Bob Costas

[blubberhawk]

not football, but i've endured my fair share of baseball injuries. tommy john surgery in the elbow and have also torn the labrum in my shoulder, broken bone in the shoulder, and moderate to severe tear of my rotator cuff in the same shoulder. if you notice, tommy john surgery has become pretty common for pitchers in the MLB.

if my 3 month old son comes to me in a few years and says he wants to pitch, i'm going out that night and buying a catchers mitt to catch him and will be damn proud to do so.

theres risk in everything you do. will i be nervous that this next pitch will be the one that causes him pain? probably, but i'm not going to deny him the fun he's had up until that point because I was afraid of what could possibly happen in the future

uh uh ah...Catchers get way too many concussions. Maybe an outfielders glove would be better.

 

[SonofaSailor]

I love football...and always used to say I would let my kid decide...but I don't think that's such a prudent course of action...The only football injuries I ever had were broken bones thankfully...

It's hypocritical...but I don't think I'll allow my kids to play football down the road...There's a lot of risk...and is it worth not being able to remember things...or being foggy for the rest of your life, or being dead for that matter all for a game (which is what football boils down to)

Like the person that posted the injury chart...it's a lot riskier to play football than any other sport...I really think we are nearing a cross roads with the game where something will have to be done. And I know some people will scream about "softening the game"...but at this point...that may be exactly what it needs. Let us not forget that football almost died at the turn of the 20th century...but was saved by Teddy. Kids are dying again on the football field...I have seen at least two articles this season alone about high school kids dying from injuries sustained after a hit...that's unacceptable.

 

[brhawks18]

Costas is welcome to his opinion. But his self-righteous know-it-all schtick is getting tired.

Perfect summary of Costas. He thinks people care about his opinion. If he would just stick to announcing sports he'd be just fine.

As I read recently in, I believe Bobby Knights book. Some people need to get a degree from the shut up school. Costas needs that degree real bad and quickly.

 

[IowaFan81]

One can teach a kid how to tackle all they want to. All it takes is one kid who hits them wrong (accident) and it's over. Just like anything. You can only prevent so much but you can't control others. A parent just has to weigh the options an go with it. I do think starting tackle football at age 8 is wrong. Kids are still developing and kids head injuries heal slower than adults. But you can't shield them from everything or they become inactive and obese. Pick your poison. Right now my kids play flag football, soccer, basketball, baseball, and wrestle. Tackle football starts next year. Will he play? I don't know yet. Been to some little kids tackle football games the last few years and it doesn't seem too bad but you never know. Most of us probably didn't play tackle until junior high/middle school. I just think it's dumb to come in here and bash people about their opinions when all they are trying to do is gain info and get other perspectives to make and informed decision about their kids health and future.

 

[trj]

How old is his son? Maybe he's just holding him from playing before highschool age. The whole thing of having 5th graders play full contact is pretty ridic.

He lost a bet in the mid 80's that had something to do with Kirby Puckett(can't remember the details)......Ended up giving his son the middle name of Kirby. I believe he has daughter also in the mid to late 20's.

 

[trj]

Perfect summary of Costas. He thinks people care about his opinion. If he would just stick to announcing sports he'd be just fine.

As I read recently in, I believe Bobby Knights book. Some people need to get a degree from the shut up school. Costas needs that degree real bad and quickly.

He has always been like this..........why so many people are choosing to be annoyed now I do not get.

 

[ATLHawkeye]

Im interested, how many people commenting here have had a football related injury and what type of injury?

On one play, I tore my ACL, PCL and just about everything else you can tear in a knee. I have a shiny new metal right knee to prove it!

And, I'd still let my kids play football (at least I think I would... I have two girls).

 

[HomerChampless]

Bike Jousting and Skateboard Wars are far more dangerous than tackle football. Just sayin.

Not school sanctioned, and therefore not fodder for lawsuits. What is fodder ??

Football will go the same way as peanuts in the school cafeteria... and religion.

 

[HomerChampless]

football isn't politically correct, right now.

 

[cuihawk]

Life is a risk. People let their kids do so many inherently dangerous things. Eg., get in a car a drive. Every year thousands of minors die in auto accidents. The threat of serious injury or death from walking out of the house each day has to be significantly more probable than dying or developing a long term/debilitating brain injury as a result of playing football...yet, we let our kids leave the house each day. There are so many positives about being a participant in this game, that I can't imagine mandating that my kid can't play the sport if he wanted to. But hey, that's just me. I think limiting the experiences of your children because you are constantly too scared they will be hurt is a great way to make sure that they resent you at some point down the road because they wish they would have had a chance to play. To each their own, but I think we are becoming a society of pu$$ies. Football ain't going anywhere folks.