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Posted

There's a Motion of the floor to disallow newbs from generating new threads until they have 200 posts or are called an Idiot by DC Tom -whichever comes first.

 

Any Seconds??

Depends. As long as DC Tom cannot call poster an idiot until 1000 posts I'd agree.

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Posted

I don't have to "justify" it. It's football and I enjoy watching my teams. How do people justify playing is another question. We didn't let our kids play until high school and were pleased when one son opted not to play in college. They have free choice and if they want to play, more power to them. I hope they maintain their health as much as possible, but I didn't send them out there against their will.

Posted

Lol. I have to justify watching football now? Yea, sure, it's dangerous and guys get hurt including head injuries. I don't justify it, I just enjoy the game. To put it bluntly--rumors of the NFL's inhumanity are greatly overstated.

Posted

I've been a Bills fan for 20 years, but I'm thinking of quitting football fandom all together after this season. Every time I see some awful-looking concussion or hit to the head....Corey Graham's eyes rolling back in Week 1 this year, AJ Green getting clobbered tonight, etc. etc. etc. etc.....or read an article like this one on Torell Troup and his pain and pill-popping to stay on the field http://bills.buffalonews.com/2015/11/21/torell-troup-one-pick-ahead-of-gronk/, I think, "How can I justify giving money to this institution?" Even if I argue, "Well, these are pretty well-compensated adults doing it because they want to," the existence of big-time football helps maintain the existence of little kid football, where thousands of minors are getting brain injuries before they're mature enough to make their own decisions.

 

I love the game, tailgates, the Ralph crowd, all of it, but I just don't think I can do it any more. So real sincere question - how do you justify it?

 

I don't. I've become increasingly turned off by it, for just the reasons you list.

Depends. As long as DC Tom cannot call poster an idiot until 1000 posts I'd agree.

 

Oft-times I'm calling them an idiot before their fifth post.

 

Might be better to split the difference - 1000 posts, or 200 posts AND I call them an idiot.

Posted

 

I don't. I've become increasingly turned off by it, for just the reasons you list.

 

 

Oft-times I'm calling them an idiot before their fifth post.

 

Might be better to split the difference - 1000 posts, or 200 posts AND I call them an idiot.

We should enact the idiot protocol for you Tommy Boy.

Posted

I've been a Bills fan for 20 years, but I'm thinking of quitting football fandom all together after this season. Every time I see some awful-looking concussion or hit to the head....Corey Graham's eyes rolling back in Week 1 this year, AJ Green getting clobbered tonight, etc. etc. etc. etc.....or read an article like this one on Torell Troup and his pain and pill-popping to stay on the field http://bills.buffalonews.com/2015/11/21/torell-troup-one-pick-ahead-of-gronk/, I think, "How can I justify giving money to this institution?" Even if I argue, "Well, these are pretty well-compensated adults doing it because they want to," the existence of big-time football helps maintain the existence of little kid football, where thousands of minors are getting brain injuries before they're mature enough to make their own decisions.

 

I love the game, tailgates, the Ralph crowd, all of it, but I just don't think I can do it any more. So real sincere question - how do you justify it?

 

It's definitely a tough question once you accept the premise that you need to justify it. If we accept that we need to and I don't believe we do here are a couple points that I think are very relevant:

 

1. Total dedication to anything will ruin you. It doesn't really matter what it is. Dancers ruin their feet, gymnests ruin their knees. I'm a huge chess fan, by all accounts this is an activity that is almost universally held to be good for you, but for those who engage in it at higher levels of competition it is not. A shocking percentage of the best players suffer from mental illness late in life, which is really quite unusual as those things normally present themselves before 30.

 

2. Football has become relatively upfront about the dangers. Parents, children, and adult players are aware of the risk.

 

3. The greatest exposure to possible injury comes as an adult instead of as a child. This is different from activities like dancing and gymnastics where lots of damage to the body occurs without much of a chance to consent. Certainly this doesn't make the news as much, chronic joint pain, and bad feet aren't great headlines but we are talking about lifelong consequences to very young people.

 

4. Football is awesome. it's fun to play, its fun to watch, and just because there's a serious cost doesn't mean its not worth it. Either way its not our decision, its a personal decision for those who choose to play. Sure it has its problems but at least we're trying. We want it to be safer, we might not succeed but when you're talking about an ethical or moral issue effort does count for something. From the league to the players to the fans to the media we would all like it to be safer, we (for the most part) don't want players getting hurt. Getting hurt is a side effect not the point.

Posted

 

It's definitely a tough question once you accept the premise that you need to justify it. If we accept that we need to and I don't believe we do here are a couple points that I think are very relevant:

 

1. Total dedication to anything will ruin you. It doesn't really matter what it is. Dancers ruin their feet, gymnests ruin their knees. I'm a huge chess fan, by all accounts this is an activity that is almost universally held to be good for you, but for those who engage in it at higher levels of competition it is not. A shocking percentage of the best players suffer from mental illness late in life, which is really quite unusual as those things normally present themselves before 30.

 

2. Football has become relatively upfront about the dangers. Parents, children, and adult players are aware of the risk.

 

3. The greatest exposure to possible injury comes as an adult instead of as a child. This is different from activities like dancing and gymnastics where lots of damage to the body occurs without much of a chance to consent. Certainly this doesn't make the news as much, chronic joint pain, and bad feet aren't great headlines but we are talking about lifelong consequences to very young people.

 

4. Football is awesome. it's fun to play, its fun to watch, and just because there's a serious cost doesn't mean its not worth it. Either way its not our decision, its a personal decision for those who choose to play. Sure it has its problems but at least we're trying. We want it to be safer, we might not succeed but when you're talking about an ethical or moral issue effort does count for something. From the league to the players to the fans to the media we would all like it to be safer, we (for the most part) don't want players getting hurt. Getting hurt is a side effect not the point.

 

Pretty sure only the mentally ill are capable of mastering chess...

Posted

lol . . . its really only the players who are studying 12+ hours a day . . . basically are only interested in the one thing . . .

Most of the chess masters are prodigies for sure. 12/day of studying sounds like my life right now in medical school

Posted

You know, they don't have to play.

This is basically my thought. If they are willing to do it and play the game I don't mind watching it. They are putting their body at risk just like many of us who eat sugary, unhealthy foods which open us up to all kinds of potential health problems.

Posted

it's a brutal game. unfortunately, most of us enjoy brutal stuff. i love football. at least the pro's get paid relatively well. college is much harder to rationalize,. but it's a matter of degree. many of the players are exploited. and it's not honest, especially in college. most of these guys aren't student athletes. they're revenue producers.

Posted

What's your point?

 

You minimized the injury/concussion issue with children playing football. I took the counterpoint.

 

 

Boxing, Ali, Spinks, Duk Koo Kim, etc want to know where you have been for the past 40 years.

 

Why so aggressive? Sure, include boxing too if you consider it a kids sport.

I don't justify anything. Anyone playing now knows what they are risking, same with parents allowing kids to play.

 

Except on the kid issue, the parents control the ability of the kid to play.

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