How fast will college football die?

[cu3x]

Soccer fills stadiums all over the world. People go crazy around it

I saw a figure over $1 billion for the current 2 year period, but look at this, for Th Night Fball only:
Seattle paper: "The only problem is that the bulk of America doesn’t seem to care. Thursday Night Football draws millions of viewers a week and added $900 million to the NFL’s TV revenue the past two seasons."
then you probably have to add in amazon, hulu, you tube, etc. if the studies have to be paid for, the nfl can do it. hell, godell is a total ass and gets $50 million a year.

 

[Deleted member 807]

In two weeks we will have threads about how wussified the game of tackle football has become because some player got ejected for targeting. It's a never ending debate.

After the deaths of Rahsaan Salaam and Drew Walroos, I have pledged to give refs and replay the benefit of the doubt.

 

[hokiehead]

It was kind of a lame joke. Riding horses is probably the most dangerous sport in the world, and motocross is right up there as well. However for my kids, the positives that they got out of participating outweighed the risks involved. There's a lot of really dangerous sports, the list is not limited to football. Does anybody in Colorado ski? Rock climb? mountain bike? For those that would never let their kids play football, are their any other sports banned or is it just football you worry about?

Bullfighting, auto racing and mountaineering -- Hemmingway

 

[goalline]

Bullfighting, auto racing and mountaineering -- Hemmingway

I think the alcoholism was a bigger factor than any of his pastimes for Mr Hemingway.

I also wonder how various recreational and performance enhancing substances played a role in the degradation of Mr Hernandez's brain.

 

[PAC MAN]

Writing is on the wall for football. Some said we are a decade away from football being dead. Given the NFL kneeling issue, I really believe football has one more decent decade of play left before it declines.
If North America wins the 2026 World Cup, that could be the beginning of the end of football's popularity in a big way. Decision will be made in June 2018.

 

[Jens1893]

If North America wins the 2026 World Cup, that could be the beginning of the end of football's popularity in a big way. Decision will be made in June 2018.

I'd be shellshocked if that bid wasn't successful.

 

[MtnBuff]

Writing is on the wall for football. Some said we are a decade away from football being dead. Given the NFL kneeling issue, I really believe football has one more decent decade of play left before it declines.
If North America wins the 2026 World Cup, that could be the beginning of the end of football's popularity in a big way. Decision will be made in June 2018.

No, soccer is not going to replace football as America's sport and no football is not going to die in ten years.

We will see some changes but it fits what the American public wants to see and is the perfect sport for television. We have heard from the soccer fans for decades how the next big event be it WC or a new league or signing aging superstars, etc. etc. is going to boost soccer into the American heart and mind.

Professional soccer is growing in the US. MLS is seeing gradual but steady attendance growth and the Euro leagues are now here on TV but it is far from being a significant player compared to the NFL (or even MLB or the NBA.)

Participation in HS football has declined but that has happened before, it goes up and down. Participation in all HS sports is down but HS football is still popular, especially in the strongholds that traditionally produce the greatest college talent.

 

[skibum]

No, soccer is not going to replace football as America's sport and no football is not going to die in ten years.

I'm not making a normative "this is good" statement, but an observational one (basically don't read politics into this): in 2005, would you anyone have believed that in ten years, not only would gay marriage be legal in all 50 states, but it would also represent a clear majority view?

My point is that social views and acceptability of things can change pretty fast. In 2005, you could have painted a kind of maybe plausible path towards national legal gay marriage, and perhaps even a very, very sleight majority approval - but the smart, reasonable, only an idot would bet otherwise money would be against that actually happening.

Yet here we are.

As some dude once said, "predictions are hard, especially when they're about the future."

 

[TDbuff]

It’ll be a combination of all of the above, but the other issue is the infrastructure of the sport is too expensive to maintain.

No other sport requires 22 people with expensive equipment just to field a team. Plus 8-12 coaches just to operate the on field play, even at the hs level.

Plus, it’s highly specialized. The majority of the team doesn’t touch the ball you’re playing with. Football practice sucks for everybody but the skill people.

And kids have options now. It used to be the football team ran the school, a lot of high schools now, who cares what sport you play?

 

[PAC MAN]

Agree with TDbuff here...

Football is too specialized and as a result, players do not have to play the entire game. If rugby players could play both ways, why can't football players do the same thing like they did pre World War 2. If players had to play both ways, that means less scholarships to be awarded and that could lead to more men's sports teams being re-instated or established as a result.

