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[……forgetit]

i think it's more pc to call them cheerleaders

Lol, my mistake

 

[hoos30]

For once I have to thank Hollywood for informing me on a topic. Before Concussion, I was aware of the risk of head injuries, but I didn't realize that there was a specific disease caused by them. I also didn't know that the NFL had so actively buried evidence of it.

So, no, no football for my son.

 

[Earthstrike]

One case doesn't equal a trend, we don't know what predispositions he may have had. Also that is through college. Not youth football. To suddenly say that the activity that millions of people have participated in over the last century and been just fine is now unconscionable is ridiculous. Dangers? Sure. Like many other things including sports in general. Let's just not make them out to be bigger than they are.

The majority of science that is coming out overwhelmingly implies football causes brain damage. And truth be told it's not that hard to figure out.

I feel like something analagous to smoking is going to happen here.

"Does breathing in the set of all molecules, created by the combustion of an organic substance, into your lungs cause lung damage?"
"Gee idono, that's a real head scratcher"

"Does performing an acitivity where you run into people for literally decades in a row cause head damage?"
"Gee idono, that's a real head scratcher."

 

[ElectricBlanketFire]

For once I have to thank Hollywood for informing me on a topic. Before Concussion, I was aware of the risk of head injuries, but I didn't realize that there was a specific disease caused by them. I also didn't know that the NFL had so actively buried evidence of it.

So, no, no football for my son.

I haven't seen the movie so I'm not sure how they approach it, but the sub-concussive hits are what cause CTE. So you could never officially have a "concussion" while ravaging your brain during your football career.

 

[QuantumZebra]

I haven't seen the movie so I'm not sure how they approach it, but the sub-concussive hits are what cause CTE. So you could never officially have a "concussion" while ravaging your brain during your football career.

Yea I mean it's in the name of the disease "Chronic Traumatic" Encephalopy. The concussions just make it even worse. The constant hits to the head even without concussions (I've heard players call it "getting dazed") are what leads to it.

Don't boxers get bad CTE as well?

 

[braves01]

Yea I mean it's in the name of the disease "Chronic Traumatic" Encephalopy. The concussions just make it even worse. The constant hits to the head even without concussions (I've heard players call it "getting dazed") are what leads to it.

Don't boxers get bad CTE as well?

Yep, and some soccer and hockey players, too. I wouldn't be surprised if most full contact sports result in CTE long term.

 

[NetMapel]

The majority of science that is coming out overwhelmingly implies football causes brain damage. And truth be told it's not that hard to figure out.

I feel like something analagous to smoking is going to happen here.

"Does breathing in the set of all molecules, created by the combustion of an organic substance, into your lungs cause lung damage?"
"Gee idono, that's a real head scratcher"

"Does performing an acitivity where you run into people for literally decades in a row cause head damage?"
"Gee idono, that's a real head scratcher."

Well to be fair, people have a hard time accepting that possibility for weed these days. So, people are quite willing to ignore science when it affects something that they enjoy, I guess.

 

[masud]

Im a dad and I wouldn't want my kids playing football. However I wasn't raised around the sport and I'm not a fan. My opinion might be different if I was. I am going to try to get them into basketball and soccer though because I do see the value in organized sports.

 

[ElectricBlanketFire]

Im a dad and I wouldn't want my kids playing football. However I wasn't raised around the sport and I'm not a fan. My opinion might be different if I was. I am going to try to get them into basketball and soccer though because I do see the value in organized sports.

Actual football players don't want their kids playing football. You would be right in not wanting him to play football.

 

[Eidan]

Baseball, Soccer, Basketball, they want to play, whatever. Football? Fucking never.

Yep

 

[JABEE]

Football players don't end up that way unless they are playing at a professional level which 99.9% of people never do. If someone is offered a bunch of money to go pro then they can make that decision. It isn't really any more dangerous than many other sports at the youth level.

Are you saying the money is what makes players suffer brain injuries?

