# What would it take for one of the four major American sports leagues to disappear? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [November 10, 2021, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-it-take-for-one-of-the-four-major-american-sports-leagues-to-disappear/954082 "2021-11-10T00:49:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Do\_Not\_Taunt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/do_not_taunt/32/2968_2.png) [@Do\_Not\_Taunt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Do_Not_Taunt)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2021, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-it-take-for-one-of-the-four-major-american-sports-leagues-to-disappear/954082/68 "2021-11-16T16:37:24Z")
> [@Thing.Fish](#): > > Formula E auto racing…what the hell is that? Without looking it up, I think that’s basically Formula 1, but with EVs. (And now I’ve looked it up, and it appears to be roughly correct.) ---
**Author:** ![Do\_Not\_Taunt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/do_not_taunt/32/2968_2.png) [@Do\_Not\_Taunt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Do_Not_Taunt)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2021, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-it-take-for-one-of-the-four-major-american-sports-leagues-to-disappear/954082/69 "2021-11-16T16:43:00Z")
> [@PennTeller](#): > > I have learned that any statement that starts with “so you’re saying” can be safely ignored, so that’s what I’m doing. So you’re saying that you’re losing the argument with @RickJay, so you’re going to come up with a thin excuse to bow out of it and try to save face? ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2021, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-it-take-for-one-of-the-four-major-american-sports-leagues-to-disappear/954082/70 "2021-11-16T16:57:36Z")
What I foresee is that the CTE issues will die down, and then flare up because of a couple issues. First, the NFL has successfully obscured the issue with talk about concussions. CTE is _NOT_ primarily a concussion-related issue. It’s primarily a sub-concussive impact issue. That’s why defensive players and linemen typically see more of it than receivers and backs; they hit heads _EVERY SINGLE PLAY_, and even though they’re not hard enough to cause immediate concussions, the damage done accumulates. Second, what I see happening is that improved medical imaging will allow this to be shown conclusively in _living_ people. Right now, it’s a disease diagnosed based on history and symptoms, and confirmed post-mortem through brain tissue examination. So if someone doesn’t show symptoms and never had any concussions, they may never get their brains examined. But if they can just CT scan or MRI someone and tell that they have CTE damage, that’ll be a game changer that will _ **TERRIFY** _ parents when they can see it in themselves or their children directly while they’re alive. Now whether the NFL/NCAA will see the writing on the wall and change the rules proactively, or whether it’ll take grass roots changes at the lower levels, I don’t know. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2021, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-it-take-for-one-of-the-four-major-american-sports-leagues-to-disappear/954082/71 "2021-11-16T17:09:27Z")
The NFL isn’t stupid and they are looking to the medium/long term. That’s why they are playing games in England and Mexico. Mexican high schools have had American Football leagues in the border towns for many years and those are moving down south. A friend of mine from college has a son who played American Football in England in their equivalent of High School. I’m not sure how successful it will be but if they pump enough money into it, I can easily see getting more NFL players from Europe and especially Latin America. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Wiggler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/red_wiggler/32/13190_2.png) [@Red\_Wiggler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Wiggler)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2021, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-it-take-for-one-of-the-four-major-american-sports-leagues-to-disappear/954082/73 "2021-11-17T13:20:05Z")
A definitive test for CTE is a very interesting scenario and could affect sports other than American football as well. It’s a little sad that our thoughts turn to more economically desperate parts of the world to keep us supplied with young people to entertain us while damaging their health. ---
**Author:** ![Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulf_the_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2021, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-it-take-for-one-of-the-four-major-american-sports-leagues-to-disappear/954082/74 "2021-11-17T19:29:06Z")
I live in New York’s Hudson Valley about 85 miles from NYC. I’ve spent most of my career teaching school. Regarding football, several local districts have gone to eight-man in the last few years because of difficulties fielding a regular team. Other parts of the country may vary, but eight-man is definitely the trend among smaller schools around here, and some of the larger schools are definitely having trouble recruiting enough players for 11-man. Regarding soccer, the MLS New York Red Bulls have as far as I can tell no presence in this area. I don’t see caps, T-shirts, jackets, bumper stickers…when I’m out and about. The kids I’ve taught who are interested in soccer generally don’t have much interest in the pro game; they just like to play. To the extent that they do find pro soccer of interest, it’s the European leagues they focus on. In contrast, Yankees stuff and fandom is absolutely everywhere, and the Giants, Mets, Jets, Knicks, and Rangers are quite popular too by both measures (gear and kids). (Nets and Islanders and Devils not so much.) Again, other places may vary, but I’m not seeing MLS making any inroads here. Yes, I know people go to their games; I just don’t know who! ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2021, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-it-take-for-one-of-the-four-major-american-sports-leagues-to-disappear/954082/75 "2021-11-17T20:57:06Z")
