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[Zen_Arcade]

Those coaches deserve to be fired and the school system deserves to be sued.

Completely moronic that anyone thought it should be OK to make teenage atheltes run the same drills as people who are training to go to war.

 

[BlueTsunami]

Nonsense.

I'm 5'3, at 135lbs I'd be around 5% bodyfat assuming I stopped lifting now. Also I doubt the kid developed his CNS to be punching that far above his weight.

 

[KingV]

I've seen those navy shows. Holding a log above your head is not what teens should be doing.

It's one thing for grown men to do it, but like 9th graders are frequently not that big.

In addition, there are pretty rigorous requirements physically before a Navy SEAL is even eligibilie to go to BUDS. Requirements that your average high school football player probably can't meet.

 

[black_13]

That is such a stupid exercise. The main point of the good one is one which is least likely to result in injury. Not just something that looks cool.

This isn't entirely football related either. I've seen some dumb ones being performed on those Spartan Warrior shows. One in particular banged her head really bad on this wheel.

 

[RichiRamjag]

CTE is very serious. Tackle football should not be a thing for anyone period. If football doesn't adapt to that fact then it will end up like horse racing and boxing.

NFL Two-hand touch league wouldn't sell many tickets though.

 

[shira]

I've seen those navy shows. Holding a log above your head is not what teens should be doing.

Aren't the recruits mostly teens?

 

[Sephzilla]

Coach should be charged with a crime and the school should be sued.

 

[KissDaRing]

It's one thing for grown men to do it, but like 9th graders are frequently not that big.

In addition, there are pretty rigorous requirements physically before a Navy SEAL is even eligibilie to go to BUDS. Requirements that your average high school football player probably can't meet.

What 9th grader do you know that's 16 years old...

 

[Kthulhu]

NFL Two-hand touch league wouldn't sell many tickets though.

The forward pass didn't exist over a hundred years ago and was implemented for player safety. Someone needs to figure something out or the sport will die. Last time it took the intervention of the US president at the time, Teddy Roosevelt.

 

[Zen_Arcade]

The forward pass didn't exist over a hundred years ago and was implemented for player safety. Someone needs to figure something out or the sport will die. Last time it took the intervention of the US president at the time, Teddy Roosevelt.

I would say that the sport has a better chance of dying if you attempt to make it too safe. Part of the allure of the game is people hitting each other. All of the changes they've tried to make to the game recently have done nothing but make the game slower and more clunky.

 

[thehypocrite]

I would say that the sport has a better chance of dying if you attempt to make it too safe. Part of the allure of the game is people hitting each other. All of the changes they've tried to make to the game recently have done nothing but make the game slower and more clunky.

Then it should die. Football doesn't have an inherent right to exist. Is just a thing some people like.

 

[bonesmccoy]

Curious, should we remove girls soccer first?

Did you read the study abstract?

 

[Future]

Then it should die. Football doesn't have an inherent right to exist. Is just a thing some people like.

Very easy to say this when you don't like it

Nothing pulls together a live audience like an NFL game. And no NFL game pulls together a live audience like a Super Bowl.


The numbers once again were massive. But they could have been even more massive, if the numbers had accurately reflected the audience numbers for sports bars and restaurants, locations where plenty of people watch the game.

According to both league and TV industry sources, the calculation of audience size doesn’t include group viewing experiences. So when the average audience of 111.3 million (No. 5 all time) and the total audience of 172 million (biggest ever) are reported, the true numbers definitely are bigger.

Accurate or not, the Super Bowl dwarfs championship games in other sports. Game Seven of the World Series averaged 40 million viewers. Game Seven of the NBA Finals drew an average of 31 million. Game six of the Stanley Cup Final managed a mere 5.41 million.

As one source pointed out, adding those four together and throwing in the 31.7 million on average who watched the Oscars gets to a total of 108.11 million — still three million less than the average audience for Super Bowl LI.

 

[thehypocrite]

Very easy to say this when you don't like it

I do like football...a lot. However, I hold no delusions nor glorify it because the harm it does is clear, proven and excessive.

 

[BruceCLea]

Shit pisses me off. I did a ton of insane drills my time with HS football: bear crawl around the field multiple times, 100x100 sprints 200 burpees fully padded up

 

[Zen_Arcade]

Then it should die. Football doesn't have an inherent right to exist. Is just a thing some people like.

