This Is Sad for Football

[shotgun styles]

Quote: Originally Posted by Speedy

As I said, safety should be a priority but not enough to jeporadize the integrity of the sport.

This. I would also say the same thing about the passing rules.

[wwharton]

Quote: Originally Posted by shotgun styles

Donkey kick fighting. Illegal in 23 countries and all 50 US states.

I had a reply but decided it'd take all this down a very wrong road. Enjoy your donkey kick fighting though.

Quote: Originally Posted by muggins

Nope. http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slu...yhoo&type=lgns Just one example of a player who has played recently who is suffering from issues related to concussions. If you've heard him talk he also has a terrible time securing insurance because of it. The stuff still happens all the time and players play through because they need the money.

As shotgun styles just said, they don't NEED the money. There's a thread in this very forum that's pretty much criticizing a guy for calling it quits early. That's OUR mentality. The reality is these players could easily invest a few years worth of checks and be on pace with the rest of middle management while living a life with more money than most of us will enjoy. They choose their lifestyle and they decide to put their health at risk to support it.

[Piderman]

More and more I think im starting to lose my love and passion for football. Well back to hockey.

[shotgun styles]

Quote: Originally Posted by Piderman

More and more I think im starting to lose my love and passion for football. Well back to hockey.

Yeah, hockey seems to be keeping it real.

I just don't understand the game...

[muggins]

Quote: Originally Posted by shotgun styles

You don't seem to understand the difference between "need" and "want". Virtually all of these players were given a free education in college. If they didn't graduate, that's THEIR FAULT. But they should not NEED to play football. Deeper than that, the league minimum for non-veterans is like $250,000 a year. That's PLENTY of money to finish their education and get a real job. These players don't "need" the NFL's money to survive. They WANT the big money to live large. That money comes with strings attached. They can go back home and work in the ship yards any time they want to. Skilled labor is every bit as honorable as football, if not more so.

Did you RTFA? Read it. Turley has enormous medical bills and even talked about doing a COBRA (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consoli...on_Act_of_1985) because his health was so messed up. He NEEDED the money.

And shipyards? Pfft. They give those dudes everything now, I mean people don't even get hit with I-beams on the head anymore. *******. Might as well be making toy boats. Same for coal miners. Those dudes make a lot of money, they should die of cancer at 55!

[metallicatz]

Quote: Originally Posted by wwharton

The thing you ignore (and I guess Metallicatz too) is that most people complain about Goodell but not the league. Most of us like watching the NFL as it is, whether we think it can or should be different doesn't matter. You two may be able to tune out and not miss a beat (ironically the year the Steelers struggle, lol), but the majority don't really want to. And considering how successful the league is, I'd say that extends far beyond this message board. I commend any of you for putting your money where your mouth is (or rather keeping it in your pockets) but that's more a case to call out those that don't follow your lead, not really a statement that everyone wants the same thing and are just too scared to do anything about it.

Trust me, i'm well aware of why Goodell is referred to as an "owner's commissioner". I know it's the owners as a collective as much as it is Goodell. They want to protect their monetary investments in players and in doing so they lobby for these rule changes that limit contact on their investment.......and then they tell the public that it's out of concern for the players' safety. And it's true in a sense that they are doing it to keep thier players safe, but it's not out of concern for the players' well being.....it's so they can keep their product on the field generating dollars for the franchise and the league.

Trust me, i was missing Steelers games this year before they went on a losing streak. I missed the games against KC, Oakland, and the 2nd Cleveland and Cinci games. When I started missing games the Steelers were 6-2.

And I wasn't calling anybody out for not doing as I do. I'm just saying that if you don't like what's going on and you consider the NFL a pussified, watered-down shell of what it used to be then don't attend games and don't buy their products. If somebody is going to watch regardless then they should stop complaining because they're just enabling the League by continuing to spend their money with the NFL.

But i believe the NFL is due for a fall much like NASCAR and in the end the rules will be changed back once the public goes away.....and I believe they will once the product is so far removed from what it used to be.

[wwharton]

Quote: Originally Posted by metallicatz

Trust me, i'm well aware of why Goodell is referred to as an "owner's commissioner". I know it's the owners as a collective as much as it is Goodell. They want to protect their monetary investments in players and in doing so they lobby for these rule changes that limit contact on their investment.......and then they tell the public that it's out of concern for the players' safety. And it's true in a sense that they are doing it to keep thier players safe, but it's not out of concern for the players' well being.....it's so they can keep their product on the field generating dollars for the franchise and the league. Trust me, i was missing Steelers games this year before they went on a losing streak. I missed the games against KC, Oakland, and the 2nd Cleveland and Cinci games. When I started missing games the Steelers were 6-2. And I wasn't calling anybody out for not doing as I do. I'm just saying that if you don't like what's going on and you consider the NFL a pussified, watered-down shell of what it used to be then don't attend games and don't buy their products. If somebody is going to watch regardless then they should stop complaining because they're just enabling the League by continuing to spend their money with the NFL. But i believe the NFL is due for a fall much like NASCAR and in the end the rules will be changed back once the public goes away.....and I believe they will once the product is so far removed from what it used to be.

That may be the owners' interest but it also benefits the players. Either way, the most important thing is the product on the field is extremely popular, new rules and all.

My message was more for Shotgun Styles than you, I was just replying to both of you (and that was just a jab at the Steelers... I wasn't suggesting that's why you stopped watching). Honestly, I give you props for ACTING on how you feel and think you're right in suggesting others do the same. I just don't think there are many others. People spit stuff out on a message board but in reality they love the NFL, even as it is.

I think you're completely wrong about the future of the NFL. If they stop work that'd be a HUGE blow, and may open a small window for another league but that'd be more likely if the league already existed but it doesn't. NASCAR was never as big as the NFL. It never will be. Nothing against NASCAR but even if there's a work stoppage in the NFL, more people will be paying attention to the progress of the league than NASCAR. The games are exciting and the league is full of soap opera drama. It's a perfect storm of what Americans are into and I'm just as guilty as anyone else of being captivated by everything on and off the field. It just seems pointless to me to harp on the days of the past, knowing they'll never come back and ignoring how entertaining the current NFL is. I don't see many following your lead.

[shotgun styles]

Quote: Originally Posted by metallicatz

Trust me, i'm well aware of why Goodell is referred to as an "owner's commissioner". I know it's the owners as a collective as much as it is Goodell. They want to protect their monetary investments in players and in doing so they lobby for these rule changes that limit contact on their investment.......and then they tell the public that it's out of concern for the players' safety. And it's true in a sense that they are doing it to keep thier players safe, but it's not out of concern for the players' well being.....it's so they can keep their product on the field generating dollars for the franchise and the league. Trust me, i was missing Steelers games this year before they went on a losing streak. I missed the games against KC, Oakland, and the 2nd Cleveland and Cinci games. When I started missing games the Steelers were 6-2. And I wasn't calling anybody out for not doing as I do. I'm just saying that if you don't like what's going on and you consider the NFL a pussified, watered-down shell of what it used to be then don't attend games and don't buy their products. If somebody is going to watch regardless then they should stop complaining because they're just enabling the League by continuing to spend their money with the NFL. But i believe the NFL is due for a fall much like NASCAR and in the end the rules will be changed back once the public goes away.....and I believe they will once the product is so far removed from what it used to be.

I agree with one exception: as I said before I think a hardcore league could sprout up and compete. Not saying it will happen, just saying it could happen.