Pat Reusse: Football's expiration date not as far off as you think; 2 decades left

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BleedGopher

BleedGopher

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per Pat:

This is anecdotal, but I had conversations with numerous such Vikings zealots (during my nine-day nightmare of radio work at the State Fair) and eventually would ask if they had a son who played football.

Eight or nine of a dozen people in their 30s, 40s and 50s gave me one of these answers:

“He didn’t want to play football.’’ “We didn’t want him to play football.’’ “I don’t have a son, but if I do, I’m going to have a hard time letting him play football.’’

The NFL season opens Thursday night with Pittsburgh at New England. As a football fan, you’ll be sure to join in to produce a gigantic TV rating.

Enjoy yourself. The game you love to watch has maybe two decades left before it runs out of players.

http://www.startribune.com/football-s-expiration-date-is-not-as-far-off-as-you-think/326147271/

Go Gophers!!
 

You may get those responses in the north. But go to Texas & ask that sane number of parents, that same question. I'd bet dimes to donuts that the number of parents saying " my kids play football", is much higher.

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Last time I checked, people fork over $70 on PPV to watch two guys/girls beat the life out of each other worse than any Saturday afternoon game. Technology will solve the problems faced in the previous 50 years, every helmet and pad will detect, protect, and report every hit a person has. Probably no safer time than now to be a football player.
 

I'd be interested to see the decline in participation rates in relation to birth rates and immigration. Is it the raw numbers that is down? People are having fewer kids. Is it the percentage of boys that is down? There are a lot more sons of immigrants (who don't have a football tradition) making up a greater pct of the boy population. I guess we will have to see. He might be right but as long as there is money to be made, the sport will live on IMHO.

Full disclosure, my 4th grader plays tackle football. East Ridge has two full teams at every grade level from 3rd through 8th.
 

Lordshawesome said:
You may get those responses in the north. But go to Texas & ask that sane number of parents, that same question. I'd bet dimes to donuts that the number of parents saying " my kids play football", is much higher.

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Per the column even Texas is down.
 


Probably is. But the ratio(of yes vs. No)is higher in Texas, is all I'm saying.

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homermn said:
Last time I checked, people fork over $70 on PPV to watch two guys/girls beat the life out of each other worse than any Saturday afternoon game. Technology will solve the problems faced in the previous 50 years, every helmet and pad will detect, protect, and report every hit a person has. Probably no safer time than now to be a football player.
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Somewhat agree but in a completely opposite way. I think football will reduce padding and helmets so that the invincibility will be removed. If it breaks your own nose trying to kill a guy, you will stop leading with your helmet.

PS 20 years from now MMA will be a distant memory and fodder for a 30 for 30 on Dana White. It is already in decline.
 

I have a feeling this is less of Patrick's opinion & more of "how can I stir people up?"
 

DarrenTheGreek said:
I'd be interested to see the decline in participation rates in relation to birth rates and immigration. Is it the raw numbers that is down? People are having fewer kids. Is it the percentage of boys that is down? There are a lot more sons of immigrants (who don't have a football tradition) making up a greater pct of the boy population. I guess we will have to see. He might be right but as long as there is money to be made, the sport will live on IMHO.

Full disclosure, my 4th grader plays tackle football. East Ridge has two full teams at every grade level from 3rd through 8th.
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Great points. It's interesting to note that more sports opportunities and specialization play a role. 20 years ago there was little soccer, hockey, and no lacrosse in many places.

Concussions are serious and there is not a technology that stops the brain from slapping against the skull. Whether it's a head hitting the floor taking a charge in basketball or the boards in hockey. The brain slaps the skull.

To early to make such a bold prediction. Football will adapt.


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All right! New motivation to stay alive another 20 years. If I make it to see if Patrick is right, I'd be 88 years old. My Dad is 98 right now...so...I suppose I have a shot at it. I'd be pretty sad if there wasn't Gopher Football. I suppose he could be right. 320# linemen...250# linebackers...performance enhancing drugs...weight rooms to put LOTS of bulk and muscle on players...bigger, faster, stronger...more impact...physics on steroids = more injuries, damaged players and negative, unknown consequences.

Maybe I'll just take football along with me when my days dwindle down to a precious few. Maybe there won't be football in 20 years. Maybe when I just fade away...football will too. I'll see if I can take it with me. I really would miss football.
 

He's right. The number of players is going to plummet (already is). The money will still be around so there will still be plenty of people to play, but unless they can solve the brain issues, it is a dying sport...
 

Lol at this article. It's not going to due within 20 years unless there's new info that comes out that says something more drastic is going on. Will take more than one generation for impact to happen (ie kids raised not playing football have kids who have no football culture). Something this engrained in society doesn't die in 20 years.
 

Baseball would be dead without the import of international players, the U.S. No longer produces enough top players to fill out the rosters. Football does not have a international player base. Pat has a very valid point, people like to watch, but don't want there kids to play. Also, the kids have so many alternative sports to play and have fun without as much injuries. As for fan demand, everyone likes to watch a train wreck, but no one wants to be in the train wreck.


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alchemy2u said:
Baseball would be dead without the import of international players, the U.S. No longer produces enough top players to fill out the rosters. Football does not have a international player base. Pat has a very valid point, people like to watch, but don't want there kids to play. Also, the kids have so many alternative sports to play and have fun without as much injuries. As for fan demand, everyone likes to watch a train wreck, but no one wants to be in the train wreck.


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Football(especially on the pro level) is our modern version of the Roman Coliseum and their 'events'.
 

I don't have kids, but if I did I wouldn't want them to play football. Wouldn't tell them that -- they have to make their own decision -- but if they said they didn't want to play football, privately I'd be thrilled.

