Future of Football

[Jack Armstrong]

The drumbeat of concern over chronic traumatic encephalopathy is becoming difficult to ignore (not that one should willfully ignore it), and some commentators even question whether the game will survive in its current form. This leads one to consider possible reforms with a view to reducing concussions and repetitive subclinical brain injuries.

The most obvious possible reform is to shorten seasons back to their traditional lengths: 12 games for the pros, 9 for college, perhaps less for high school. Another related idea is to shorten the length of games, perhaps getting the length of a football game down to that of a basketball game. Overtime, always a dubious football practice, would be the first to go.

A more radical reform would be to return to "one-platoon football." This would favor the all-around athlete, and place considerable emphasis on aerobic conditioning over sheer mass and explosiveness. The goal would be to retain American football under its current rule code, but move to a rugby-type athlete.

Finally, governing bodies could look to that old mainstay of pee-wee football: weight limits. That's right, nobody over, say, 250 pounds gets to play. That would be a sure way to limit the damage they do to each other, while still maintaining the integrity of the game. At a 250 or perhaps 275 pound limit, very few, if any, current players would be disqualified outright, but large-framed players would have to keep body fat in check and train with body weight exercises instead of free weights to make the weight limit.

I'm just trying to get a discussion started. And, because this is Caste Football, don't forget to talk about the effect these reforms would have on the white athlete!

 

[Don Wassall]

The concerns about concussions are likely to drive even more White kids away from football, either voluntarily or through pressure from their parents. And football's long-established "blackness" in college and the NFL is already a strong deterrent leading many White athletes to turn to other sports.

Most White athletes with pro potential seem to come from middle to upper-middle class suburban families, whereas black ones almost always come from poor backgrounds. The various White ethnic groups in the U.S. at one time used sports to try to rise out of financial deprivation, but working class Whites now tend to be subsumed by the black "cultural" influences that they live and work in or near, which completes the deracination process pushed by the government schools and corporate media.

The only way the NFL will lessen its extremist anti-White policies is if the owners attribute them to a decline in TV ratings and general disgust among DWFs. The other possibility is by White athletes and their families and friends demanding to be treated fairly, but so far there is zero evidence of that taking place.

 

[sport historian]

The concerns about concussions are likely to drive even more White kids away from football, either voluntarily or through pressure from their parents. And football's long-established "blackness" in college and the NFL is already a strong deterrent leading many White athletes to turn to other sports.

Most White athletes with pro potential seem to come from middle to upper-middle class suburban families, whereas black ones almost always come from poor backgrounds. The various White ethnic groups in the U.S. at one time used sports to try to rise out of financial deprivation, but working class Whites now tend to be subsumed by the black "cultural" influences that they live and work in or near, which completes the deracination process pushed by the government schools and corporate media.

The only way the NFL will lessen its extremist anti-White policies is if the owners attribute them to a decline in TV ratings and general disgust among DWFs. The other possibility is by White athletes and their families and friends demanding to be treated fairly, but so far there is zero evidence of that taking place.

You've mentioned this before. The white pro football player from a working class or poor background has almost disappeared. Al Davis used to like Northeastern "street kids" such as Fred Biletnikoff, Mike Siani, Phil Villapiano, Howie Long, etc.

 

[sport historian]

On youtube there is a recent interview of Hall of Fame QB Fran Tarkenton by Bill O'Reilly, who asks Tarkenton if he would allow his son to play big-time football today.

Tarkenton said "No, the game today is too rough."

 

[Lackawanna]

You've mentioned this before. The white pro football player from a working class or poor background has almost disappeared. Al Davis used to like Northeastern "street kids" such as Fred Biletnikoff, Mike Siani, Phil Villapiano, Howie Long, etc.

In the early days of pro football, there was perception that eastern european working class types were prominent. Pennsylvania factory towns were considered a hotbed of football talent. I remember a cartoon from probably the 1950's where robot football players in the future all have Polish names(was this in The Jetson's?)

However, poor to working class native born, assimilated white Americans -- as opposed to people with immigrant parents living in ethnic enclaves -- have never been know for athletic prowess. Something about this culture is not conducive to high achievement in sports. Sports in America, among the majority anglo-protestant culture, have always been associated with colleges, better educated and more affluent people. Working class "real American" types tended to push their children into working at a young age and tended to see sports as a frivolous activity.