The market should dictate if it does or not. If people want to stop playing football because of the physical dangers of it I can't blame them, but if people want to make the choice to put their body on the line they should have the right to. It's not really your place or mine to tell people what profession they should be pursuing.

Just like MMA, boxing, or any other sport that's inherently violent.

 

[Raptomex]

These are high school students, not NAVY SEALS. Fuck.

 

[Alligatorjandro]

What the fuck

 

[RichiRamjag]

The market should dictate if it does or not. If people want to stop playing football because of the physical dangers of it I can't blame them, but if people want to make the choice to put their body on the line they should have the right to. It's not really your place or mine to tell people what profession they should be pursuing.

Just like MMA, boxing, or any other sport that's inherently violent.

Pretty much this.

 

[IceCold]

The market should dictate if it does or not. If people want to stop playing football because of the physical dangers of it I can't blame them, but if people want to make the choice to put their body on the line they should have the right to. It's not really your place or mine to tell people what profession they should be pursuing.

Just like MMA, boxing, or any other sport that's inherently violent.

We are talking about kids though. At that point we should also reduce the age limits for smoking and drinking since it would be their choice to use them too.

 

[mlclmtckr]

Very easy to say this when you don't like it

The sport does have to change, though. The choices are to evolve or die.

I love football and I never want it to go away (although I would love to get rid of like 98% of the culture surrounding it) but people do need to look into how we can make it safer.

 

[thehypocrite]

The market should dictate if it does or not. If people want to stop playing football because of the physical dangers of it I can't blame them, but if people want to make the choice to put their body on the line they should have the right to. It's not really your place or mine to tell people what profession they should be pursuing.

Just like MMA, boxing, or any other sport that's inherently violent.

What does the market has to do with state funded high/schools? That's a rather vacuous argument.

 

[Zen_Arcade]

We are talking about kids though. At that point we should also reduce the age limits for smoking and drinking since it would be their choice to use them too.

Me and the person I quoted weren't just talking about kids. We were talking about banning football entirely, which would include adults who have the ability to make their own decisions.

I agree that the kids need to be protected. Like I said this manner of practicing was far too harsh and I think that we as a country put too much pressure on child athletes. Those aspects of it need a lot of overhaul and education before the kids are even allowed to play. But that doesn't mean that we should eliminate the sport entirely.

Personally, I'd ban all tackle football before high school and then make every potential player take courses on the potential dangers of extensive playing.

What does the market has to do with state funded high/schools? That's a rather vacuous argument.

The market includes potential employees. If no one is willing to take a job at your company and your company dies, that's still the market telling you that your business venture is no longer viable and is unneeded. It relates to high school football because it's generally where people start training in order to become an employee of the NFL.

 

[louiedog]

People take this shit way too seriously. I played basketball in junior high and there were kids being intentionally held back in the 8th grade so they could get another year to be bigger and more experienced for high school playing. These were not schools who were sending kids to high ranked schools on basketball scholarships. None of them ended up in the NBA. This was just for high school.

Dumbass adults doing dumbass shit to kids who don't yet know better over sports is really awful.

 

[jtb]

The way sports (particularly the NFL) see themselves as and identify with these paramilitary organizations is both frightening and laughably absurd.

 

[mlclmtckr]

Personally, I'd ban all tackle football before high school and then make every potential player take courses on the potential dangers of extensive playing.

I don't think this is enough though, we need some rules changes, especially wrt equipment standards. Helmets being used as battering rams needs to be changed.

 

[SlimySnake]

One of the frats in my uni had their pledges do all kinds of bs military training exercises. it was ridiculous. they were out all night running in the wilderness for no reason.

i have seen some of the high school and little league coaches training their kids in a park near my house. these kids are like 6-10 years old and their coaches/fathers are treating them like professional paid athletes. no one seemed like they were having fun.

who the fuck wants to play sports with their fathers yelling at them all game. go home and watch some sports and let your kids have fun.

