The Golden Age of Football is Over?

[DriveFor1Outta5]

Many of the posters on this forum have Western NY ties. I can see why Western NY was never a hotbed of football talent. Being Bills fans are deeply ingrained in our hearts. High school and college football culture is not. I don't see parents in Texas or Alabama stopping their sons from playing football anytime soon. Football will remain alive and well.

[MAJBobby]

There is absolutely nothing wrong with your beliefs. In fact I commend you for doing what you think is best for your children. However, I think it all comes down to differing parental philosophies. You mention it being a parents job to make decisions for 8 teenage years. I don't necessarily agree with that. I hope to give my children the information they need to make informed decisions.

 

Decision making is a critical life skill. If that is taken away for eight years how do people ever learn the skill? As parents we are not often able to be around at the most critical times. Our children are constantly making choices, even when we are unaware they are doing so. In these instances I would trust a child who has been given the ability to make decisions more than one who hasn't. How can you trust your child going away to college who hasn't been given the opportunity to ever make their own choices?

 

I think that over parenting has become one of the biggest problems with my generation. My peers weren't given the opportunity to make decisions. When they are presented with opportunities to do so they make poor decisions. It's difficult to do something that someone else has always done for you. I attribute a great deal of young people's immaturity to this. Our children hear everything that we say. We've been saying for years that teenagers are incapable of making decisions. This essentially gives them the belief that they have a free pass for anything they do. If they are incapable of decision making, how can they be held accountable for their actions?

 

My ultimate point is that I wouldn't tell me child that they can't play football. I'd allow them to make whatever decision they feel feasible with the information we have. I'm not going to stop my child for living their life and pursuing their dreams, just as I wouldn't stop them from joining the Marine Corps. Please don't be mistaken. I don't believe in parents doing nothing. There are plenty of rules that need to be established for kids. There are many things that I will simply not allow. I just won't go as far as saying that a parents job is to make every decision for my children. Saying no to play a sport seems like helicopter parenting to me. I remember in my school district that around two or three kids seemed to die in car accidents every year. A 16 year old driving scares me far more than football.

I think i was a little misunderstood i agree decision making is critical and yes a teenager can make an infromed decision. Inwas more talking 8,9,10,11 years. Even the younger teenage years. Heck we all know how kids feel they are invincible nothing will happen to me.

I look at it this way too. I loved when I played from 8 years old to 22 (paid my college education too).

 

Now 6 knee surgeries, shoulder and various orher INJ later people would ask me if you had it all to do over would you still play. Answer was an easy YES.

 

Now with CTE coming to light and knowing i have had concussions, but the sub concussive impacts also still impact it when people aske me if i woukd do it all again. Answer is an easy No.

 

I would play a much less violent sport. I do think sports is an important part for kids growth.

 

But my question is what does contact Pop Warner do for a Kid that non contact football wouldnt. No reason to start putting their body through that stress at such a young age. Doesnt hurt them from learning the game. You dont need contact to learn how to play football.

Many of the posters on this forum have Western NY ties. I can see why Western NY was never a hotbed of football talent. Being Bills fans are deeply ingrained in our hearts. High school and college football culture is not. I don't see parents in Texas or Alabama stopping their sons from playing football anytime soon. Football will remain alive and well.

Stationed in Texas now. Was stationed in FL before. Yes there are alot of parent not allowing thier kids to play contact youth football (no need) that is why there are alot of flag leagues springing up in these states.

[CodeMonkey]

Many of the posters on this forum have Western NY ties. I can see why Western NY was never a hotbed of football talent. Being Bills fans are deeply ingrained in our hearts. High school and college football culture is not. I don't see parents in Texas or Alabama stopping their sons from playing football anytime soon. Football will remain alive and well.

I agree with what you say regarding HS and college football in the south. I once was in a small town in Texas on business and someone there told me I would need to either go eat dinner somewhere by 5pm on Friday, or plan on eating at the high school football stadium because nothing else would be open ... and they were right.

[RyanC883]

My dad's argument against football when we were kids (1980's) was that we were still growing, and the potential for neck/spine injuries was high. Weren't allowed to play til high school. By that time, my athletic "prowess" was obviously not good enough to make a team. My brother, however, went out for JV in 10th grade and started o-line right away. He went varsity next year and ended up starting for two years, and got a couple "All WNY Team" nods.

