DriveFor1Outta5

As a kid I got injured doing everything except playing football. I grew up in a small town competing against 150 pound kids. I'll admit that it wasn't the highest level of football. People tend to forget that these levels exist. The majority of small town high school football isn't some brutal blood bath played by 250 pound athletes. Every middle aged men seems to love talking about their high school football injuries. It's almost as if it's a badge of honor. People forget that teenage boys are injury prone. It's not just football players who suffered childhood injuries that last a lifetime. The leg I broke in the same place twice hurts from time to time. It had nothing to do with football. It had to do with me being a kid who actually played outside. Everyone I know suffered broken bones and concussions as child. This is what happens when you don't place kids in bubble wrap. I'm not saying that football doesn't increase those odds, but to say that football has no benefits is confusing imo. If you really believe that playing football isn't worth it even for millions of dollars, isn't watching the game morally wrong for you?

I just have a difficult time understanding the arguments against allowing your kid to play high school football. Do they place these kids in bubble wrap? I remember when I was a teenager. I broke my leg twice, and probably hit my head countless times doing dumb things other than football. Teenage boys do dangerous and dumb stuff. Football just ranks somewhere on that list. Apparently kids these days don't go outdoors with friends. I suppose that they just play soccer, and use their tablets.

There will always be pro football players. If anything the greed and stupidity of the NFL will be what destroys the game. Soccer is a "safe" option for overprotective suburban parents to force their children to play. Soccer isn't producing elite athletes. I don't believe that soccer is going to take players away from the NFL. We're a nation of over 300 million who aren't very competitive on the world soccer stage. As far as football is concerned, I don't enjoy watching the game the way I once did. Rule changes and overzealous officiating often make the game unwatchable. If anything destroys the NFL it will be itself.

Good post. This is why I'm confused how people are already reaching conclusions that Watson will be a success. Watson's performance proved absolutely nothing. Ones opinion of Watson will remain the same after that performance. I'm not a TT fan, but we already have the every QB is better than ours syndrome occurring.

I can't see the Giants even making the playoffs. I think Eli's luck has finally run out. As far as the question is concerned I'd take the Pats. They are easily the best NFL team.

Yes, but the demographic of OBD posters isn't the same demographic that constitutes pro football players. Their refusal to allow their kids to play football is unlikely to take anyone away from being a future NFL star. The QB position is definitely where the biggest struggle will be. However, I don't think it has much to do with declining numbers of younger people playing football. It has more to do with the offenses ran in high school and college.

I never said that you did. Look back at some of the posts. You will see that is essentially what some are already saying. This is why I said that overreactions are amuck.

I consider posters claiming that we have passed on a great QB to be overreacting imo. People love name dropping those three on this board. In reality the story of their careers has yet to be written. Does everyone remember when we mentioned Kaepernick and RG3 in the same manner?

Wow. Watson looked decent, but the overreactions here are funny. I've always believed a rookie QB who performs extremely poorly in his debut is cause for concern. Otherwise it's difficult to predict much if anything from these games. DeShaun fans will love this performance, the other side will remain skeptical.

The dude brought a hot tub to his dorm that UCLA made him remove. He has attention whore written all over him.

Josh Rosen is a tool. The story is quite simple as that. Rosen just likes to hear himself talk. He already made a splash by saying that he didn't believe in god (he's entitled to his opinion, but it was an unnecessary attention grab imo). I view this story much the same. He likes stirring things up by throwing quotes out there. None of what he says has much substance. Josh Rosen isn't saying anything that drunken idiots don't already talk about at the bar. Nothing he said was original or intellectually stimulating. If football "dents" his ability to perform academically, why didn't he turn down football to focus on school?

Rosen has an abrasive attitude that rubs a lot of people the wrong way. Connor Cook had similar issues coming out of college. I don't see Rosen succeeding in the pros for those very reasons. As a QB you need at the very least to get along with guys on a superficial level. Leadership is such an important attribute for a QB to possess. Guys with Cutler like attitudes can't provide the necessary leadership.

There is a big difference between mastering the position and looking like a train wreck. It's likely that Lynch looks like a train wreck, much like Cardale did while he was here. There are very few QB's who go from looking like a total disaster in year two to being an all pro. The position requires continuous improvement.

I agree. Elite players make their own space. You gave great examples of players who needed "space" to be part of the game plan. They were all gadget players who didn't have great all around games. Many of these type of play calls aren't very successful in the pros either. College offenses can dominate calling only "space" plays. Those types of plays usually get shutdown in the pros. Only the Pats* succeed with them consistently. Apparently the NFL has decided that holding doesn't apply when they run a screen.

I've always found this widely accepted idea of "getting players into space" to be a myth. Aside from a rocket ship, the only way to get a player into space is by using them on punt/kickoff returns. That is a risk which most coaches aren't willing to take with their star players. Elite players have the ability to get themselves into space. A receiver who is a good route runner with elite speed should be able to win battles with defenders. Winning such battles allows the receiver to get into space. I'm not convinced that you can always game plan "space" in the pros. Players like Rice and Moss created their own space.

So is this a CTE post or a global warming post? Good lord, people can't ever leave politics alone.

I will never question the existence of CTE. I do question how it's possible to quantify the impact on players lives. There is too much sensationalist journalism involving CTE. We see too many reports linking CTE to spousal abuse, drug abuse, criminal sprees etc. The real impact of CTE cannot be measured. It's unfair to conclude that each time a football player has mental problems it should be linked to CTE.

What about all the chemicals ingested by factory workers in that era? That cement Billy Shaw mixed was probably destroying his brain too. Guys in the early era of football aren't the only people with diminished health as a result of their career. A great deal of health hazards weren't known until recently.

There is a great irony in these guys complaining about their health concerns to the media. They are basically saying that football ruined their lives. The same lives that the media wouldn't care if they didn't play football.

Tyrod regressing to the point of being terrible. Peterman replaces the benched TT. He plays decently and we discover several years later that Peterman is an Edwards type QB.

I completely understand where this guy's ex-wife is coming from. She has been through a lot. Being aware that her ex was diagnosed with CTE makes it natural to blame football. However, is there any concrete credible scientific evidence that can conclusively link CTE to criminal behavior? I'm tired of the media and fans drawing this conclusion concerning player behavior.

Look at the tour attendance from last summers reunion. That is why they "overestimated".

Lets be honest. Kaep is great for the NFL. He draws attention to the league. Look at a sport like baseball. No one cares about it anymore because there are no story lines. The games biggest stars are boring faceless guys. Regardless of what we might think of Kaep, he brings the league attention. Any media attention is good attention.

Might as well get it out of the way quickly. Isn't crashing the purpose of buying one?

In Jerry's defense Whitehead was accused of stealing. Jerry probably can't relate to that crime as well as he does to all the others.