OT - Interesting Article on the Future of College Football

[Phantom Warrior]

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/writer/dennis-dodd/23264024/concussions-and-college-football-the-game-must-change-or-perish

[CaribouJim]

I really wonder where the sport will be in 20 years. Was it Teddy Roosevelt that wanted to ban the sport or was he the one who was against that?

[TheSultan]

I think football will be around. It is way too ingrained into the culture of the country to simply disappear. The points about how the game might adjust at the end of the article are interesting and I do agree with them.

[MUMac]

I think football will be around. It is way too ingrained into the culture of the country to simply disappear. The points about how the game might adjust at the end of the article are interesting and I do agree with them.

The game may still be around, but the popularity of it is in question. With significant changes to the game to prevent injuries, it may lose some luster with some fans. It already has with mothers and parents. Football participation continues to dwindle.

[Nukem2]

As the demographics of our nation continue to evolve, emphasis will slowly shift to Futbol. A number of factors now working against football being as dominant as we know today.

[TheSultan]

The game may still be around, but the popularity of it is in question. With significant changes to the game to prevent injuries, it may lose some luster with some fans. It already has with mothers and parents. Football participation continues to dwindle.


I'm glad my kids never played football, but I am really glad that other parents didn't have the same problem I did.

[MUMac]

I'm glad my kids never played football, but I am really glad that other parents didn't have the same problem I did.

My boys played football until Sophomore year of HS. Both actually started football practice sophomore year, before moving on to cross country. For one of my boys, it was an extremely tough decision. I was torn, a bit, but told him it was his decision and his only. When he made his decisions, the day before cross country started, I thought I would miss him on the football field. After watching some of his buddies have serious injuries in the sport, I was relieved. He made the best decision.

[DCwarrior]

You're starting to see participation in youth football decline substantially in many parts of the country as parents keep their kids away from it. I think in some parts of the country (certainly not in the South or in OH, PA), you'll see participation in high school football shrink and some schools may ultimately drop the sport. The big question is how how future lawsuits from injured (and in rare cases deceased) players will ultimately effect the affordability of insurance coverage for schools and youth leagues.

I love watching the NFL, but I honestly could care less if college and high school football ceased to exist.

[Phantom Warrior]

If high school and college football cease to exist, so will the NFL, but that ain't gonna happen.

[ValiantSailor]

I think football will be around. It is way too ingrained into the culture of the country to simply disappear. The points about how the game might adjust at the end of the article are interesting and I do agree with them.

The biggest player in the football survival game was ignored. Insurance. Will the cost of insurance prevent high schools - already struggling for funds - and many colleges from offering football? After Katrina, many insurance companies decided the risks were too great to insure homes that could conceivably suffer from a future hurricane. How long will it be before the same companies decide that football insurance is too risky?

In twenty years, the only football available in high schools may be what we now know as "soccer".

VS

[Goose85]

The problem I have is with some, who have likely never seen a 5th grade football game, is not letting their kids play because football is too dangerous. If you are only used to watching NFL football, yeah the hits look dangerous, but Clay Matthews is not the one hitting little Johnny, it is another kid the same size as little Johnny. The arm tackling and play in the grade school level ends up with very few actual hard hits and concussions are pretty rare from what I have seen.

Once they ban and properly test for PEDs in the NFL you will likely see bigger / faster / stronger scale back a bit. Not as likely to see guys like Clay Matthews put on 100 pounds from first year in college to first year in NFL.

Guys like Duerson and Seau, who played 18 years in the NFL in a collision position, and 8 years of high school and college ball before that, have taken a ton of hits. Back in the day there was hitting every day in practice and equipment was poor. Now there is very little hitting in football practice, even at the high school level. The equipment and training is so much better now than it even was 5 to 10 years ago.

Yeah, maybe in 20 years football won't be wearing helmets and soccer will, but I doubt it.

[MUMac]

The biggest player in the football survival game was ignored. Insurance. Will the cost of insurance prevent high schools - already struggling for funds - and many colleges from offering football? After Katrina, many insurance companies decided the risks were too great to insure homes that could conceivably suffer from a future hurricane. How long will it be before the same companies decide that football insurance is too risky?

