There's a certain NFL tight end previously from Illinois State that tried to tackle John Crockett during a late kickoff in the NC game in early 2015. He might have a unique perspective on the situation.
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Take into consideration that Public High Schools may have to remove the sport entirely in the very near future because they cannot assume the liability that is going to come with offering the sport. Some schools are already removing the sport and the CTE findings are only getting more defined. Now, will high school aged football be sponsored by community clubs vs. school systems? Most likely (Canada doesn't have high school sports), however, the days of allowing public tax dollars to sponsor dangerous sport are coming to an end, whether we like it or not! Public schools getting back to the business of educating our kids vs. entertaining them is a novel idea anyhow.
Perhaps we should look at the data. Girls high school soccer has a higher rate per capita of concussion incidents then boys football. I am all for making football safer but not at the expense of ruining the game. Penn State coach was on ESPN radio yesterday and said according to his data, there was not a higher incidence of concussion in NCAA football during kickoffs. The data did show that there was a higher incident of injury though with most of those being hamstrings. He wasn't very happy about the rule.
Sounds like a quote out of Penn State!!! The NFL is the one trying to take the kickoff out of the game as they don't dispute the excess violent hits that occur during kickoffs. The NFL doesn't like change, they simply know they better try and stay ahead of the curve regarding CTE. In the near future QB's will be considered down by contact when a defender places two hands anywhere on their backside, thus, eliminating blind side hits to vulnerable players. Like it or not, accept it or not, football as you have known it will change drastically over the next decade as some of its biggest detractors are former NFL stars of great character. But even more importantly science is catching up to the game. 60 year old brain dead cripples don't make for a great 'poster child'.
All they have to do is sign a waver. I dont see the doom and gloom you do---With a million kids playing football every year. Considering those number the CTE scare is just that a scare. CTE isnt as prevalant as some would like to make out. The media is a huge driving force in that. Much is learned on the fields and courts that one doesnt learn in the class room.
who's disputing that kids can learn valuable skills from participating in sport?
on the CTE front, you don’t know anymore than they do. In fact, I’m pretty sure you know less, as you’re not actively engaged in research. Have some media reports been a bit hyperbolic about the potential dangers? Sure. That’s how media works. Would the NFL prefer if no one knew the potential brain damage their game can inflict on participants? Sure. Corporations only act in their own interest. There’s a lot of uncertainty right now but tests are coming for CTE in the living. We’re going to learn a lot in the next decade or so.