Football: Good or Bad?

crawjo · January-31st-2004, 02:31 PM

Football is a bad, bad sport.

As George Will once said, it combines the two worst features of modern life: violence punctuated by committee meetings.

Captain Hate · January-31st-2004, 02:40 PM

Football is by far the roughest sport on the participants; we can only speculate on the baseball records that Bo Jackson might have attained if he hadn't had his career terminated by a football injury. Plus compared to the other professional sports, the owners have the players by the nuts; Gene Upshaw should've resigned years ago. Long-term contracts should be used for toilet paper. Steroided up 300 pounders that are lightning quick put unbelievable stress on their knees.

Still we aren't completely a nanny state and if the players have it in 'em, it's gotta come out.

moneyp · January-31st-2004, 02:42 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Captain Hate
Football is by far the roughest sport on the participants; we can only speculate on the baseball records that Bo Jackson might have attained if he hadn't had his career terminated by a football injury.

Uh, no. Bo was never that good, even when he was healthy.

walto · January-31st-2004, 03:15 PM

Blech.

GA Russell · January-31st-2004, 03:15 PM

I prefer the Canadian league. The percentage of games that are very good is much higher than that of the NFL or college.

There are only 9 teams in the CFL, so it's much easier to keep track of, too.

Jazzzoline · January-31st-2004, 03:20 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Captain Hate
Football is by far the roughest sport on the participants;

Ever watched Rugby? Very close to football but.. the players aren't protected like football players are.
And I think Hockey is more rough of a sport than football, they have a weapon ( a stick) and they can fight. They can squeeze another guy against a wall coming from high speed due to fast skating.

I watched "crosse" once: they have a weapon and no protection at all.
Ouch!

Jazzzoline · January-31st-2004, 03:21 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by crawjo
Football is a bad, bad sport.

As George Will once said, it combines the two worst features of modern life: violence punctuated by committee meetings.

Sounds just like your president's war...

Chris D · January-31st-2004, 04:06 PM

Anyone who ever got in a clean shot at somebody from the blind side would have to say
GOOD.

Captain Hate · January-31st-2004, 04:12 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Jazzzoline
Ever watched Rugby? Very close to football but.. the players aren't protected like football players are.
And I think Hockey is more rough of a sport than football, they have a weapon ( a stick) and they can fight. They can squeeze another guy against a wall coming from high speed due to fast skating.

I watched "crosse" once: they have a weapon and no protection at all.
Ouch!

I should've said professional sports; and the rugby players don't compare in size to football players. At least the ones that I've seen.

I think that the average length of a football career is less than that of hockey players; but I could be way off on that.

Jason Bivins · January-31st-2004, 05:17 PM

Well, George Will is a bad, bad pundit. (And, as a D.C. native, I can also personally testify that he hands out lame candy on Halloween - George, you clock duckets, give out some brand names!!!)

Aside from the fact that this pearl of wisdom exemplifies the smugness and simplicity for which Will has made himself known, it's clearly not anything that applies to football exclusively. Hockey? Basketball? Shit, they're all violent to a degree - it just depends on the amount of padding, the number of players, the rules of the game, and play calling - and "committee meetings" are hardly unique to the sport.

George Will is only marginally less reputable re. sports than re. politics. I fondly remember an episode of Letterman where Will - whose neo-Tocquevillean fetish for the "lost era of greatness" in America, apparently synonymous with baseball in the 40s-60s, was the subject of his book-promotin' appearance - was asked to step up to a makeshift plate. He whiffed, of course.

Football is a great, great sport.

moneyp · January-31st-2004, 05:32 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Captain Hate
I should've said professional sports; and the rugby players don't compare in size to football players. At least the ones that I've seen.

I think that the average length of a football career is less than that of hockey players; but I could be way off on that.

Depends on the position. Running backs have the shortest shelf-life on average, I believe. Kickers have the longest. Okay, so they're not really football players. Offensive linemen have the longest of the non-kickers (less reliant on leg speed, less motion behind the contact).

Football players absorb contact every down. Hockey players only reach double figures in getting hit on a particularly bad day, and since they're on ice skates, there's usually a lot more "give" to the hits (unless they get hit into the wall).

Football players fade when their bodies start to break down, at ages when they could still be in their physical prime. With hockey players, like basketball and baseball players, it's more associated with age rather than wear.

Captain Hate · January-31st-2004, 07:48 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by mone peterson
Football players absorb contact every down. Hockey players only reach double figures in getting hit on a particularly bad day, and since they're on ice skates, there's usually a lot more "give" to the hits (unless they get hit into the wall).

Football players fade when their bodies start to break down, at ages when they could still be in their physical prime. With hockey players, like basketball and baseball players, it's more associated with age rather than wear.

Thanks, you've confirmed what I intuitively thought; and watched Gordie Howe last forever. When a linebacker from the Browns severed his achilles tendon, I said at the time that has to be it for his career. The dim bulbs in the media acted like he could come back but, having had mine severed before and imagining the stress that would get put on it when 2 300 pounders are pushing against each other, there's no way it wouldn't shred again.

I always assumed that Derek Sanderson's early exit from hockey was more lifestyle related.

GoodSpeak · February-1st-2004, 12:13 PM

Football GOOD.

Me like football.

GoodSpeak · February-1st-2004, 12:18 PM

Not as much as baseball, though ;-)

Alastair · February-1st-2004, 01:04 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Captain Hate
I should've said professional sports; and the rugby players don't compare in size to football players. At least the ones that I've seen.

I think that the average length of a football career is less than that of hockey players; but I could be way off on that.

Rugby Union has been professional in the UK, Australasia and South Africa since the mid-nineties. Rugby league has always been professional - that's why they broke from the union in the first place in 1895.

I'm not an avid fan of Rugby Union, but those guys are BIG. And they don't wear pansy body armour or helmets.

Captain Hate · February-1st-2004, 01:08 PM

I surrender; I will defer to Alastair on all rugby matters in the future.

Jimmy Cantiello · February-1st-2004, 01:08 PM

I agree that football is a very rough sport but standing under the boards during an NBA game is very hazardous as well.................

moneyp · February-1st-2004, 07:09 PM

The football I'm watching right now? Bad. Very bad.

john williams · February-1st-2004, 07:11 PM

Aussie Rules football anyone? Probably not.

Dr Dave · February-1st-2004, 08:32 PM

American Football is good. It gives stupid people something to talk about.

GoodSpeak · February-1st-2004, 08:33 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by JBW
Aussie Rules football anyone? Probably not.

You mean Australian NO Rules Football...?

Al in NYC · February-2nd-2004, 02:51 PM

Football (American version) is a GREAT game. Perhaps the greatest of all games. But it is a pantywaist activity compared to a real man's sport like hurling.