 

Point here is you don't necessarily need to start all kids at an early age for them to eventually excel. I would say my dad mitigated the risks quite well.

 

I had a similar experience, couldn't play till middle school. I think tackle football in pop-warner, etc. will go away. As you point out, you don't need to start young. Actually, flag football at a younger age may teach the "fundamentals" of how to catch, run, cover a man, etc. better.

I think i was a little misunderstood i agree decision making is critical and yes a teenager can make an infromed decision. Inwas more talking 8,9,10,11 years. Even the younger teenage years. Heck we all know how kids feel they are invincible nothing will happen to me.

I look at it this way too. I loved when I played from 8 years old to 22 (paid my college education too).

 

Now 6 knee surgeries, shoulder and various orher INJ later people would ask me if you had it all to do over would you still play. Answer was an easy YES.

 

Now with CTE coming to light and knowing i have had concussions, but the sub concussive impacts also still impact it when people aske me if i woukd do it all again. Answer is an easy No.

 

I would play a much less violent sport. I do think sports is an important part for kids growth.

 

But my question is what does contact Pop Warner do for a Kid that non contact football wouldnt. No reason to start putting their body through that stress at such a young age. Doesnt hurt them from learning the game. You dont need contact to learn how to play football.

 

Stationed in Texas now. Was stationed in FL before. Yes there are alot of parent not allowing thier kids to play contact youth football (no need) that is why there are alot of flag leagues springing up in these states.

 

football is also huge in Western PA where I live. And there are a lot of flag football leagues. I agree with you, no need to put the body through the "hits" when they are that young. I have two sons and wouldn't let them do that. But flag would be fine.

 

I can also see soccer becoming more mainstream in the future, esp. at the high school level.

[Buffalo716]

I had two friends who went to the nfl. Both were offensive lineman.

 

The one kid started when he was 5. He was groomed to be a LT from day 1. His father was a LT at Maryland and a premier HS coach. He was the best lineman I ever played with. Perfect technique and student of the game

 

The other started when he was 12. He was super strong and an athletic freak. He played TE and D end. Blew out his knee and switched to Oline in college where he started at every position through 4 years

 

Both took different routes but both made it to the league. Some kids are groomed to be NFL players from day 1, while others will play 4 sports in 4 different seasons and do that through HS

 

I played 4 different HS sports so I definitely understand how cross training between sports makes one a better football player. If you are gifted enough to wait till your 15 to play football go for it.

 

But there will always be that kid who was groomed from birth

[MAJBobby]

I had two friends who went to the nfl. Both were offensive lineman.

 

The one kid started when he was 5. He was groomed to be a LT from day 1. His father was a LT at Maryland and a premier HS coach. He was the best lineman I ever played with. Perfect technique and student of the game

 

The other started when he was 12. He was super strong and an athletic freak. He played TE and D end. Blew out his knee and switched to Oline in college where he started at every position through 4 years

 

Both took different routes but both made it to the league. Some kids are groomed to be NFL players from day 1, while others will play 4 sports in 4 different seasons and do that through HS

 

I played 4 different HS sports so I definitely understand how cross training between sports makes one a better football player. If you are gifted enough to wait till your 15 to play football go for it.

 

But there will always be that kid who was groomed from birth

Yes there is. But let me ask what part of Contact Football helps make a player better in his later years?

 

Technique and everything can be taught, learned and ingrained without one once of contact right?

 

Not trying to demonize any parent allowing or even pushing youth football. I learned at a very early two things you never do.

 

1. Tell your wife what to do (always ask nicely and gifts help)

2. Tell another parent how to raise their child.

Edited August 10, 2017 by MAJBobby

[Buffalo716]

Yes there is. But let me ask what part of Contact Football helps make a player better in his later years?

Technique and everything can be taught, learned and ingrained without one once of contact right?

