The article is wrong. Dan Bukal former NDCP player filed suit last year. I believe this issue will eventually kill high school football.http://abc7chicago.com/sports/ex-hs...ect-student-athletes-from-concussions/685120/
Another concussion lawsuit
- Thread starter eireog
- Start date
I share your concern but I think you might be a little too focused on short-term trends.
For the last 100 years or so, the game of football (including high school football) has found a way to tweak it's rules and injury protocols to survive and in fact thrive.
The game may change slightly -- for example the much-discussed "3 concussions and you're done" rule will likely bring about the demise of the spread offense due to QB concussions -- but there is little reason to believe football will go away, even at the high school level.
@SweetWalter34 Couldn't agree with you more. People forget that the definition of a concussion changed about 3-4 years ago from being knocked out to have a headache. Of course there are going to be more concussions reported when you change the rule like that, "c'mon man".
As far as the lawsuits go, it's pretty obvious that these people are looking for a quick buck. If you say otherwise you should have been one of the nine on the firing squad in Indonesia yesterday.
As far as the lawsuits go, it's pretty obvious that these people are looking for a quick buck. If you say otherwise you should have been one of the nine on the firing squad in Indonesia yesterday.
Well now, there's an intelligent argument against those filing suits. "If you are saying you aren't filing a lawsuit for the money...you should be shot."
I hope I'm wrong but I feel that lawsuits, insurance costs, public opinion on the game being "unsafe" etc. will combine to spell the end of the game eventually in high schools. I think you may see as has been discussed on this board before, a move to AAU or club football in its place. Just an opinion. I welcome others opinions on the issue.
Apparently you aren't paying close enough attention as to how society has changed greatly in the past 20 years and especially in the past six or so. You can't compare things today , to those of 100 years ago. But, I understand your point. You have a lot of people now who want to see football go away. Those people have always been there. But now, they are a lot more visible and vocal. It is seeping into politics. That is extremely dangerous for the sport. And yes, the rules are changing. Diagnosis of concussions are more frequent now because of advances in the knowledge.
In the end, you may be right. The game may indeed survive. But some rules are going to change which will affect the game as we know it. However, saying it will survive is not a license to just sit back and not pay attention to what's going on. The way people like this work is: They won't just try to ban the game right away. They know that wouldn't work. So, instead of that they look for little incremental changes here and there and before you know it, the game is totally different or is on its way out. We have to pay attention to EVERY thing these people are trying to do.
Their main focus right now are the concussions and the idea that the game is simply too unsafe for young people. That's where they start. They are "thinking" of the health and safety of young kids. I am not saying concussions aren't a serious issue. They are.
Are you suggesting that the NFL owners aren't aren't intelligent enough, wealthy enough or powerful enough to navigate this thing?
Because if professional football remains highly profitable, the amateur game that feeds it it's talent will remain.
This is true for all sports, no?
@Dr. Mirakle I was clearly kidding, sorry if you can't handle sarcasm.
@SweetWalter34 is nailing it on all of his points. As long as their is $$$$ being made the sport will always exist. You're telling me UFC/MMA/Boxing is safer than football? I don't hear a peep about it. It's politicians looking to put their stamp on something and say "I did this" and "I did that".
Here's my thought...High School and College football should be as safe as possible because they are kids and they aren't getting paid (allegedly). I want the NFL to be as violent as possible, I want bone crushing hits, I want QB's getting dismantled, I want guys helmets popping off. You're getting paid millions of dollars, you know the risk when you sign that contract. I don't feel sorry for any of them, I don't.
@SweetWalter34 is nailing it on all of his points. As long as their is $$$$ being made the sport will always exist. You're telling me UFC/MMA/Boxing is safer than football? I don't hear a peep about it. It's politicians looking to put their stamp on something and say "I did this" and "I did that".
Here's my thought...High School and College football should be as safe as possible because they are kids and they aren't getting paid (allegedly). I want the NFL to be as violent as possible, I want bone crushing hits, I want QB's getting dismantled, I want guys helmets popping off. You're getting paid millions of dollars, you know the risk when you sign that contract. I don't feel sorry for any of them, I don't.
Dr. Who is they? Who are these people you are talking about.
If you don't know then I can't help you and you aren't paying attention to what is being written and said by who.
I can handle sarcasm alright. Obviously you couldn't handle mine when I said your first statement was intelligent.
How did you equate this to boxing? Where exactly was I "telling you" UFC/MMA Boxing is safer? If you are going to debate, at least try and stay on track for Christ's sake.
Now, I do agree 100% that there are some politicians out there who are just dying to get involved with this. THAT is where the real danger is. I am ALL for football being played and not messed with by people who have little or no knowledge of the game.
If you want a "violent as possible NFL" that is fine and your opinion. But the day may come, sooner than you think if it isn't already here, that you will find yourself in the minority whether you are being sarcastic or not.
I am not saying that at all. I am just saying the fight is going to get much harder. The people who are attacking football aren't going after the NFL as much as they are going after the lower levels. They are trying to kill the roots. It is just something to take seriously and pay attention to.
I think you have it upside down.
Professional football is the roots, youth football is the branches.
The roots are unprecedentedly healthy right now.
Youth football will remain, as long as the roots remain healthy.
The owners have a lot more skin in this game than you and I do.