> [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](#): > > Regarding soccer, the MLS New York Red Bulls have as far as I can tell no presence in this area. I don’t see caps, T-shirts, jackets, bumper stickers…when I’m out and about. The kids I’ve taught who are interested in soccer generally don’t have much interest in the pro game; they just like to play. To the extent that they do find pro soccer of interest, it’s the European leagues they focus on. In contrast, Yankees stuff and fandom is absolutely everywhere, and the Giants, Mets, Jets, Knicks, and Rangers are quite popular too by both measures (gear and kids). (Nets and Islanders and Devils not so much.) Again, other places may vary, but I’m not seeing MLS making any inroads here. Yes, I know people go to their games; I just don’t know who! While MLS hasn’t really hit it big in the NYC region, you may be looking for the wrong logo 😉 . I’d imagine that NYCFC is likely the more popular team in the Hudson Valley (RBNY maybe more in NJ). But neither have really made a dent in their locales, especially as compared to say, Atlanta, or Seattle, or Portland. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2021, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-it-take-for-one-of-the-four-major-american-sports-leagues-to-disappear/954082/76 "2021-11-17T21:32:58Z")
Just want to say how good the Canadian team has been doing in the World Cup Qualifiers, beating Mexico in a snowy match in Edmonton. Don’t want to start a new thread, or further hijack this one. But wanted to say it somewhere. Back to your regular scheduling. ---
**Author:** ![borschevsky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/97f17d/32.png) [@borschevsky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/borschevsky)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2021, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-it-take-for-one-of-the-four-major-american-sports-leagues-to-disappear/954082/77 "2021-11-17T23:36:24Z")
Yes they have been. There’s a bit of discussion in the World Football thread. > [@Omnibus World Football Thread 2020-2022 (edited)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-world-football-thread-2020-2021/918264/510): > > Canada 16 USA 15 Mexico 14 Panama 14 Canada deserving winners over Mexico. Bloody hell. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2022, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-it-take-for-one-of-the-four-major-american-sports-leagues-to-disappear/954082/78 "2022-01-30T23:46:49Z")
Canada had an impressive win over the United States in mens soccer today. It’s the best team in years, and I am hopeful they will make it beyond the initial rounds. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2022, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-it-take-for-one-of-the-four-major-american-sports-leagues-to-disappear/954082/79 "2022-01-30T23:50:13Z")
As more and more states legalize pot, I see the popularity of football and hockey dropping like a paralyzed peregrine. This would be A Good Thing. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2022, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-it-take-for-one-of-the-four-major-american-sports-leagues-to-disappear/954082/80 "2022-01-31T00:45:57Z")
What’s the connection? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2022, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-it-take-for-one-of-the-four-major-american-sports-leagues-to-disappear/954082/81 "2022-01-31T01:01:25Z")
Organized, timed violence just doesn’t fit with the stoner mentality. You have groove, dig? Baseball becomes transcendent if you have the right herbage and mental state. Basketball is a wash - too fast to follow stoned, but not an open state of warfare like the other two. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2022, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-it-take-for-one-of-the-four-major-american-sports-leagues-to-disappear/954082/82 "2022-01-31T01:28:40Z")
Is this why baseball was so popular a hundred years ago? ---
**Author:** ![ThatCanadianGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5f8ce5/32.png) [@ThatCanadianGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThatCanadianGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2022, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-it-take-for-one-of-the-four-major-american-sports-leagues-to-disappear/954082/83 "2022-02-02T15:35:21Z")
No. I think baseball was popular because it was virtually the only game in town. Basketball was really just starting, years away from being mainstream. Baseball can also be played every day, all year in warm climates, needs little special equipment and can be played by anyone, unlike basketball where the preference is on tall or football on big. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2022, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-it-take-for-one-of-the-four-major-american-sports-leagues-to-disappear/954082/84 "2022-02-02T15:47:20Z")
Also, a hundred years ago, at least in the U.S., _college_ football was already extremely popular (though probably not at the level that baseball was). Professional football was just starting out in the 1920s; it wasn’t until the postwar years (late 1940s and 1950s) when its popularity really took off, at least in part thanks to television. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2022, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-it-take-for-one-of-the-four-major-american-sports-leagues-to-disappear/954082/85 "2022-02-02T17:00:15Z")
Pete Rozelle was the greatest sports executive who ever lived, because HE saw what television could do. That is absolutely why the NFL is the biggest sports league in the world. As to the question - it’d take a lot. None of the four big leagues are going anywhere anytime soon. For one to vanish anytime in the next ten years would require it basically committing suicide - like if MLB’s labor stoppage went on for two or three years and Jeff Bezos snapped up some stadium rights, started a new league, and signed a bunch of stars. Then MLB could die in favor of the Amazon Baseball League or whatever. So you’d still have a major league baseball, it just wouldn’t be, technically, Major League Baseball. Had the NHL lockout of 2004-2005 dragged on a few more years it could have happened to them too. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Wiggler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/red_wiggler/32/13190_2.png) [@Red\_Wiggler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Wiggler)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2022, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-it-take-for-one-of-the-four-major-american-sports-leagues-to-disappear/954082/86 "2022-02-02T17:21:26Z")
I quit concussion football some years back for a host of reasons but it remains the best major sport to gamble on. That could be a factor in its future viability as legal sports gambling proliferates even as the number of parents who won’t allow their kids to play increases. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-it-take-for-one-of-the-four-major-american-sports-leagues-to-disappear/954082.md?page=3)