Definitely. And the contact definitely adds up. By my sophomore year of college ball I was beat

 

I was undersized , concussed , and had 14+ years of wear and tear

[Bray Wyatt]

 

I had a similar experience, couldn't play till middle school. I think tackle football in pop-warner, etc. will go away. As you point out, you don't need to start young. Actually, flag football at a younger age may teach the "fundamentals" of how to catch, run, cover a man, etc. better.

 

football is also huge in Western PA where I live. And there are a lot of flag football leagues. I agree with you, no need to put the body through the "hits" when they are that young. I have two sons and wouldn't let them do that. But flag would be fine.

 

I can also see soccer becoming more mainstream in the future, esp. at the high school level.

 

If soccer becomes more popular it shouldn't be because of concussions in football

 

http://www.newsleader.com/story/sports/2015/06/25/concussions-soccer-football-wrestling/29268651/

[Big Blitz]

Pretty sure we're about to enter a golden age of running backs..

 

David Johnson

Leveon

Jordan Howard

Zeke

Fournette

 

Sent from my SM-G928V using Tapatalk

 

 

[Prickly Pete]

They will probably continue to mess with the rules, and eventually make it less physical, so women will be able to compete. I could see them having certain positions be off limit for contact (or just touched). QB, and kickers first.

 

They will get women on the field.

Edited August 10, 2017 by HoF Watkins

[DriveFor1Outta5]

I think i was a little misunderstood i agree decision making is critical and yes a teenager can make an infromed decision. Inwas more talking 8,9,10,11 years. Even the younger teenage years. Heck we all know how kids feel they are invincible nothing will happen to me.

I look at it this way too. I loved when I played from 8 years old to 22 (paid my college education too).

 

Now 6 knee surgeries, shoulder and various orher INJ later people would ask me if you had it all to do over would you still play. Answer was an easy YES.

 

Now with CTE coming to light and knowing i have had concussions, but the sub concussive impacts also still impact it when people aske me if i woukd do it all again. Answer is an easy No.

 

I would play a much less violent sport. I do think sports is an important part for kids growth.

 

But my question is what does contact Pop Warner do for a Kid that non contact football wouldnt. No reason to start putting their body through that stress at such a young age. Doesnt hurt them from learning the game. You dont need contact to learn how to play football.

 

Stationed in Texas now. Was stationed in FL before. Yes there are alot of parent not allowing thier kids to play contact youth football (no need) that is why there are alot of flag leagues springing up in these states.

If Pop Warner became flag football I wouldn't lose sleep over it. I wouldn't necessarily agree 100%, but I wouldn't be annoyed either. I was addressing statements like "I wouldn't let my kid play football". I didn't know that we were just talking about Pop Warner. I assumed that statement applied to any and all football. Obviously it's a personal choice that I don't want to criticize. It's just something that I find to be an intriguing discussion. After all that is the purpose of these forums.

[Malazan]

Too many snowflakes

[North Buffalo]

golf is a dying sport. courses are trying to attract members here with freebies. I heard everyone playing is over 50 or 60. nobody younger. LOL.

 

golf is a dying sport. courses are trying to attract members here with freebies. I heard everyone playing is over 50 or 60. nobody younger. LOL.

 

It was always an old man's sport, only golfer in my family was my grandfather... we have had a group of younger guys invade for a while, but its going back to its rightful placean old man's sport... so by definition its dying.

[BobbyC81]

They need to fix the helmets and find a cure for the brain disease.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

A friend once read an article about a new technology helmet somebody came up with but it seemed to be squashed. Anyways, a helmet made of concrete still wouldn't stop the brain from sloshing around in the skull. You'd almost need an Iron Man or Robocop uniform where the head can't be moved side-to-side.

[Prickly Pete]

I wonder what the life expectancy, or health prognosis for a construction worker is?

[EasternOHBillsFan]

My kids two Boys will NOT be allowed to play football. As a parent and former player through college I would not be doing my job in keeping them safe if i allowed them to play.

 

But my two and the 25,000 that didnt play last year will affect nothing. Football will still be used by alot of kids as an "out" and a solution to a better life

 

LIFE isn't safe... that's how it goes. To shelter kids from football isn't a solution if they want to play.

 

If my son wants to join the military like me, or football, then I say GO FOR IT because everyone eventually suffers from something- we are human beings.

