Interesting Read...Is the End Near?

[TheNebraskaHawk]

The attached article is in reference to the NFL potentially being eliminated within the next 30 years, what about college football? Thoughts?
Bernard Pollard of Baltimore Ravens -- NFL will not exist in 30 years - ESPN

 

[DwayneTwill]

No. No. That's one player pulling crap out of his butt. The NFL isn't going away. That's ridiculous.

 

[Cosity82]

0% chance of that happening. Just a frustrated player venting

 

[HawkeyeMcNutt]

There's this thing called money...football is here to stay.

 

[Seth53]

How Teddy Roosevelt Saved Football

Football's always been a survivor....even 100+ years ago.

 

[RADMAN]

There's this thing called money...football is here to stay.

That is exactly why fans are losing interest in pro sports. I have been watching every sport for 45 years and I can tell you there has been a big change in the excitement that once existed in watching your favorite team. I wouldn't single out just the NFL, I think baseball, basketball and hockey are right there as well. TOO much money is a poison.

 

[CPHAWK82]

Didn't read the article, but the title sounds like a bit of a stretch. People may be more cautious about head hits, but that's not going to change people being entertained by watching it. As long as there is eyeballs on the sport, there's money. If there's money, then people will do it undoubtedly.

I can't say this for all professional sports, but pro football is at an all time high in popularity.

 

[JonDMiller]

Will read in a bit, but I was listening to Dan Patrick yesterday, and he talked about this and also did so with Tony Dungy, who played in the league back in the 70's.

There are safer helmets now that are available but not all the players wear them. Tony said they have a battle to get the players to wear mouth pieces and all of their pads. DP said that once they figure out a way to accurately test for HGH (he has been told off the record by players that they believe 60% of them are using it) and that is removed from the game, players won't be able to get so big and big at high speeds.

Lastly, nobody is forced to play football..not at any level. I could see the impact on the game through parents not allowing their kids to play the game and there being fewer people available and perhaps the quality could drop, so we could be in the window of the apex of the game as far as its quality.

 

[latrans]

That is exactly why fans are losing interest in pro sports. I have been watching every sport for 45 years and I can tell you there has been a big change in the excitement that once existed in watching your favorite team. I wouldn't single out just the NFL, I think baseball, basketball and hockey are right there as well. TOO much money is a poison.

Too much money for who? The owners have always made bank but now that the players are getting paid a reasonable share now its a poison?

 

[kicker22]

Will read in a bit, but I was listening to Dan Patrick yesterday, and he talked about this and also did so with Tony Dungy, who played in the league back in the 70's.

There are safer helmets now that are available but not all the players wear them. Tony said they have a battle to get the players to wear mouth pieces and all of their pads. DP said that once they figure out a way to accurately test for HGH (he has been told off the record by players that they believe 60% of them are using it) and that is removed from the game, players won't be able to get so big and big at high speeds.

Lastly, nobody is forced to play football..not at any level. I could see the impact on the game through parents not allowing their kids to play the game and there being fewer people available and perhaps the quality could drop, so we could be in the window of the apex of the game as far as its quality.

And why wear this stuff now when they can simply sue the NFL down the road and state that the NFL failed to emphasize the importance of wearing this protective equipment. While I agree that head injuries are a major issue and concussions are more severe then originally believed to be, the fact remains that players ignore it with the "it'll never happen to me mentality". The helmets and equipment have been made available but since the newer helmets haven't become a requirement or "mainstream" yet, many will continue to ignore them, because they aren't comfortablemight weigh more. The fact is that although the NFL isn't doing enough to address the issue, the players aren't either. I do agree, however, that once the new drug testing policies are put in place that should help quite a bit.

 

[kicker22]

In response to the OP. I don't ever see football going away at the college or professional level. The game will continue to undergo changes to make it safer to the players, but there will always be those who see playing at the professional level their meal ticket and will do whatever it takes to stay on the field. There will also always be those that will continue to support the game. Adjustments will be made, but the show will go on.

 

[Scorpio79]

bernard pollard is an ******* thug. dude plays to injure his opponents. he ought to be suspended or kicked out of the NFL.

 

[1hawkeye1]

That is exactly why fans are losing interest in pro sports.

Interest in pro sports is at an all time high. Where are you getting this?

 

[dave3912]

That is exactly why fans are losing interest in pro sports. I have been watching every sport for 45 years and I can tell you there has been a big change in the excitement that once existed in watching your favorite team. I wouldn't single out just the NFL, I think baseball, basketball and hockey are right there as well. TOO much money is a poison.

Anyone who says this, doesn't have it. No offense RADMAN but in sports and in live, TOO much money is never an issue. It is whether or not the person or organization that has it, can handle it.

 

[Xerxes]

0% chance of that happening. Just a frustrated player venting

30 years ago, people would have said the same thing about Horse Racing & Boxing. Boxing is dead, Horse Racing is somewhat important for a few weeks each spring for betters.

If football related head injuries continue to rise, the sport could be in trouble. As mentioned by another poster, mouth pieces and state of the art helmets should be used and they need to get the HGH problem solved. That could have a dramatic effect in helping.

But it could get to the same point boxing did if the head injury issue isn't solved. Mike Tyson nearly made half a billion dollars over his career and his big payday fights were from 1986-2001. Today a legit heavyweight boxing fight with good fighters would have a purse over 100 million. It doesn't matter. People aren't willing to risk having a splattered brain, regardless of the money. Hence, boxing is pretty much dead.

 

[Hawkfromnorwalk]

I don't think the end is near but everything has an ebb and flow to it and I suppose football is no exception. Especially being at damn near it's peak in interest it's hard to fathom a point in time where NFL football won't be the most popular thing let alone still be going. Like I said, things do change though. Look at NASCAR for example. 10 years ago it was getting massively huge ratings and every track along the circuit was a sellout or extremely close to it. Now look at it, ratings are way down, and ticket sales are dismal at some locations. Hell, at last years Daytona 500 there were whole sections of bleachers just sitting empty, something unimaginable a few years ago. The powers that be in NASCAR made changes that drove away the fans. The NFL is doing almost everything right at this moment, but get a commissioner in there that doesn't make the right moves and the fans might go elsewhere.

 

[HawkeyeMcNutt]

That is exactly why fans are losing interest in pro sports. I have been watching every sport for 45 years and I can tell you there has been a big change in the excitement that once existed in watching your favorite team. I wouldn't single out just the NFL, I think baseball, basketball and hockey are right there as well. TOO much money is a poison.

You're saying it's not all about money at the College level, either?

 

[FCAS]

There's this thing called money...football is here to stay.

Actually, money could possibly be a reason for football to fade away. A string of successful lawsuits could make football prohibitively expensive for high school and youth leagues. If kids are kept from playing football, their interest could move on to other sports.

 

[iahawks912]

Says the thug who has hurt about half the offensive players in the NFL...

 

[JHHawk]

If 60% are on HGH, they need to go to crisis mode and immediately impose blood testing,after every game,for a random group. If caught, suspended for 16 games immediately,no appeal,second offense...out of the NFL.

Time to go full metal jacket on all fronts...including equipment standards that must be adhered to.