 

[Angry Grimace]

Military worship + high school sports culture

Yep, this is the logical outcome of Military Fetishism + Sports Worship

 

[GeordieMark]

Yep, this is the logical outcome of Military Fetishism + Sports Worship

No it isn't. The military is widely recognised as having extremely high standards of fitness and teamwork, both of which are desirable in team sports. It's not about fetishism. Lots of fitness training borrows from military exercises because they are effective and relevant. It's why boot camps are popular too. Unfortunately, In this case the chosen exercise wasn't appropriate for the age and development of the participants, which is on the coach.

 

[Angry Grimace]

No it isn't. The military is well felt recognised as having extremely high standards of fitness and teamwork, both of which are desirable in team sports. It's not about fetishism. Lots of fitness training borrows from military exercises because they are effective and relevant. It's why boot camps are popular too. Unfortunately, In this case the chosen exercise wasn't appropriate for the age and development of the participants which is on the coach.

You realize there's already a huge backlash in College Football because they banned forcing "student" athletes from doing grueling workouts twice a day ("2 a days") to build "toughness." These were done in fanatic sports-loving high schools as well. I read an article just a week ago where some high school coach was sad he couldn't run five straight weeks of two a day practices.

It's only logical that people who fetishize both sports and the military to the exclusion of everything else would see the two as a great marriage.

 

[v1lla21]

Coach was stupid to have teens do that shit with a heavy ass log.

 

[darscot]

First it's not clear in the story but did the kid have a helmet on? The drill seems perfectly fine to me. The issue is why the fuck did the kid not have all his gear on?

Was this what us Canucks call dryland training in hockey? I think the issue is not the drill its just general safety. I don't know why your would have dryland in football.

 

[GeordieMark]

You realize there's already a huge backlash in College Football because they banned forcing "student" athletes from doing grueling workouts twice a day ("2 a days") to build "toughness." These were done in fanatic sports-loving high schools as well. I read an article just a week ago where some high school coach was sad he couldn't run five straight weeks of two a day practices.

It's only logical that people who fetishize both sports and the military to the exclusion of everything else would see the two as a great marriage.

This is about a bad coach doing a bad job of facilitating an exercise that wasn't appropriate, as is the example you give. It's not about fetishisation, they use these exercises because they work. A lot of training people do in gyms day in day out is based on military techniques and for the most part they are no problem. Blame the coaches for the dangerous implementation.

 

[mordecaii83]

What does the market has to do with state funded high/schools? That's a rather vacuous argument.

Reading through a lot of your comments in this thread, you're acting like everyone who plays football is being forced to do it and would be thrilled at being released from it. You do realize many people start playing sports because they enjoy it right?

 

[mlclmtckr]

This is about a bad coach doing a bad job of facilitating an exercise that wasn't appropriate, as is the example you give. It's not about fetishisation, they use these exercises because they work. A lot of training people do in gyms day in day out is based on military techniques and for the most part they are no problem. Blame the coaches for the dangerous implementation.

Right, but this isn't an overhead press or a burpee or something. It's straight up Navy SEAL Hell Week type shit that the coaches chose to adopt because they think SEALs are badass and intense and they want their players to be like that.

 

[thehypocrite]

The market includes potential employees. If no one is willing to take a job at your company and your company dies, that's still the market telling you that your business venture is no longer viable and is unneeded. It relates to high school football because it's generally where people start training in order to become an employee of the NFL.

🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔......nah. if adults on their own dime want to put themselves in danger like this they should be free to do so. However, in public schools there shouldn't be room for a such a high risk sport. The market here doesn't decide shit. This is driven by policy and regulations.

 

[thehypocrite]

Reading through a lot of your comments in this thread, you're acting like everyone who plays football is being forced to do it and would be thrilled at being released from it. You do realize many people start playing sports because they enjoy it right?

Maybe they do. They are free to do so, however not as part of government policy. Private individuals are free to make their own choices.

 

[low-G]

Not to derail, but Navy Seals don't tend to be huge ripped dudes, they are skinny, in shape dudes, so plenty would be 134 pounds.

Are these those 4' Navy Seals I hear so much about?

 

[blackflag]

At first I felt like this was just a freak accident but the more I think about it, high school kids shouldn't have to rely on some other high school kid to not drop the log on his head.

I was thinking about it like weightlifting at first but I guess it's obviously different than an overhead press, when you are relying on 4 other kids to do it correctly.