If Patrick is correct, I would miss watching high school and college football. I wouldn't miss the NFL for a single second.

Basketball (college), baseball (college & MLB), hockey (college & NHL), and playing golf would be more than enough to keep me entertained.
 

All the more reason why my 2nd favorite sport/league behind NCAA Football is the PGA. Golf will be around forever and there is more and more money being put into it which is awesome. There is PLENTY of evidence to prove that smoking will take many years off of your life. The result is far fewer smokers now than 20 years ago. However, we are nowhere near eradicating smoking from our country and there will always be smokers. My point - football participation is on the heavy decline but it will never die. As long as there is money to be made there will be football, but in 20 years we may be watching a "worse" product because of the reduced talent pool.
 

I call BS to the whole football is a dying sport thing. On the contrary, football is growing all over the world and will continue to do so for decades.

Those who play actually live longer than the general population: http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000...mer-nfl-players-live-longer-than-typical-male

While there is the concussion issue, letting your kids participate in football far exceed the risks. So much better than all the fat kids playing video games all day.
 


If Patrick even had these "conversations" (highly doubtful), you can be sure each was with a white middle-to-upper class family. Conduct the same survey in poor areas, particularly in the South, and see what it says.
 

I think Reusse is on to something. Football is in trouble at the youth level. In a few decades the professional game could be see a significant decline. The Wilfs wanted MLS, and thankfully they missed. That's the name of the sports money game of the future.
 



Anybody who won't let their kid play high school football is a moron.
 

Johnathon! Johnathon! Johnathon! Johnathon! Johnathon! Johnathon!
 

My guess is that within 20 to 30 years, if not sooner, many of us here on GH, myself included won't really be too passionate about what happens to college football...or most anything else. One reason for optimism might be the incredible rise in "FANTASY" football..., "fantasy" four and five star high school recruiting and the eventual development of robotics and artificial intelligence. There may eventually be NO need for human brains to slosh around in craniums as real people no longer put their delicate condition at risk. Maybe for you youngsters, you will see some pretty slick robo-five star recruits donning the Maroon & Gold for the engineering department's scheduled Game Day Saturday competition against the stinking badger engineering department's smash-mouth Ron Dayne clone job prototype computerized self-sustaining entry in 2040 Big Ten Concussion-Free Football Conference. No fans will have actually attend these contests...so...no one will be able to kick around the Student Section's poor attendance at these spirited events. Clones...drones...and smart chips will cheer and: "fight on for the old Maroon & Gold..."
 

It isn't going to disappear, things will just evolve and change. For example, there's lots of discussion right now about young kids playing tackle football and how many believe it should be flag football until 7th grade. Helmets will get better as well.
 

I'm making my kid play football as my father made me. And thank god he did make me play.
 

imthewalrus said:
My guess is that within 20 to 30 years, if not sooner, many of us here on GH, myself included won't really be too passionate about what happens to college football...or most anything else. One reason for optimism might be the incredible rise in "FANTASY" football..., "fantasy" four and five star high school recruiting and the eventual development of robotics and artificial intelligence. There may eventually be NO need for human brains to slosh around in craniums as real people no longer put their delicate condition at risk. Maybe for you youngsters, you will see some pretty slick robo-five star recruits donning the Maroon & Gold for the engineering department's scheduled Game Day Saturday competition against the stinking badger engineering department's smash-mouth Ron Dayne clone job prototype computerized self-sustaining entry in 2040 Big Ten Concussion-Free Football Conference. No fans will have actually attend these contests...so...no one will be able to kick around the Student Section's poor attendance at these spirited events. Clones...drones...and smart chips will cheer and: "fight on for the old Maroon & Gold..."
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As a service to GH, interpretation of the above: wren says there will be robots in the future and they will play football.

.-- .-. . -. .. ... - .... . ...- .. .-.. .-.. .- --. . .. -.. .. --- -

;0)
 

Gopherguy0723 said:
I think Reusse is on to something. Football is in trouble at the youth level. In a few decades the professional game could be see a significant decline. The Wilfs wanted MLS, and thankfully they missed. That's the name of the sports money game of the future.
Click to expand...


Im 57. My highschool buddies played soccer, some in south America, some semi pro. My kids played for years in grade school and house leagues after that. Some of their friends and neighbors kids played competitively in high school and college. Soccer will never be the NHL, MLB, NFL or NCAA sports in regards to money, not even a distant. It is not going to take hold in this country for decades if it does. Adults will not watch soccer.
 

I think some of the decline in FB # may be due to concerns about injuries.
BUT, there are other factors: (in no particular order)
1. Specialization. Far fewer 2- and 3-sport athletes, especially in the big schools. with the rise of summer programs, AAU etc, you have kids who are
choosing one sport and basically playing that sport year-round. Lot of good athletes in hockey and WR who don't play FB anymore.
2. Lazy kids. I maintain some kids use "injuries" as an excuse to avoid going out for FB, because they don't want to work that hard. They'd rather \
sit at home playing video games and binge-watching Netflix.
3. Don't want to play on a bad team. I realize even EP is seeing a drop in #, but in outstate MN, the programs that are struggling with numbers
almost always are teams with losing traditions. Teams that win and go to the playoffs on a regular basis get more kids out. Teams that go
0-8 or 1-7 in the regular season have a lot more trouble getting kids to go out for FB.
4. Population trends. In outstate MN, there are smaller rural districts that have falling enrollment. Fewer kids in school = fewer kids available to
play FB. And, you might get a class that is 60% girls/40% boys. get a couple of classes like that in a row, and you get some empty grades on
the FB roster.
 

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