[Dr.Sack]

Football is dying because they have failed to protect the players from concussions.

[leonbus23]

 

LIFE isn't safe... that's how it goes. To shelter kids from football isn't a solution if they want to play.

 

If my son wants to join the military like me, or football, then I say GO FOR IT because everyone eventually suffers from something- we are human beings.

Jerry was a race car driver.

[North Buffalo]

 

LIFE isn't safe... that's how it goes. To shelter kids from football isn't a solution if they want to play.

 

If my son wants to join the military like me, or football, then I say GO FOR IT because everyone eventually suffers from something- we are human beings.

Yeah but soccer Mom's get a hold of that and foget about it. That being said my 13 wants to play. His mom isn't encouraging it but will support him if he does. This year is gonna be flag football. Kid is 5'8" just turned 13 and solid 160lbs. I have height in my family, I'm 6'1" 200, but I am one of the short ones and her brother is 6'3" and father was 6'5". I expect him to be in that range. His feet are already bigger than mine. Coaches are trying to get him to play. We shall see.

P.S. I still play hockey and get hit no and then. Need to learn how to take a hit and be hit.

Football is dying because they have failed to protect the players from concussions.

Football is dying because the NFL is boring with too many advertisement timeouts. Not enough continuous play... I can't go to a game anymore. I watching at a bar where there is other entertainment or other games going on. At least I can eat during timeouts. Even at home it gets boring on TV.

[Mat68]

Check out what Riddell and Vicis are doing with helmets. The new helmets that are coming out are significantly better at absorbing the impact than the current helmets. Kind of like when cars went from rigid bodies to bodies with crumple zones.

Remove shoulder pads and helmets. Without a helmet technique changes. Concussions will come way down.

[Heavy Kevi]

and yet MMA continues...

not to mention boxing and cage fighting.

MMA is massively safer than NFL and Boxing, it's not even close. A KO in MMA could happen 10 times in a boxing match, and the concussed fighter could still win. NFL has big time concussions and ligament/soft tissue damage. The vast majority of injuries in MMA are broken bones, noses, and cuts. Even though they get punched in the face alot, the damage pales in comparison to that of a boxer, and the longevity of the injuries are much shorter than NFL

 

That's a joke...

 

Those guys don't hold a Ritz cracker to the man playing for the Patriots.

If Brady actually got hit, and wasn't bubble wrapped you may be able to actually make a comparison. Unfortunately Brady has an owner/commissioner and horde of zebras to his defense.

 

Many of the posters on this forum have Western NY ties. I can see why Western NY was never a hotbed of football talent. Being Bills fans are deeply ingrained in our hearts. High school and college football culture is not. I don't see parents in Texas or Alabama stopping their sons from playing football anytime soon. Football will remain alive and well.

Alive and well is different than the astronomical level it is at right now. It will level out with incessant wimpification of America.

 

Too many snowflakes

Can't argue with this.

 

I wonder what the life expectancy, or health prognosis for a construction worker is?

I love this argument. Blue collar folks take massive risks in many different industries, and at a fraction of a fraction of the money these players get. I have a relatively safe job (chef), and still I risk cuts and burns, work in a 120° kitchen, and run a chainsaw, axe, and wood splitter daily (for smoker and pizza oven), all for the glorious paycheck of a janitor or garbage man. I am not complaining at all, I would take my life over that of an athlete, but industry hazard is a legitimate thing. Tell HS football players (and they're parents quite frankly) that they will get 30 million over a 6 year career, but you will get several concussions, they will trip ovrr you to sign up.

[Best Player Available]

Football is dying because the NFL is boring with too many advertisement timeouts. Not enough continuous play... I can't go to a game anymore. I watching at a bar where there is other entertainment or other games going on. At least I can eat during timeouts. Even at home it gets boring on TV.

Trooth! Watched a late 80's game. Bills vs. Fish. Converted from vhs-dvd. The lack of commercials compared to now was huge. Mostly Hertz commercials the entire game. It is amazing color commentators earned their checks back then. Commercial breaks wete few and far between. Now it blows bigtime.