In twenty years, the only football available in high schools may be what we now know as "soccer".

VS

Add to this, the cost of the equipment - the new, safer equipment - that schools currently do not have and would have to purchase.

The safety improvements are starting at the NFL and now college level. High Schools will lag behind. Youth sports even moreso. The problem is that the parents decide early on if they allow their sons to play football. By the time the safety culture makes its way to the youth and high school level, there likely will be fewer and fewer football athletes.

I heard someone high up in the NFL say they were concerned for the viability of the sport, due to injuries. That was three years ago.

[Goose85]

Something football offers young kids is kids of any body type can be on the same team and play the sport.

If you are a heavyset kid who can't run a half mile, or ar just big and just slow, you can find a spot on the line of a grade school football team, while soccer, lacrosse, baseball and cross country may not be for you. Then again, you don't have to be big to play line. Much better than just sitting home playing video games.

If you are small but quick you can play flanker / receiver / running back / defensive back. If you can throw play QB. If you can't, but can catch play TE. If you can't catch, but like to tackle you can play defense. If you don't like to hit but can catch, play receiver.

Kids of any size can basically be on the same team and in the same huddle and learn the game together. The best male bonding/team sport out there in my opinion.

I think the cost of a kid to play grade school football, including the new lastest and greatest helmets they get almost every year, is far less than the cost to a parent who has a kid playing travel soccer, travel volleyball, travel basketball, etc. Most kids pay about $200 - $300 and you are done.

College football's popluarity could dwindle and still far outpace college basketball, as evidenced by the ratings seen in even the 'worst' of college bowl games. This is why it will be a long time before college football gets knocked off its perch of popularity.

[TheSultan]

The problem I have is with some, who have likely never seen a 5th grade football game, is not letting their kids play because football is too dangerous. If you are only used to watching NFL football, yeah the hits look dangerous, but Clay Matthews is not the one hitting little Johnny, it is another kid the same size as little Johnny. The arm tackling and play in the grade school level ends up with very few actual hard hits and concussions are pretty rare from what I have seen.
.


I understand that. And to be clear, if they wanted to I would have *let* them play. I just am glad they chose not to in retrospect.

In part it was because my kids ended up running cross country in the fall for a fantastic coach. It was by far their best "team" experience in high school. But, like Mac, my kids had friends who suffered injuries because of it. One of my older son's best friends had a back injury that kept him out of the military after school.

[MUMac]

Something football offers young kids is kids of any body type can be on the same team and play the sport.

If you are a heavyset kid who can't run a half mile, or ar just big and just slow, you can find a spot on the line of a grade school football team, while soccer, lacrosse, baseball and cross country may not be for you. Then again, you don't have to be big to play line. Much better than just sitting home playing video games.

If you are small but quick you can play flanker / receiver / running back / defensive back. If you can throw play QB. If you can't, but can catch play TE. If you can't catch, but like to tackle you can play defense. If you don't like to hit but can catch, play receiver.

Kids of any size can basically be on the same team and in the same huddle and learn the game together. The best male bonding/team sport out there in my opinion.

I think the cost of a kid to play grade school football, including the new lastest and greatest helmets they get almost every year, is far less than the cost to a parent who has a kid playing travel soccer, travel volleyball, travel basketball, etc. Most kids pay about $200 - $300 and you are done.

College football's popluarity could dwindle and still far outpace college basketball, as evidenced by the ratings seen in even the 'worst' of college bowl games. This is why it will be a long time before college football gets knocked off its perch of popularity.

The cost at the High School level, where budetary items are a constant, will be a much greater issue than at the lower level. When I cited costs, that is where I intended that comment to be focused on.

As to the rest of your points, comradarie is not the issue to the mother who does not want her son playing football. Even at the lower level, I have seen fairly serious issues end a kids football career. There still are significant differences in size.

Now, I love football. I could not imagine not having football. That said, your arguments and points do not address the reasons why football is at risk. I believe we are at the height of footballs popularity. I do think you will start to see some high schools either dropping the sport or co-opting with other schools, due to lack of participants. I have already seen that.

