Bob Costas on the future of football: 'This game destroys people's brains'

[DanT]

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sport...ins/842904001/

Quote from top of article:

Originally Posted by USA Today article

As far as longtime sports broadcaster Bob Costas is concerned, the future of football in the United States is clear — and bleak.

“The reality is that this game destroys people’s brains," he said Tuesday night.

Speaking at a roundtable discussion at the University of Maryland, Costas, who hosted Football Night in America on NBC for more than a decade, said the sport could collapse over time, barring a development in technology to make it reasonably safe. He said the decline of football, which was once “a cash machine,” is the most significant story in American sports.

“The cracks in the foundation are there,” Costas said. “The day-to-day issues, as serious as they may be, they may come and go. But you cannot change the nature of the game. I certainly would not let, if I had an athletically gifted 12- or 13-year-old son, I would not let him play football.”

[kcxiv]

Originally Posted by aces and eights

Pussification is ruining the game. I miss LT knocking ppl out, and head hunting safeties. I played from the second grade through high school. Now what was I saying?

yeah, because its not your ****ing brain!

[kcxiv]

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

So does working in coal mines, oil rigs and many other jobs that people are just working stiffs trying to provide for their families.

coal mines, oil rigs and many other jobs are needed to sustain our way of life for the most part. Football does not!

[kcxiv]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

The most talented athletes in America have choices and many, for years, have chosen baseball over football.

For most of these guys, playing in the NBA is the penultimate.

Once more people deny their children the opportunity to play football, the sport will die.

It’s already happening.

I agree, i think baseball and basketball are going to make a big comeback. people just simply arent going to let their kids play football . Hell, most football players wont let their kids play tackle football until highschool. Hell my nephew played from a kid and 1 year in college before he said **** football. Dude has completely tore his knee ( had surgery at Stanford). Broke his other knee cap (Another Stanford Surgery) Both times someone rolling his legs. (played Oline and Dline). had 2 concussions, all before 18.

[Simply Red]

Originally Posted by Chief3188

Read my original post. I was never saying it solves everything. Just possible scenario's with the focus being on the millions of dollars. Do you think people will stop risking their brains with the chance of millions of dollars? I sure don't so there's your solution.

you're stupid

[cosmo20002]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

Wrong.

Penultimate has been repurposed as being the top of the chain

[Chief3188]

Originally Posted by Simply Red

you're stupid

Stop it, you're hurting my feelings. You're stupider....

[Simply Red]

just kidding, I don't care

[Tribal Warfare]

IMO, in the near future the season will be shortened to 10-12 games and teams will be culled because of loss of profits,fan interest, and better competition between teams.Hopefully the culling doesn't include KC

[pugsnotdrugs19]

I'd like to see the research that will come with the new helmets being used this year, by guys like Alex Smith and Mitch Morse... the VICIS helmet is like nothing else ever used before. I won't go into detail about it because it would take too long, but there are videos on YouTube about what it does that is extremely unique.

If that helmet makes a big difference, it will be on every player's head in the very near future. And they are only going to get more and more safe moving forward, if the VICIS is working well.

Bottom line, football is a money making machine throughout thousands and thousands of communities in this country. It pumps more money into school programs than any other sport by a mile. It's going to take a LOT of sh*t to ever put it away.

[Tribal Warfare]

Originally Posted by pugsnotdrugs19

I'd like to see the research that will come with the new helmets being used this year, by guys like Alex Smith and Mitch Morse... the VICIS helmet is like nothing else ever used before. I won't go into detail about it because it would take too long, but there are videos on YouTube about what it does that is extremely unique.

If that helmet makes a big difference, it will be on every player's head in the very near future. And they are only going to get more and more safe moving forward, if the VICIS is working well.

Bottom line, football is a money making machine throughout thousands and thousands of communities in this country. It pumps more money into school programs than any other sport by a mile. It's going to take a LOT of sh*t to ever put it away.