The NCAA needs to start using that argument.

 

[ElectricBlanketFire]

Football players don't end up that way unless they are playing at a professional level which 99.9% of people never do. If someone is offered a bunch of money to go pro then they can make that decision. It isn't really any more dangerous than many other sports at the youth level.

This is factually incorrect.

 

[FyreWulff]

I haven't seen the movie so I'm not sure how they approach it, but the sub-concussive hits are what cause CTE. So you could never officially have a "concussion" while ravaging your brain during your football career.

Which makes it worst for the linemen since they basically use their heads as battering rams on every single play

as an aside, the "it's not the dads" is like one of the cleanest examples of the toxic form of masculinity.

 

[cwmartin]

Not a dad, but I would actively discourage my children against playing football. At the same time, I don't control every aspect of what they enjoy or their life, so we will have a conversation about it and figure it out.

 

[GeordieMark]

As someone who boxed for a good few years, I don't have an issue with dangerous sports as long as thorough precautions are taken to protect the athletes, and minimise risk as much as possible. Football is obviously a dangerous sport, but I know I endured far more skateboarding related injuries than I ever have boxing or playing football (soccer). I wouldn't stop my kid taking up a potentially risky sport, but I'd need to know that whoever is facilitating it is aware of the risks, and educates the kids on safety of themselves and their opponents. I also wouldn't have my kid playing for a win-at-all-costs coach who doesn't put the kids well-being first.

 

[synchronicity]

From an entirely selfish, spectator preference, I grew up watching guys try to decapitate each other (I'm 46) and that was the brand of the sport that I came to grow and love, but realistically, with new information must come adjustments. We simply cannot bury our heads in the sand regarding the dangers of head trauma, if we are to be a compassionate society.

Having said all that, I would have no issue with maintaining the old-school brutality of the sport IF there were full disclosures of the pertinent data and risks given to all prospective players entering the league, and they could choose to opt-in / sign waivers expressing they understood all the risks and willfully choose to participate, absolving anyone else of responsibility for their choices. I know our society wouldn't allow things to go in that direction, however.

My (just turned 13) son isn't interested in playing the sport, but if he were, I would definitely advise him against it, fwiw. I love the game as a form of entertainment, though.

 

[FyreWulff]

There's also an issue where there are known helmet designs that make concussions less likely but nobody will change them due to branding.

If the game wants to survive it has to change and evolve. Another one is getting rid of kickoffs. You're basically sending people like bullets at each other for the rare chance one will break out into a touchdown run. Most of the time they don't even show the kickoff on TV anymore.

 

[ElectricBlanketFire]

There's also an issue where there are known helmet designs that make concussions less likely but nobody will change them due to branding.

And there is no current tech that can prevent CTE.

 

[andthebeatgoeson]

So we need a poll.

 

[Kas]

I played for two years a left tackle.

Shit sucks, and getting hit so hard you see stars is even worse. On the bright side, my two-three concussions had nothing to do with the sport.

 

[Casimir]

Baseball, Soccer, Basketball, they want to play, whatever. Football? Fucking never.

While the rates of CTE are lower in these sports, certain positions have higher rates of CTE. Specifically, fielders in baseball, goalies (and player that make head bunts) in Soccer have been known to have CTE if they are they type of players that make dangerous dives (or multiple head bunts) for the ball that can result in head injuries. So I would pull children from the sport if they are the ultra-competitive type and show signs of being willing to make dangerous plays like that.

 

[Tesseract]

i mean that's the sport, do we ban the ufc too?

people have agency, let them live their only life

 

[ElectricBlanketFire]

i mean that's the sport, do we ban the ufc too?

people have agency, let them live their only life

Nobody is calling for a ban. People just need to know the risks. The NFL is purposely distorting the facts when it comes to CTE and current/former players/coaches/parents choose to be willfully ignorant on the subject.

 

[Squalor]

Does Arians have any brain injuries, or is he just that brainwashed?

