# Ban Boxing and Helmets In Football? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [September 19, 2012, 8:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ban-boxing-and-helmets-in-football/635151 "2012-09-19T08:50:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ban-boxing-and-helmets-in-football/635151/61 "2012-11-17T15:56:17Z")
> [@Oedipus](#): > > I think for a kid in the projects or something where his only way out is through sports, its not as simple as “not playing.” Or they could, like, study hard and go to college and get a job. But I know, that’s just crazy talk. Why do that when they could just as easily overcome astronomical odds and become a sports superstar?! ---
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ban-boxing-and-helmets-in-football/635151/62 "2012-11-17T15:57:47Z")
> [@Oedipus](#): > > I think for a kid in the projects or something where his only way out is through sports, its not as simple as “not playing.” There is absolutely no situation in which playing sports against your will is the “only way out”. They do it because they like it, and as long as they (and their parents) know ahead of time it might screw up their brain, it’s their choice. Lots of things might screw up your brain. Like driving. Or swimming. We all choose to put ourselves (and our kids) in a limited amount of danger every day, just for the hell of it. Should we not have that choice? ---
**Author:** ![Oedipus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Oedipus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oedipus)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ban-boxing-and-helmets-in-football/635151/63 "2012-11-17T16:00:59Z")
> [@DrCube](#): > > There is absolutely no situation in which playing sports against your will is the “only way out”. They do it because they like it, and as long as they (and their parents) know ahead of time it might screw up their brain, it’s their choice. > > Lots of things might screw up your brain. Like driving. Or swimming. We all choose to put ourselves (and our kids) in a limited amount of danger every day, just for the hell of it. Should we not have that choice? While I still agree that there are always SOME other way out, its still crazy hard. [Hoop Dreams](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoop_Dreams) ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ban-boxing-and-helmets-in-football/635151/64 "2012-11-17T16:11:32Z")
> [@Oedipus](#): > > While I still agree that there are always SOME other way out, its still crazy hard. > > [Hoop Dreams](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoop_Dreams) Are you _seriously_ suggesting that the only way out of “the projects” is by becoming a professional athlete (or a rapper or a dancer)? And your evidence for this is _Hoop Dreams_? :dubious: This is a whoosh, right? ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ban-boxing-and-helmets-in-football/635151/65 "2012-11-17T16:31:58Z")
I think the football argument has a red herring with concussions. If you read the articles and stories about CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy), it’s not necessarily concussions that cause those problems. Rather, it’s the accumulation of every play type sub-concussive hits. That’s why you see former down linemen having problems with it- it’s pretty rare for offensive linemen to get up enough speed to actually have a concussion, but they bang helmets on virtually every single play. Concussions cause similar, but somewhat different problems- dementia pugilistica is something more like what they cause. Getting rid of helmets, or going back to the 1940’s style leather helmets without facemasks would pretty much eliminate hitting with the helmet, and would seriously lessen the chances of CTE or other neurological issues that former players are seeing. All the other injuries would still be there- I suspect we could look at 1940’s and before records, as well as rugby injuries to get an idea of how that would be. ---
**Author:** ![mascaroni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dc4da7/32.png) [@mascaroni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mascaroni)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2012, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ban-boxing-and-helmets-in-football/635151/66 "2012-11-18T20:15:16Z")
> [@Locrian](#): > > I just finished captioning XEG wrestling. Looks like we’ve got ourselves a Captioner… > [@](#): > > This is all broken glass, barbed wire bats and metal chairs and baseball bats. Sounds like the Nag’s Head on a Friday night… > [@](#): > > Each willing participant is covered in real blood. Real blood…Wow! we only do the fake stuff here in Rugby Union. > [@](#): > > We see them getting stitched up by volunteers sans latex gloves “sans”… I admire your mastery of the French language. > [@](#): > > Every stereotype you can think of is in the audience. I’m desperate to watch it just to see the walrus moustached British Colonel (Retired) supping a G&T. > [@](#): > > With that, football and boxing are sports for pussies Absolutely… It’s about time that someone shattered the myth and declared the likes of Ali, Frasier, Foreman, Tyson, Liston, Dempsey, Johnson as the bunch of pussies that they obviously were. > [@](#): > > You ever watch MMA?? Google some videos that show broken legs and knees in slo-mo. And Peter Schmiechel throwing up… Me? I’m googling for videos of captioning… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ban-boxing-and-helmets-in-football/635151.md?page=3)