 

[jaxvid]

In the early days of pro football, there was perception that eastern european working class types were prominent. Pennsylvania factory towns were considered a hotbed of football talent. I remember a cartoon from probably the 1950's where robot football players in the future all have Polish names(was this in The Jetson's?)

However, poor to working class native born, assimilated white Americans -- as opposed to people with immigrant parents living in ethnic enclaves -- have never been know for athletic prowess. Something about this culture is not conducive to high achievement in sports. Sports in America, among the majority anglo-protestant culture, have always been associated with colleges, better educated and more affluent people. Working class "real American" types tended to push their children into working at a young age and tended to see sports as a frivolous activity.

In some respects that is true in others it's not. Low income southern white men were the backbone of baseball leagues for generations. Football was primarily driven by the college game so of course when college was almost exclusively for the upper class the majority of players would be from higher income backgrounds. The semi-pro leagues that produced Johnny Unitas were an aberration in time.

It does seem true now though that poor whites have no place in pro sports. In baseball they have been replaced by poor hispanics and college ball players. Basketball is a blacks only affair at the higher levels, even upper class whites are excluded. Although Larry Bird was fairly poor. In football, once again its college people, and colleges will stretch the requirements, forget the rules, and ignore the law to pander to poor black players but even the best white players have to pay their way. Similar to how many white NFL stars were walk-on players in college.

 

[sport historian]

In some respects that is true in others it's not. Low income southern white men were the backbone of baseball leagues for generations. Football was primarily driven by the college game so of course when college was almost exclusively for the upper class the majority of players would be from higher income backgrounds. The semi-pro leagues that produced Johnny Unitas were an aberration in time.

It does seem true now though that poor whites have no place in pro sports. In baseball they have been replaced by poor hispanics and college ball players. Basketball is a blacks only affair at the higher levels, even upper class whites are excluded. Although Larry Bird was fairly poor. In football, once again its college people, and colleges will stretch the requirements, forget the rules, and ignore the law to pander to poor black players but even the best white players have to pay their way. Similar to how many white NFL stars were walk-on players in college.

In the 1950's, when Johnny Unitas came in the league, white pro football players were usually from working class backgrounds.

 

[Don Wassall]

In the 1950's, when Johnny Unitas came in the league, white pro football players were usually from working class backgrounds.

They certainly weren't paid much, and the league was much less popular than it later became. Television contributed greatly to the NFL's eventual popularity, but not initially. The 1958 championship game between the Colts and Giants is often cited as a big breakthrough, but my impression is that it took until sometime in the 1960s for professional football to completely shed its image as slightly disreputable and then over-taking baseball in the '70s as the country's favorite sport.

 

[sport historian]

They certainly weren't paid much, and the league was much less popular than it later became. Television contributed greatly to the NFL's eventual popularity, but not initially. The 1958 championship game between the Colts and Giants is often cited as a big breakthrough, but my impression is that it took until sometime in the 1960s for professional football to completely shed its image as slightly disreputable and then over-taking baseball in the '70s as the country's favorite sport.

Yes, it was 1963-64 when pro football really started overtaking baseball. In 1963, when having a strong team in New York was all important, you had the New York Giants winning their last division title for a long time with Y.A. Tittle setting records. Jim Brown and Johnny Unitas had perhaps their best seasons in 1963-64.

 

[seattlefan]

I think the NFL will sweep the concussion issue under the rug as long as possible. Concussions aren't going to end the most popular and profitable sport in the US. We might even see a technological solution to the concussion problem like required protected helmets. The side issue of the lack of poor white athletes is a curious one. I recall looking up the backgrounds of a lot of star white athletes, for instance JJ Watt and Brian Cushing. Both come from more well off backgrounds. It seems most do. A notable white NFL star from a poor background is Brian Urlacher who was raised by a single mom in small town southeast Washington State. I have to wonder how much the role of biased recruiting plays here. Imagine the difference between two talented white kids who are ignored by 90% of colleges in their respective sport, but one of them has a more wealthy family willing to spend thousands driving him to tryouts, promoting him to scouts and building connections. Walking on may be outside the financial ability of a kid from a poor family especially if its not a local college. So you are left with blacks from the ghetto and whites who have the financial ability to get past the biased recruiters and scouts.