The players are ****ing themselves and the sport already with the protests, and demanding the percentage of the profits in total in the upcoming CBA.

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Originally Posted by Chief3188

I always wonder when a player chooses to play in the NFL instead of MLB. So much less contact, contracts are guaranteed and best of all from their perspective (not a fan perspective because that shit sucks in opinion) there is no cap.

It takes a long, long time to make money in baseball. Unless you're a bonus baby, you're toiling for several years in the minors at crap salary, then the first several years of team control don't pay well, and you still have to make it through arb years to strike big on a FA contract, which will only happen if you're in the top 20% of the league.

The talent pool in baseball is much larger given the depth of players in Latin America, Japan, and Korea. But if you are a good ML player, you are set, but most don't make any real money (comparatively) until they are near 30.

The NBA is where you can get good money soon, but again, it's a global game. Football is a national game, so it's easier to get to the NFL.

But if I'm an elite athlete, I'd be foolish to play football over the other options. The risk of injury is too high, there are no guaranteed contracts, and the long-term damage to your body is ruinous compared to other team sports. It's not a wise financial investment.

[Buehler445]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

The money will decrease as the game declines due to the talent level.

Hell, people are already complaining about the quality of play.

Can you imagine if the league becomes like the World Football League or NFL Europe or the XFL?

The money will go away, which is why municipalities are foolish to invest $2 billion plus in stadiums.

I agree. In fact, I'm one of the guys whining about bad football. However, it has to reach some sort of critical mass. Football is still as popular as ever with money coming out of their asses. "Here" football is still the dominant sport in high school. NFL isn't getting players out of Western Kansas, but it's the only point of reference I have, as bad as it is.

I don't at all reject your position, but perceived viewership by sponsors and networks - and while ratings are down, so are other sports, and by my (admittedly limited) perspective, the NFL still represents the easiest and best access to the target market.

In order for the money to run out, that perception by sponsors and networks. And as long as there is money, people that can't play baseball or basketball, will play.

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Originally Posted by Chiefshrink

Remove the face mask as Bill Parcells said and there will be a lot less head collisions.

You do realize that people used to ****ing die on the football field and that it wasn't that uncommon, right?

Removing the facemask is a great idea until someone gets tackled, falls right into someones knee and gets both their orbitals shattered.

It also does nothing to stop the deceleration from hits.

[Buehler445]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

It takes a long, long time to make money in baseball. Unless you're a bonus baby, you're toiling for several years in the minors at crap salary, then the first several years of team control don't pay well, and you still have to make it through arb years to strike big on a FA contract, which will only happen if you're in the top 20% of the league.

The talent pool in baseball is much larger given the depth of players in Latin America, Japan, and Korea. But if you are a good ML player, you are set, but most don't make any real money (comparatively) until they are near 30.

The NBA is where you can get good money soon, but again, it's a global game. Football is a national game, so it's easier to get to the NFL.

But if I'm an elite athlete, I'd be foolish to play football over the other options. The risk of injury is too high, there are no guaranteed contracts, and the long-term damage to your body is ruinous compared to other team sports. It's not a wise financial investment.

On the surface I agree. But there aren't a lot of players that could double up. Sure we could go through a list of guys, sure but most of the almost 3,000 guys who end up on an NFL roster in a given year won't be able to play a different sport.

Virtually nobody under 6'5 is playing basketball.

A guy that is 5'10 with non-elite coordination isn't playing baseball. He's a DB.

A guy that is 6'2 +250 doesn't belong on a baseball field. He's a LB

No lineman are playing baseball.

From the QB position, unless you're a runner, your probably less likely to get hurt than pitching, which is where a lot of QBs would otherwise play.

WRs could play, but it takes a different kind of coordination to be able to hit a major league ball.

[Simply Red]

Originally Posted by carcosa

Do you think more personal responsibility is going to save football somehow?

yas kween