I get your point. So, let me change the term from "roots" to "future." It is obvious the owners have more skin (money) in the game than we do. But never underestimate the power of a political movement, if it becomes a political movement. Millions of people 100 years ago thought there was no way liquor and beer would be outlawed. That was a huge industry. But it was for quite some time. Only the loss of tax revenue brought it back. That's another story. I am only using this as an example of what a political movement can do.
I am not at all trying to be doom and gloom. I am just saying this needs to be paid attention to. Young parents and kids are being targeted now. Parents are being told through media sources to not let their kids play youth football. I had two sons who played youth, high school and college football and I can't remember seeing so many anti-football people then as you have now. Maybe they are just more visible now.
I too think the game itself is safe for now and I am happy about that. But you can't let this movement take root and grow into a problem either.
Except that your own example, Prohibition, directly refutes your point.
Prohibition was a political movement that was beaten back by big money.
Political movements vs money?
I'm putting my money on money.
Because, in this life, big money always wins.
Youth football fans should be glad about this. Big money is actually on our side on this one.
There were a ton of contributing factors regarding the repeal of prohibition. Yes, money was one. Actually political movements and money go hand-in-hand many times. I am not going to waste anymore time with this. I don't think we are very far apart. I am only saying take all threats seriously. I honestly believe that some day the game of football will disappear if certain people end up getting their way. Probably won't happen in my lifetime however. But it will happen.
You really should just stop now. The more you try to advance your point, the more you cheapen it and your credibility to advance it.
Seriously? You feel like you're winning an argument here? Just what do you feel like you're winning? What's the prize? Food for your ego? OH MY GOD! SweetWalter is questioning my credibility! Call out the Marines! I won't be able to sleep at night! In the scheme of things, who really cares? You don't even know who I am, so I find that post funny. You are no one to question anyone's credibility so please get off your high horse. You don't even have the sense to see the point I was making. But whatever. You want to respond, go ahead, you'll be talking to yourself. I am done wasting time with you.
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The only thing I see happening in the near future is teams now only have 50 player rosters instead of 100. This is the norm for most schools so I don't think the game is in Jeopardy. Actually I think it will become more competitive and schools that will drop football will now send their talent to the schools that remain playing the game. For example it's 500 plus schools in Illinois that play football. That number may drop by 100 or so. If that happen, we would go back down to 6 classes eliminating 64 teams from the playoffs. There is not enough people that truly feel the game is dangerous right now. Most of the lawsuits are money driven with hopes of cashing in.
I think what we are seeing are lots of opportunists looking at football safety as an opportunity to cash in or to further their agendas.
To be sure, there are people out there with legitimate gripes and who are truly concerned. These people have been truly impacted by NFL owners, coaches and trainers who turned a blind eye to a myriad of health and safety issues, football coaches who worked kids to dangerous levels of dehydration, etc. But I really do believe that these are a relative handful in comparison to politicians, attorneys and former players who are now coming out of the woodwork and, to borrow a football term, piling on.
Don't think for the briefest of nanoseconds that someone like Illinois State Rep Linda Chapa LaVia is leading the hearings on football safety issues out of any sense of genuine concern. See link. http://highschoolcubenews.com/2014/09/25/clark-marty-hickman-ihsa-explaining/
Rep. Chapa LaVia sees this issue as an opportunity to be in the public eye, get free publicity, and improve her chances for reelection. Rather than devote her energies towards fixing the ridiculously messed up financial situation in this state, she sees this issue as a no brainer to make her look good to her constituency -- the majority of whom don't give two craps about high school football. These ignorant people will look at what Rep. Chapa LaVia is doing and applaud her efforts because who can argue with making sports more safe, right?
If anyone thinks that all of the personal injury lawsuits that have been and will be filed on this are all legitimate and that none of them are attempts by low life opportunists out to cash in on something they don't deserve, I've got a bridge I can sell them.
To be sure, there are people out there with legitimate gripes and who are truly concerned. These people have been truly impacted by NFL owners, coaches and trainers who turned a blind eye to a myriad of health and safety issues, football coaches who worked kids to dangerous levels of dehydration, etc. But I really do believe that these are a relative handful in comparison to politicians, attorneys and former players who are now coming out of the woodwork and, to borrow a football term, piling on.
Don't think for the briefest of nanoseconds that someone like Illinois State Rep Linda Chapa LaVia is leading the hearings on football safety issues out of any sense of genuine concern. See link. http://highschoolcubenews.com/2014/09/25/clark-marty-hickman-ihsa-explaining/
Rep. Chapa LaVia sees this issue as an opportunity to be in the public eye, get free publicity, and improve her chances for reelection. Rather than devote her energies towards fixing the ridiculously messed up financial situation in this state, she sees this issue as a no brainer to make her look good to her constituency -- the majority of whom don't give two craps about high school football. These ignorant people will look at what Rep. Chapa LaVia is doing and applaud her efforts because who can argue with making sports more safe, right?
If anyone thinks that all of the personal injury lawsuits that have been and will be filed on this are all legitimate and that none of them are attempts by low life opportunists out to cash in on something they don't deserve, I've got a bridge I can sell them.
It affects football at the grass roots level which is today's youth. Parents are choosing alternative sports for young boys to participate in. The strong youth programs (large ones) will survive. The medium to smaller ones due to the decreased participation numbers will not. Programs being proactive today are providing free baseline testing as well as heart and vascular scans. Everything to provide a safe proactive environment for parents and kids. Youth participation levels will not return to the numbers they were at previously.
