Hopefully not, otherwise all enjoyment would be sucked out of their child’s life, and they’d grow up boring, and possible commit suicide at the age of 20 from being over-sheltered and generally wrapped in cotton wool.
Guess what: kids like playing violent games. Are we going to police parks, now? The games kids play on their own pale in comparison to the regulated confines of refereed sports. We used to play caveman football, basically anything went - eye gouging, sliding tackles, spear tackles, whatever, as long as the ball didn’t cross your line.
That is where the real dangers start. Kids sometimes pay the rest of their lives to play pee wee and grade school, high school etc. The violence is integral to football. You try to physically impose your will on an opponent. I played a lot of football growing up and I am lucky I never sustained a serious injury. In my time we talked about a football knee. (also trick knee)That was before the time of scoping out a knee. Scars were long and ugly for knee operations. Those problems we were aware of. Getting your brain permanently damaged was not in the calculations.
Many of my friends are former college players. Their attitude. It is part of the game man up to it. These are high school and college players. Play hurt and hit them hard. It wont happen to me .
My nephew is a starting tackle in the NFL*. Before that, he played four years in college. He stated, repeatedly, that “it is not if you get hurt; it’s WHEN” and that was in school. The idea that they don’t know the risks is ludicrous.
These are adults. They know the risks going in, and they receive significantly more compensation than can be expected for other kinds of occupations. If they are smart, they invest their money and prepare to do something other than party after they retire. If they are not smart, well, as mentioned, they are adults, and no one is responsible for baby-sitting them.
phungi and gonzomax, what’s your problem? Everyone knows there’s a risk of permanent injury or death in all contact sports, yet people still play it anyway. Why? Because it’s fun.
You’re beginning to sound like you have an ulterior motive. Do you like any sports?
I love football, watching it, that is… I enjoy basketball, soccer, and hockey as well. I just don’t want my kids playing contact sports with high risk of concussion.
No ulterior motive other than the NFL explaining the health risks inherent in playing football… have they EVER made a statement that they endorse mandatory pre-season testing for their athletes, so school and college programs should as well? Have they EVER mentioned return-to-play guidelines for concussed athletes? The answer is no.
On the contrary, this is a news piece reporting the commissioner making concussion testing mandatory for all NFL teams, and requiring all trainers to attend a summit meeting.
There has never been a “position statement” released by the NFL making suggestions or recommendations on concussion management. There has certainly been nothing in the form of a public service announcement or educative piece for high school or youth athletes.
There are inherent risks in any prolonged physical activity, the body can only take so much wear and tear.
I don’t think I had to be told by any of my coaches that getting my bell rung was a definite possibility, most kids already know that.
That’s why you wear a helmet.
There are risks in any sport or physical activity, and if you’re ignorant of that fact then that’s on you if your the participant or the parents of young athletes.
My kids knew that playing sports had risks, because I told them.
I didn’t need the NFL, MLB, NBA or the NHL to tell me what the risks are.
The only way football could be made safer is by having all they players wear pink skirts and prance around on their tippy toes.
It’s football for crying out loud!
My link shows that the NFL is leading by example. I don’t expect them to try and coerce behavior out of organizations that they have no control over, but I do think it is disingenuous to say that the league has never endorsed mandatory prescreening of their athletes, or has made no strides in how it deals with concussed athletes, and I think it is naive to think that the enormity of influence that the NFL has on football at all levels will not be applicable in this case.
From the linked article: “At no time should competitive issues override medical issues,” Goodell said last week. “Safety comes first.”
If you follow the history of the NFL’s research program, and all the controversy surrounding their “findings”, Goodell’s comments take on a somewhat laughable and optimistic tone.
2007 NFL article showing that the connection between concussions and future health problems is currently under study. The attitude is dismissive . I think they know better.
Give me a break - nobody enjoys it when football players get hurt. Big hits are celebrated, getting up from a big hit is celebrated - injuries are not.
Pretty sure I’ve seen baseball players carted off the field and basketball players carried off.
It’s all laid out in their contract. Additionally, I’m pretty sure all rookies have to go through seminars that cover all of this. On top of that - they don’t live in a vacuum. On top of that, they have a relatively good idea of what’s in store for them from all of their prior experience playing football.
Regarding all of your linked articles…I bet a lot of former smokers say “Damn, I wish the warning label said it would happen to ME.” Fact is, nobody ever thinks it will.
Is that what you were answering? Are you honestly saying that the only way a person can have enjoyment is by risking their cognitive ability and that overwise they would probably kill themselves? Good grief, that just boggles my mind. (thankfully it won’t give me a concussion)
Baseball players do get hurt. A player gets hurt at every football game. If injuries were integral to baseball I would question it too. If you really believe baseball and other sports are just as dangerous as football ,we will never find common ground.
Players do not get hurt at every football game. Every time you use the word “every” when arguing something that you cannot back up, your argument fails. In general, avoid absolutes.
Injuries are not integral to football. Football can be played injury-free.
Where did I ever imply that “baseball and other sports are just as dangerous as football?”
You seem to be reframing what I said to suit your point of view instead of replying to my comments.
EVERY To some degree. I am aware of absolutes .
Easy. We were talking about football and you said you have seen baseball players and basketball players get carted off. The implication is clear. They are as dangerous as football. If not that ,what is the point. I have seen people get hurt on bikes. I know you can get hurt in any sport. Does that mean football isn’t dangerous.?