Same goes for LB to call defenses.

 

[Nitwit97]

But to follow, the original point is that the demise of the sport of football is imminent. And I have to say it is hard to argue with this idea.

Someone brought up gambling. Gambling has been around since two people had a dollar each and a spare minute. There was gambling before football, there will be gambling after football.

I stated earlier, the bigger money issue will come when HS start to be named in lawsuits. Then the taxpayer will say “Enough!” And that will be that.

 

[demlion]

Fine. That's probably not the trip that's going to kill someone.

What happens when he's given the keys to drive to the prom? You take his picture with his hot date, his Mom gives him a kiss on the cheek, and you both tell him to have a good time.

Next thing you know, the police are at your door telling you your car was wrapped around a tree with both him and his date in it. You have to ID the bodies because they are unrecognizable. Smell of alcohol everywhere. Speedometer broken at 90 mph.

Let me tell you something. I'm just as guilty as the next guy. I might give him those keys. But if you don't think I'm a quadrillion times more nervous about him in that car unsupervised than I am with him on the football field getting tackled or tackling someone else, you're crazy.

You said you played football. And you are almost as old as me (not quite ). Where have you come closer to being killed in your life? In your car? Or on the football field?

No matter how you phrase these silly hypotheticals, they are CUMULATIVE, not exclusive. It also does not matter which is more dangerous since both are dangerous and if you are going to do both you have to add the risks TOGETHER.

As for me, I have not been close in either activity, so far as I know. I probably came closest of all while hunting, or while swimming.

 

[Class of 67]

Read a distressing article about a certain high school (can't remember name or where) where the whole league played 8-man football.

That was in Michigan.

 

[PSU65]

Recently read that they found similar brain damage in some soccer players. Are they going to propose getting rid of all contact sports? I wonder what the bowling final four will look like in 2040.

 

[stf110]

It seems around here the sports that are on the upswing (Lacrosse, Hockey) use many of the same kids who would have played football, and also as others have alluded to, tend to draw from the more affluent areas due to the costs involved in playing.

In general youth sports today are much more expensive then they were even just 10-15 years ago, with the camps, equipment families need to purchase themselves, and how more and more school districts are charging families participation fees even for school sponsored sports. Those also contribute to where kids in the past might have played 2-3 different sports, now just focus on one.

 

[stf110]

I think they should limit substitutions, forcing players to play both ways.

This will require a leaner body type and so doing will reduce the force of impacts.

But having fewer kids get to "start" is not exactly a good way to foster more involvement in the sport, you will just quicken the speed at which non-starters flee for other sports, and reduce the number of kids who play football even more.