It also appears to me that the players who used to play both ways didn't suffer as much as the one way players are suffering today. Given the athletic training these days, it's time for football to seriously consider a return to two way football especially in the days of those pass heavy offenses.

 

[PAC MAN]

One more thought...if linemen had to play both ways, there's no way they would be as big as they are today.

 

[MtnBuff]

NFL and the colleges making way to much money, no it isn't to expensive to continue to play.

Bottom line is America loves the game, it isn't getting replaced anytime soon.

 

[TDbuff]

At the same time, what you’re suggesting only works as rugby.

 

[TDbuff]

NFL and the colleges making way to much money, no it isn't to expensive to continue to play.

Bottom line is America loves the game, it isn't getting replaced anytime soon.

Ratings are down, and it is too expensive for a lot of high schools.

 

[MtnBuff]

At the same time, what you’re suggesting only works as rugby.

No, but I do see some changes coming to football, not unlike the changes that have already occurred in the game.

It will still be football, it will still be a highly physical game. It won't involve nearly as much hitting with or around the head.

 

[MtnBuff]

Ratings are down, and it is too expensive for a lot of high schools.

We have heard this every decade as the soccer crowd tries to make the case why soccer is going to soon be America's game.

High Schools know that their communities demand it. Very few don't have football teams and that number is not rising.

TV ratings are down, as are all sports ratings. Just remember that even with down ratings a typical NFL pre-season game (exhibition) gets much better ratings that almost all other sports programming gets. It is still not just the elephant in the room, it is the herd of elephants.

 

[dio]

Football is starting to fade, but it isn't soccer that replaces it. Maybe nothing replaces it, as entertainment dollars go elsewhere.

Soccer has it's own CTE epidemic to deal with anyway.

 

[somebody]

Football is starting to fade, but it isn't soccer that replaces it. Maybe nothing replaces it, as entertainment dollars go elsewhere.

Soccer has it's own CTE epidemic to deal with anyway.

Chess ftmfw! Has the opposite affect on the brain. You all really need to go to e.g. Chess24.com or Chessbase.com and watch some serious games. It's exhilarating!

 

[Alfred91]

Football is starting to fade, but it isn't soccer that replaces it. Maybe nothing replaces it, as entertainment dollars go elsewhere.

Soccer has it's own CTE epidemic to deal with anyway.

Soccer's issue is with headers. Heading the ball is already illegal for U11 and under. I expect that age to go higher over time, until it's completely legislated out of the game. Much more easily solved than football.

 

[Alfred91]

High Schools know that their communities demand it. Very few don't have football teams and that number is not rising

You work in that area. You know that all it is going to take is a few 19 to 20 year olds killing themselves and being found to have CTE for the liability insurance to become too expensive for most high schools.

I'm not predicting what is going to happen with the American sports landscape, but I think it's just as risky to say that football is hoping to stay in the same position at the head of the pack than to predict its downfall.

 

[4BienemyTDs]

Tackling in Football is all that has to change!!! There is some discussion all over about the way that the Seattle Seahawks and Pete Carroll teaches tackling like Rugby does. Get the head out of it, tackle the hips, and keep it safer. The Seahawks are great tacklers, and most of the teams that have completely adopted Rugby tackling are the future. Targeting is just the start, and these players have got to just understand that it is not acceptable, and the biggest change has been ESPN. 10 years ago, they showed replays on Sportscenter of guys blowing each other up. Now, the announcer has a somber voice and they point out the targeting rules. I can see the NFL adopting more targeting like rules. Parents cannot watch that crap and feel good about putting there kids into the sport. Football might flat line or shrink a little, but it will remain healthy for the next 20-30 years if everyone is proactive.

Soccer is growing, but it has a long ways to go and has its own demons that will likely derail it.

 

[patebuff]

One thing people forget that most athletic departments have football as a means to finance the rest of their athletic programs. Football goes away at the collegiate level, good bye other sports. College athletics will change drastically if football is gone.

 

[MtnBuff]

Tackling in Football is all that has to change!!! There is some discussion all over about the way that the Seattle Seahawks and Pete Carroll teaches tackling like Rugby does. Get the head out of it, tackle the hips, and keep it safer. The Seahawks are great tacklers, and most of the teams that have completely adopted Rugby tackling are the future. Targeting is just the start, and these players have got to just understand that it is not acceptable, and the biggest change has been ESPN. 10 years ago, they showed replays on Sportscenter of guys blowing each other up. Now, the announcer has a somber voice and they point out the targeting rules. I can see the NFL adopting more targeting like rules. Parents cannot watch that crap and feel good about putting there kids into the sport. Football might flat line or shrink a little, but it will remain healthy for the next 20-30 years if everyone is proactive.