[Keukasmallies]

The NFL fails understand the path the league is on. One only needs see the NASCAR nosedive to predict the future of the NFL - build another race track (anywhere), change some of the basic rules (racing in "stages"), paint the seats different colors and don't show the fans on TV so people won't notice the attendance decline.

Edited August 23, 2017 by Keukasmallies

[8-8 Forever?]

the $$$ and commercialization of it is progressively turning me off... 3+ hours to watch 22 minutes of action is just over the top. the ads are driving me crazy. rigging it so QB play now determines everything/ the only way to have a winning record sucks; the bottom guy on the team makes $1000 per minute whether on the field or not... its become the NBA or MLB. the players don't identify with team, only with their contract... with all the media emphasis on contracts and $$ and free agency, they seem like military mercenaries paid bought and sold to make war on a distant battlefield and then go home to their mansions on the hill in some faraway place... no community to it at all...

 

wow, not sure how that all came out... yikes

Edited August 23, 2017 by jmcraig44

[ganesh]

As long as NFL has its anti trust protections $$$ and players will be there for them no matter what happens at the lower levels

The game will die its natural death when it is stripped off its super stars. People will stop watching when the game becomes sub-standard. It could still take 50 years

[May Day 10]

I have said it before... but IMO these leagues will eventually figure out how to condense the content into somewhat continuous action. It might require having 'live' advertising in broadcast, and maybe ads on playing fields and/or uniforms. But it will be a tradeoff. Games are longer than ever, and attention spans are shorter than ever. People circumvent commercials for the most part.

[boyst]

Too many kids wearing these skinny jeans and listening to their Justin Bieber.

 

Kids today are soft thanks to the upbringing theyre afforded and the lack of responsibility in parenting.

[RoyBatty is alive]

The end of football as we know it today is coming and there are lot of people who want to cover their eyes when presented with that. It might not be in the next 10 years, but before a lot of us are dead and buried we will not recognize the game we know today.

 

But hey, lets enjoy it while we can. Go Bills.

You are correct.

 

In the 1930s the three big sports were Boxing, Baseball and Horse Racing....Boxing and Horse Racing aren't even in the top 10 anymore and Baseball has fallen tremendously. Same thing will happen to football.

 

You have several things really hurting football going forward, the injuries, the followup lawsuits, over exposure (we are now watching the Combine! Seriously) and the play on the field (over officiated, too many long drawn out reviews, arbitrary rules).

 

I live in high school football crazy Texas and of fellow parents, at least a third wont let their kids 1o play tackle football and the percentage grows every year.

 

I am waiting for football (high school first, then college) to be banned in NY, that would be the first with some headline grabbing Attorney General being a SJW hero. Football had to be saved from being banned by Teddy Roosevelt. Also waiting for former College players to start suing the universities, that is coming big time.

The game will die its natural death when it is stripped off its super stars. People will stop watching when the game becomes sub-standard. It could still take 50 years

Football will end up looking like the Pro Bowl, in other words totally unwatchable. I dont think 50, more like 20.

[thunderingsquid]

The golden age has long passed. Its downhill slide started with the roughing the quarterback penalty. Brady would not last a minute in Deacon Jones' world.

Edited August 23, 2017 by thunderingsquid

[Antonio]

In Mexico is the exact opposit. Every year more kids are choosing Football over Soccer and as a result, more and more high schools are investing in building nice fields and gyms to become the best choice for such kids.

You can attend a high school soccer match and you will see there maybe 50 parents at the most, but you go to a football game and you find thousend of people there, from parents to firends and girlfriends or just fans and former players.

I will totally allow my kids to play, I have a doughter and if she wants to try I will support her. If eventually I have a son I really hope he likes football and wants to play.

[boyst]

 

In Mexico is the exact opposit. Every year more kids are choosing Football over Soccer and as a result, more and more high schools are investing in building nice fields and gyms to become the best choice for such kids.

 

You can attend a high school soccer match and you will see there maybe 50 parents at the most, but you go to a football game and you find thousend of people there, from parents to firends and girlfriends or just fans and former players.

 

I will totally allow my kids to play, I have a doughter and if she wants to try I will support her. If eventually I have a son I really hope he likes football and wants to play.

because soccer is

[quinnearlysghost88]

The game will die its natural death when it is stripped off its super stars. People will stop watching when the game becomes sub-standard. It could still take 50 years

It's going to take way less time than that. younger generations are adopting soccer (watching/playing). it's probably only our kids' kids away from a huge slide.

