Survival of the NFL

[Kenners]

I was speaking to a friend of mine and he mentioned that football, specifically American (NFL) football, may have a limited lifespan due to the style of play. The way the players are getting bigger/stronger and the field being the size it is, injuries are becoming ever more prevalent and players are beginning to retire at a much earlier age. He said that unless the NFL makes changes that make it more like the CFL - more space etc - which limit injuries, he can see the NFL folding in about 30 years as many americans won't be interested in the style of play we have. I would beg to differ but he's an NFL fan and knows more about that than I do.

I was wondering, has anyone else heard this theory?

[AngeloV]

They can start by adopting the NCAA width of the hash marks. That would spread out things a lot with a wide side of the field to work with.

[argolio]

Way too much money involved for it to fold, but there will be more rule changes/adjustments to advance player safety. They considered a 60-yard field width a few years ago. Bet that gets revisited at some point.

[Ron]

I would beg to differ but he's an NFL fan and knows no more about that than I do.

Fixed that for you. ;)

[1argoholic]

Well they moved kickoffs up so there are less returns. Perhaps it will be flag football one day.

[paulwoods13]

IMO there will definitely be changes to tackling/hitting/blocking rules over time. It will evolve into something closer to flag football. The stuff fans go crazy for -- amazing catches in the air and on the sideline -- don't need the kind of kill shots that now exist to draw people out of their seats. And liability issues are eventually going to be paramount. As several people have said lately, if you tried to invent football today you'd probably find very few takers for it.

[AngeloV]

IMO there will definitely be changes to tackling/hitting/blocking rules over time. It will evolve into something closer to flag football. The stuff fans go crazy for -- amazing catches in the air and on the sideline -- don't need the kind of kill shots that now exist to draw people out of their seats. And liability issues are eventually going to be paramount. As several people have said lately, if you tried to invent football today you'd probably find very few takers for it.

I agree that the kill shots aren't necessary, but lets not kid ourselves about what brings fans out of their seats, Paul. Big hits over the middle still get among the loudest reactions live in game. I can almost guarantee that if big hits are eliminated from the NFL, you will see a decline in viewership. Sad, but IMO true.

[R.J]

People like violence; I don't see that changing anytime soon.

[AngeloV]

People like violence; I don't see that changing anytime soon.

That's true. That's why football is the most popular sport in the USA.

[paulwoods13]

That's true. That's why football is the most popular sport in the USA.

And MMA is second, and boxing is third. Oh wait . . .

[Kenners]

But I guess that's the question, if the violence is what people want, but the players can't continue playing that way.....what will happen? The game may have to change to accommodate which will mean less violence, but if people don't want to watch that, will the sport survive?

or will people just put their lives on the line? Fighters do it all the time, and they don't have a union, but top fighters fight twice a year and are expecting the hits, whereas in the NFL they play more and getting blindsided often causes much more damage.

[Ron]

Top fighters fight twice a year ... but they spar 3-4 times a week ... every week. That's where the damage occurs.

In football there has been a change over the last few years where you see defenders launch themselves like torpedoes to land the kill shot ... and not wrap up to make the tackle. And when we do see one player wrap up an offensive player ... defender #2 and #3 are coming in head first for the kill shot. The players are trying to hurt the players.

[1argoholic]

The older I get the more I feel for the guys caught in those massive hits. I'm a landscaper who wakes up in pain from the neck down daily so I can't imagine how football players feel.
Thanks to Voltarin that magic cream. I put that shit on almost everything. hahaha. If you have pain, you have to try this stuff. Holy crap I swear by it.

Ron you nailed it with that last few comments. What happened to wrapping up. How many times do wee see a big receiver just bounce off and keep going. DB's are trying to end there own careers while leading head first. Plus the patented Hebert type helmet to helmet or high head tackle. Which he did again last night.

[AngeloV]

I don't think players are any dirtier today than they were in the past. Watch some of those films from the Dick Butkus and Angelo Mosca days. The hits are just more violent due to the increased speed of the game, and the much harder equipment that players wear today. The game in the 60's was a very dirty game.

[KCargosfan]

I was speaking to a friend of mine and he mentioned that football, specifically American (NFL) football, may have a limited lifespan due to the style of play. The way the players are getting bigger/stronger and the field being the size it is, injuries are becoming ever more prevalent and players are beginning to retire at a much earlier age. He said that unless the NFL makes changes that make it more like the CFL - more space etc - which limit injuries, he can see the NFL folding in about 30 years as many americans won't be interested in the style of play we have. I would beg to differ but he's an NFL fan and knows more about that than I do.

I was wondering, has anyone else heard this theory?

Whatever. Like others have said, there will be more changes to increase safety, like possibly eliminating kickoffs altogether, but the NFL folding in 30 years is a joke. The amount of $ going around the NFL is insane, and it only keeps growing.