Soccer is growing, but it has a long ways to go and has its own demons that will likely derail it.

There are some other benefits to what Seattle and others have done with the rugby techniques. Not only does it result in fewer head injuries but they also get fewer shoulder injuries, back injuries, etc. At the same time, and this is huge, it makes for better defense. They give up fewer big plays and generate more turnovers.

Football has always evolved, you can go back to the days of the single wing and the flying wedge, the days when a dropped forward pass was a fumble.

At the same time we have a long history of the soccer fans telling us how soccer dominance is "just around the corner." All the times we have been told that youth soccer numbers mean the end of football interest, talk about how "this time" the World Cup is going to change American viewing habits and interest.

Football is an integral part of the American culture. CTE is a concern, so were the knee injuries of the 70's and 80's. Injuries have always been a part of the game and parents have always worried but in the end kids play and keep playing.

 

[Alfred91]

Tackling is only part of the problem with CTE, fellas. The simple act of offensive linemen, tight ends, running backs, defensive lineman, and linebackers blocking/shedding blocks 100s of times a week in practice and games is a large part of what contributes to those subconcussive events that are more contributory to CTE than major concussions.

Rugby does not have the 'coming off the ball" collision as part of their sport. The scrum is initiated with the players already locked into contact with each other.

 

[Buffnik]

Tackling is only part of the problem with CTE, fellas. The simple act of offensive linemen, tight ends, running backs, defensive lineman, and linebackers blocking/shedding blocks 100s of times a week in practice and games is a large part of what contributes to those subconcussive events that are more contributory to CTE than major concussions.

Rugby does not have the 'coming off the ball" collision as part of their sport. The scrum is initiated with the players already locked into contact with each other.

If that’s the solution, I’m done as a fan. If I wanted to watch rugby, I’d already be watching rugby.

 

[Alfred91]

If that’s the solution, I’m done as a fan. If I wanted to watch rugby, I’d already be watching rugby.

I'm not saying that's the way this will all turn out, but the idea that rugby tackling is going to cure all ills is missing the point, imo. As long as we understand that the subconcussive events are a bigger problem for CTE than major concussions, then we have to rethink more than just tackling, targeting, etc.

 

[MtnBuff]

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...e-update-confirmed-link-between-rugby-and-cte

https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/spo...g-rugby-risk-suffering-permanent-brain-damage

The reality is that playing contact sports involves risk. There are differences in the level of that risk but the risk is there. We are not going to eliminate contact sports, we are not going to abandon these things that tie us together.

Rugby is better but it does involve risk as well, so does soccer, so does lacrosse, and so do every other sport that involve competing players making frequent contact with each other.

Football can learn from rugby. Reduce the direct hits in open field (and some of these exist in rugby as well) and tackle by wrapping and dragging down instead of trying to knock guys off their feet.

In some ways football has already changed towards rugby. Look at line play from pre-2000. Linemen on both sides wore huge shoulder pads, rib cages, and neck braces and used their bodies as weapons to administer the maximum possible impact each play. Now look at the linemen, offensive tackles are wearing shoulder pads smaller than punters wore 25 years ago, the emphasis is on maximum flexibility and mobility. Individual wins are gained through quickness and moves, much less frequently on pure power and impact.

The game still has plenty of violence, plenty of hitting and blocking and tackling but the game has changed significantly and not lost any popularity.

 

[Matt]

Besides CTE the game is almost unwatchable with all the commercials and stops in plays to review calls. 3+ hour games zzzzz

 

[MtnBuff]

Besides CTE the game is almost unwatchable with all the commercials and stops in plays to review calls. 3+ hour games zzzzz

It would help to clean up some of the stops in play but the game is still enjoyable to watch. Interesting to hear that comment from a proponent of soccer, a game in which a 1-1 tie with 5-8 shots on goal is considered exciting.

 

[8Jah]

You could keep football football and make it a lot safer by:
1) widening the field by twenty yards
2) lengthening by thirty yards
3) not allowing substitution
4) reducing the play-clock to twenty seconds from end of previous play.
5) allowing all players to be an eligible receiver.

These rules would favor small players and fatigue would take the lick off of hits.