[boyst]

It's going to take way less time than that. younger generations are adopting soccer (watching/playing). it's probably only our kids' kids away from a huge slide.

they've been saying that since the 1980's. Then guess what? In 2000 all of those soccer fields were replaced with LAX fields, or baseball fields. Or just sat dormant.

 

Soccer is gay. It's for little kids and girls. That's it.

Edited August 23, 2017 by Boyst62

[hondo in seattle]

MMA is massively safer than NFL and Boxing, it's not even close. A KO in MMA could happen 10 times in a boxing match, and the concussed fighter could still win. NFL has big time concussions and ligament/soft tissue damage. The vast majority of injuries in MMA are broken bones, noses, and cuts. Even though they get punched in the face alot, the damage pales in comparison to that of a boxer, and the longevity of the injuries are much shorter than NFL

 

If Brady actually got hit, and wasn't bubble wrapped you may be able to actually make a comparison. Unfortunately Brady has an owner/commissioner and horde of zebras to his defense.

 

Alive and well is different than the astronomical level it is at right now. It will level out with incessant wimpification of America.

 

Can't argue with this.

 

I love this argument. Blue collar folks take massive risks in many different industries, and at a fraction of a fraction of the money these players get. I have a relatively safe job (chef), and still I risk cuts and burns, work in a 120° kitchen, and run a chainsaw, axe, and wood splitter daily (for smoker and pizza oven), all for the glorious paycheck of a janitor or garbage man. I am not complaining at all, I would take my life over that of an athlete, but industry hazard is a legitimate thing. Tell HS football players (and they're parents quite frankly) that they will get 30 million over a 6 year career, but you will get several concussions, they will trip ovrr you to sign up.

 

Military folks, firemen and law enforcement officers all take much bigger risks for much smaller paychecks.

 

The difference is that football is a game. What's the acceptable level of risk for a game?

 

In Mexico is the exact opposit. Every year more kids are choosing Football over Soccer and as a result, more and more high schools are investing in building nice fields and gyms to become the best choice for such kids.

You can attend a high school soccer match and you will see there maybe 50 parents at the most, but you go to a football game and you find thousend of people there, from parents to firends and girlfriends or just fans and former players.

I will totally allow my kids to play, I have a doughter and if she wants to try I will support her. If eventually I have a son I really hope he likes football and wants to play.

 

 

Where do you live?

 

In some parts of the U.S., soccer is really big. Where I live in the Seattle area, more of my friends' children play soccer than football. And their games draw large crowds.

Edited August 24, 2017 by hondo in seattle

[Prickly Pete]

Remove shoulder pads and helmets. Without a helmet technique changes. Concussions will come way down.

 

along with viewership and ticket sales. Thanks!

Edited August 23, 2017 by OJABBA

[Straight Hucklebuck]

Doesn't bother me, football is getting stale anyways.

[Over 29 years of fanhood]

Remove shoulder pads and helmets. Without a helmet technique changes. Concussions will come way down.

Then toss in a wet grass field to slow everything down

[SoulMan]

The golden age of football is when you were 11.

 

Stabler, Bradshaw, Tatum/Atkinson, Staubach,

 

All downhill after that.

Yep

Waiting for the day the 1st round choice makes less that the year prior.

[BillsPride12]

The golden age of football is when you were 11.

 

Stabler, Bradshaw, Tatum/Atkinson, Staubach,

 

All downhill after that.

Agree with this except for me change Stabler, Bradshaw, Tatum/Atkinson, Staubach to...

Kelly, Elway, Marino, Young, Favre

[Augie]

YepWaiting for the day the 1st round choice makes less that the year prior.

Didn't that happen the year after Sam Bradford?

 

Paying for potential was stupid and had to be stopped. Missing on a top pick could cripple a team.

 

Other than that change in cap structure/CBA, it will continue to rise. The new emphasis will probably be probably getting to free agency quicker, but why would guys with jobs NOW take less for guys in high school and college? It should be interesting to watch it play out.