 

[excelsiorlef]

You act like grade 11 teens are some fragile kids. There are plenty of grade 11 teens that are flat out stronger then half the grown men out there regardless of size. And yes it was a freak accident and like most freak accidents it can be completely avoidable.

Kid was 134 pounds come on.

 

[GoldenEye 007]

Maybe they do. They are free to do so, however not as part of government policy. Private individuals are free to make their own choices.

Just for clarification, sports programs generally aren't "government policy." In the K-12 setting a lot of funding and voting is regional. So when a TX high school votes to build a $20 million football stadium, it is because local voters actually voted to take that out of their taxes. At the college level, there is generally also zero funding for sports coming from core tuition costs or state budgets. It's outside revenues (apparel contracts, TV deals), donations, ticket fees, and added student fees.

Generally funding for sports facilities do not come from general revenues. That's not to say there aren't loopholes and other methods of getting around that, though.

 

[RichiRamjag]

One of the frats in my uni had their pledges do all kinds of bs military training exercises. it was ridiculous. they were out all night running in the wilderness for no reason.

i have seen some of the high school and little league coaches training their kids in a park near my house. these kids are like 6-10 years old and their coaches/fathers are treating them like professional paid athletes. no one seemed like they were having fun.

who the fuck wants to play sports with their fathers yelling at them all game. go home and watch some sports and let your kids have fun.

It's rough. You want your kid to be the best, but at the same time, they've gotta be having fun. I do my best to be positive, encouraging and ultimately kind of let my son decide if the sport is even for him, but I also let him know that if he wants to be better, it's gonna take work.

I saw that trophy kids doc and it was crazy to see how some people get.

 

[dan2026]

Fact disturbingly close to fiction.

 

[thehypocrite]

Just for clarification, sports programs generally aren't "government policy." In the K-12 setting a lot of funding and voting is regional. So when a TX high school votes to build a $20 million football stadium, it is because local voters actually voted to take that out of their taxes. At the college level, there is generally also zero funding for sports coming from core tuition costs or state budgets. It's outside revenues (apparel contracts, TV deals), donations, ticket fees, and added student fees.

Generally funding for sports facilities do not come from general revenues. That's not to say there aren't loopholes and other methods of getting around that, though.

Title IX is a thing that exists. So banning harmful sports is government policy and regulations.

 

[RichiRamjag]

Fact disturbingly close to fiction.

I apologize if I'm being daft, but how does this relate?

 

[GoldenEye 007]

Title IX is a thing that exists. So banning harmful sports is government policy and regulations.

Title IX deals with equal access between genders to opportunities at schools receiving federal funding.

 

[thehypocrite]

Title IX deals with equal access between genders to opportunities at schools receiving federal funding.

Yes. An example of how government regulation can influence sports in schools.

 

[Zen_Arcade]

🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔......nah. if adults on their own dime want to put themselves in danger like this they should be free to do so. However, in public schools there shouldn't be room for a such a high risk sport. The market here doesn't decide shit. This is driven by policy and regulations.

The market clearly does and is currently deciding that playing football is OK. The policy and regulations are dictated by the market.

If you ban it from schools than extra curricular football would just become the stepping stone to college football. It wouldn't just go away, it would just shift and schools would lose out on whatever they're getting from it.

The only thing that is going to kill youth football is the general public losing it's love of the sport.

I apologize if I'm being daft, but how does this relate?

It's a comic book about a bat shit crazy southern high school football coach who treats his team like shit and uses mob tactics to intimidate other local teams.

 

[GoldenEye 007]

Yes. An example of how government regulation can influence sports in schools.

Sure, but it's not a policy built for sports necessarily - it deals with access and discrimination in general. The federal government for the most part does not get involved with day to day management of a school or university when it comes to allowing sports or not or any individual activity or program - as long as there is no discrimination.

It's up to each individual state, school district, or school to oversee various activities. The only way the feds are involved more directly with sports management are federal service academies. So West Point, Naval Academy, and Air Force Academy. But that's because they're directly overseen by the federal government.

The feds aren't even directly involved with core institutional academic accreditation, let alone sports. They license out the oversight to private (non-profit) companies and let them manage it.