 

[TheZink]

My son plays and loves it. Granted he is young and still plays flag football. If he wants to play tackle when he's older I won't discourage him. Im sure we would talk about the dangers of if and let him decide. Personally I regret not playing when I was younger and would change that if I could.

I have a few friends that play in the NFL. My son has played on teams with their sons and they have mostly said they don't want there kids playing tackle until they're at least teenagers.

Ill tell you what though. Professional athletes kids do have genes that normal kids don't. When their kids play it is a entirely different level. Its actually quite incredible to see.

 

[jtb]

Arians is a great coach but this is dumb, sexist bullshit that's gonna end up drowning out his original point that the game needs to be made safer.

 

[Hyun Sai]

Not sure if that's how things work

Don't underestimate the power of grand parents.

 

[cdyhybrid]

The Cards are a classless organization, this is no surprise.

Unfortunately, not every franchise models themselves after the Seattle Seahawks, who put on clinics for football coaches on all levels to promote proper tackling form in an effort to minimize risk of neck injuries.

 

[ampere]

Arians is a good coach, but he's not that much of a thinker outside of the sport and sees the concussion stuff as a threat to his game

If he's talking about anything outside of running a team, disregard him

 

[CapitalismSucks DonkeyBalls]

The Cards are a classless organization, this is no surprise.

Unfortunately, not every franchise models themselves after the Seattle Seahawks, who put on clinics for football coaches on all levels to promote proper tackling form in an effort to minimize risk of neck injuries.

So this is what fellating a sport's team sounds like.

 

[aeolist]

i mean that's the sport, do we ban the ufc too?

people have agency, let them live their only life

people practicing martial arts generally aren't allowed to participate in full contact fights until they're legal adults

the hits they practice in kid's football can be enough to cause CTE, especially in high school

 

[FyreWulff]

Ill tell you what though. Professional athletes kids do have genes that normal kids don't. When their kids play it is a entirely different level. Its actually quite incredible to see.

Their kids have likely been put through conditioning and training summer camps since they could walk. No genes required.

 

[Lorcain]

I've been part of the problem as a fan of the sport, both NFL and college football. It's my favorite sport to watch. But I'm a dad now with young kids, and I wouldn't want them to play football with what we know. I also have friends that played in high school and college and have life long injuries that have required multiple surgeries. You don't have to play in the NFL to end up with life long knee, arm and back injuries.

 

[Squalor]

So this is what fellating a sport's team sounds like.

If it looks like a blowjob and sounds like a blowjob…

 

[Hex]

Football players don't end up that way unless they are playing at a professional level which 99.9% of people never do. If someone is offered a bunch of money to go pro then they can make that decision. It isn't really any more dangerous than many other sports at the youth level.

I am not going to go by the fact that you have a Football avatar , and will instead think that you may just not realize....
Stories like this where it gives you an idea just how many people have actually died in high school football, that is not even starting on injuries and trauma.
Pro may be rougher but they also have better equipment and field doctors and alot of these high school players families do not even have insurance.

 

[TheZink]

Their kids have likely been put through conditioning and training summer camps since they could walk. No genes required.

Whatever it is it works. Their instincts on the field are crazy good.

 

[DudeWithNoName]

Thankfully, US Soccer has taken some steps starting this year.
- Heading is outright banned in U10 and under. A header in game is now a foul I believe.
- "limited" headers in practices for U13 to U11.

I always teach my kids to not head outside of a light one like a ball that gets popped up in the box. They instead chest trap or let it past if its a scorcher.

 

[Deadly Cyclone]

Just curious, if your son wants to play football, what do you say? I think that'd be the hardest part. I played football in middle and high school and loved it. The head trauma and CTE info today is frightening, but how do you say no, especially without being a hypocrite?

 

[TheZink]

I am not going to go by the fact that you have a Football avatar , and will instead think that you may just not realize....
Stories like this where it gives you an idea just how many people have actually died in high school football, that is not even starting on injuries and trauma.
Pro may be rougher but they also have better equipment and field doctors and alot of these high school players families do not even have insurance.