[Goose85]

Sultan / MUMac - I think the key here is that your kids chose a sport that seemed to be best suited for them and not dicated to them, and that is what I think is important. Your kids excelled at distance running - certainly not for everyone, just like playing football is not for everyone, but your kids decided that route.

[TheSultan]

Sultan / MUMac - I think the key here is that your kids chose a sport that seemed to be best suited for them and not dicated to them, and that is what I think is important. Your kids excelled at distance running - certainly not for everyone, just like playing football is not for everyone, but your kids decided that route.


I only had one kid that was good at it. The other joined, and only ran a single varsity race in four years, because his older brother encouraged him to. And he just had too much fun to quit.

One of the great things about cross country is that there is very little controversy. The top runners are measurably better. And with basically unlimited JV races, everyone runs every week. And you really don't need any sort of special skill that you honed throughout elementary and middle school. You just need to run 5k - and it really is never too late to learn that.

[Gato78]

FWIW I started having trouble with my knees at age 50. Went to orthopedic surgeon and told him my issues. His first question: Did you play high school football? I said I had. He responded "That is where it all started". I have had two meniscus surgeries to my right and steroid injections to both right and left. Still having problems. I have four brothers-in-law who played football at Dartmouth. One was the all-time leading rusher and held the record for about 20 years. Among those four, two have had both knees replaced (the running back and a lineman). One had ACL surgery in college and quit and is bone-on-bone right now--no cartilage. The other has been OK. Head trauma is the big issue now but knees and knee replacements may be next.

[TrevorCandelino]

The NFL is well aware of this trend (in general terms, mothers not allowing their children to play football).

It's the primary reason that the NFL started the NFL grass roots program, where funding is provided for football field installations in the inner cities.

http://www.packers.com/community/community-programs/nfl-grassroots.html

https://www.nflyff.org/grant-programs/grassroots

In poor urban centers across the country, the small potential for injuries/concussions are far down the list of parental concerns while football is a proven commodity for teaching essential life skills to young boys/men who wouldn't learn those skills as effectively anywhere else.

The grassroots program is also one of the main reasons the City of Milwaukee now has the only NFL team logo'd football field outside of an NFL facility anywhere in the country (Mitchell Park through the Journey House organization via the GB Packers).

http://www.todaystmj4.com/sports/green-bay-packers/210496811.html

http://www.journeyhouse.org/football-field-campaign-information.html

Happy to provide more information on Journey House and Milwaukee's Packer field if anyone is interested......

If you havent seen the field, I highly recommend going down to Mitchell Park to check it out and then stopping by Oscar's on Pierce for arguably Milwaukee's best burger.

[TrevorCandelino]

Oh, and this Journey House Packer field is now the home field for MUHS frosh and JV football teams and all of MUHS lacrosse teams.........

[Goose85]

FWIW I started having trouble with my knees at age 50. Went to orthopedic surgeon and told him my issues. His first question: Did you play high school football? I said I had. He responded "That is where it all started". I have had two meniscus surgeries to my right and steroid injections to both right and left. Still having problems. I have four brothers-in-law who played football at Dartmouth. One was the all-time leading rusher and held the record for about 20 years. Among those four, two have had both knees replaced (the running back and a lineman). One had ACL surgery in college and quit and is bone-on-bone right now--no cartilage. The other has been OK. Head trauma is the big issue now but knees and knee replacements may be next.

I don't see things as much different for kids playing soccer and other sports these days. I talked to a couple different orthopedic docs and they have said it is getting more and more common for sports injuries to younger kids that they only used to see in older / college age kids, possibly from concentrating on one sport so early these days.

I know of kids that have blown acl / mcl / whatever cls playing youth soccer (I've seen a few concussions too).
I know Irish Dancers that have had ankle / hip troubles.
High school kids having Tommy John surgery (my nephew did as a junior in high school).
I've heard docs say running is the worst thing for knee and hip joints.
Many basketball players have knee problems at some point due to the pounding on the hardwood.

Basically, if you want to concentrate on a sport pick your poison. I guess the body isn't really meant to play a certain sport for extended years.

