I love football — specifically college football. But with bigger and faster players the game has become ridiculously violent and dangerous — to heads.
I saw a report recently that linked ALS or Lou Gerhig’s Disease to repeated concussions. This is is on top of the well established connection between head trauma and Parkinson’s Disease.
I predict organized football at all levels will decline in popularity over the next ten to 20 years as efforts to make the game safer result in making the game duller. In the race between conditioning (natural and artificial) and padding, conditioning is going to win. I don’t think anyone wants to see players running around in Michelin Man suits.
Forgive me if I’m a little down on football this year. My first favorite team, Texas, has had an abysmal season (please fire the O.C. Greg Davis). My second favorite team, TCU, is probably going to get locked out of the National Championship despite an unbeaten season and the BCS’s absurd opposition to a playoff.
Still, I live in Texas and if football went away the entire state would sink into such a depression that it might suck the entire country down with it. Of course, a lot of people already think Texas is a sink hole. But it’s our sink hole and until football goes away it’ll be filled with Friday night lights and Saturday afternoon glory.
And beer. We can always fill it with beer.
Right there with ya. My grandparents, from not-this-country, never quite understood our need to watch football on Thanksgiving, but it just ain’t Thanksgiving without the Cowboys.