Funny thing is in Florida I have read more about Soccer concussions happening from headers than I ever do about football.

 

[Permanently A]

Just curious, if your son wants to play football, what do you say? I think that'd be the hardest part. I played football in middle and high school and loved it. The head trauma and CTE info today is frightening, but how do you say no, especially without being a hypocrite?

It doesn't seem hypocritical. If you smoked your life because it was acceptable and cool, and then we found out smoking was really bad and you quit, it wouldn't be hypocritical to tell your kid not to smoke.

 

[FyreWulff]

Just curious, if your son wants to play football, what do you say? I think that'd be the hardest part. I played football in middle and high school and loved it. The head trauma and CTE info today is frightening, but how do you say no, especially without being a hypocrite?

You're not a hypocrite if you play but don't want your kids to play. You have more information and hindsight in mind. Plenty of people don't want their kids to follow their path even for non-sport careers.

Personally, if any of my kids wanted to do sports I'd lay out all the info and the rarity of actually going pro in front of them, but I wouldn't stop them. They'd have to earn all the money to get there themselves so they know they have to really want to go that way.

 

[XiaNaphryz]

Football players don't end up that way unless they are playing at a professional level which 99.9% of people never do. If someone is offered a bunch of money to go pro then they can make that decision. It isn't really any more dangerous than many other sports at the youth level.

There have been brain studies done of football players who barely had any playing time in the pros (if any) and had CTE, so the majority of their playing time was in HS and college.

 

[ZPs]

If i were to have kids I'd never want them playing football in a million years. The scary part about CTE isn't what we know, it's all the things that we still don't know. We can notice when huge things are messed up in someone's brain, but think about all the smaller changes that we're likely missing. It's entirely possible that sports related head trauma might have effects that reach deep into everything from everyday personality traits to regulation of basic bodily functions.

 

[Timedog]

Yeah let's risk fucking up your body and brain for the glory of arbitrarily carrying an object past a line. I had a mini concussionin high school and it wasn't from improper tackling technique.

 

[highrider]

I'm fairly certain I did some brain damage to myself playing in high school. I should have just stuck with basketball. My son is interested in football but a great basketball player. I told him I don't think football is worth the punishment your body takes unless it is something you truly have passion for. His mom would never let him play, and I wouldn't either.

 

[PillarEN]

Yeah let's risk fucking up your body and brain for the glory of arbitrarily carrying an object past a line. I had a mini concussionin high school and it wasn't from improper tackling technique.

Was it from walking into a door?

 

[Vegetable Lasagna]

I wouldn't stop my kid(s) from playing football if they truly wanted to and it was a passion. I'd prefer they didn't though.

 

[Ensoul]

Just curious, if your son wants to play football, what do you say? I think that'd be the hardest part. I played football in middle and high school and loved it. The head trauma and CTE info today is frightening, but how do you say no, especially without being a hypocrite?

My son who is 11 already said he wants to play and I flat out said no. My son is a pretty good basketball player and I simply tell him if you get injured in football both of his seasons (travel and the town league that I coach) will be ruined.

Plus like you said, many people didn't know (or care) about CTE and head trauma they way they do now. IMO letting younger kids, who brains are not fully developed, get smacked around is an awful idea.

 

[LOLDSFAN]

However, it is worth noting is that all sports are dangerous and take a toll on your body.

Pretty much. Especially basketball recently. Seems like more and more players are getting ACL tears and other leg injuries.

 

[MonkeyKing]

I had a work meeting the other day with a gentleman who played football up through three years at a major university program. He had a great time, made lifelong friends, traveled the country and was a part of the team.

Now, in his late 50s his knees and back are so fucked up that I watched him take 60 seconds just to stand up from a chair. I watched him take another minute before that just gearing up for the pain that was to follow.

So look: when it comes to my kids? Fuck that. Incidentally he did not let his boys play football.