I still think all of them are better than laying on the couch watching TV (unless of course it is a MU game or replay of a MU game).

[Goose85]

FWIW I started having trouble with my knees at age 50. Went to orthopedic surgeon and told him my issues. His first question: Did you play high school football? I said I had. He responded "That is where it all started". I have had two meniscus surgeries to my right and steroid injections to both right and left. Still having problems.

Gato - I'm not a doctor, nor have I ever played one on TV (may have tried playing doc a bit as a younger man but that is beside the point).
Did you also mention that you ran track, played basketball, have golfed a ton over the past 30 years, worked a variety of jobs to get through college and law school and also treated your body like an amusement park over many years?

[Gato78]

All true except the amusement park. More like a fat free yogurt shop.

[MUMac]

Sultan / MUMac - I think the key here is that your kids chose a sport that seemed to be best suited for them and not dicated to them, and that is what I think is important. Your kids excelled at distance running - certainly not for everyone, just like playing football is not for everyone, but your kids decided that route.

Nope. I am not talking about my kids. I gave them as an example of why I was relieved, in retrospect. That was all. You completely missed the points I have been making if that is what you got out of my posts.

[The Reptile]

One of my boys played flag football early on then migrated to tackle when he was old enough. I agree with the point made earlier that the speed of the game at that age was so slow that I was never truly worried about significant injury (the only one that happened was a freak injury in practice where a kid broke bus fore arm).

This Taliban movement is not going to end with football. I played hockey in HS and we played at a speed far faster than football with helmets not nearly as sturdy. And wait till they find out the possibility of head to head injuries in soccer. Even worse, girls have a higher rate of knee injury in soccer than boys. So it's dangerous and sexist too!

I guess the last laugh will be on all of us when our grandchildren grow up in bubbles to prevent them from self injury.

[TheSultan]

This Taliban movement is not going to end with football. I played hockey in HS and we played at a speed far faster than football with helmets not nearly as sturdy. And wait till they find out the possibility of head to head injuries in soccer. Even worse, girls have a higher rate of knee injury in soccer than boys. So it's dangerous and sexist too!


Holy hyperbole. Really??

[IWB]

Just getting caught up.

Gato - you didn't tell your doc that you played basketball, ran track or played a crap load of golf over the years (a golf swing twists your legs and knees in ways they were not supposed to bend) but did you also not tell your doc that you may have been carrying around more weight than your knees can handle over the last few dozen years?

Other sports - you see a lot of basketball players with injuries as Goo pointed out, because their knees take a pounding on the hardwood when playing hoops 12 months a year, same with volleyball. When we were kids it was baseball, football and basketball in that order. Your knees weren't on the hardwood going up and down all year long.

The big concern is concussions - Yes, it happens, but with youth sports, it mainly happens in soccer. Reptile is dead on when he talks about the speed. In my area we start football young, with a 3rd & 4th grade learning league. Yes, it is full pads & contact, but there are coaches on the field the whole time, getting kids into position, lining them up and explaining what they do wrong. When we meet with parents that is one thing we tell them - get a video of a high school football game, put it on slow motion, and that is what we have here. The best thing about the younger league is that they learn how to block, hit and tackle the right way at a young, slow-speed age, so that their learning prevents injuries when they are older, playing a faster game.

I have coached a ton of youth sports, have coached 20 teams in basketball, baseball and football. Worst youth sports injury I witnessed was attending my daughter's 6th grade volleyball game where a girl broke her wrist. Coaching football, the two worst injuries I saw were 1) A cut requiring stitches and 2) A potentially broken wrist (that turned out not to be broken). Both injuries occurred when the kids were screwing around BEFORE practice even started.

Story time: I have told this one a lot, and it happened last year. A parent told me she would not allow her son to play football because it was too dangerous. Then last November, she was complaining TO ME that her son's soccer team had way too many concussions because of kids hitting their heads on the frozen ground. I couldn't help but reply, "In football kids wear helmets, and we were done a month ago before the ground ever got mildly cool." Her kid is playing football this year.

[Phantom Warrior]

I work with high school juniors and seniors. I have had an awful lot of kids over the past few years who have had to stop playing contact sports due to suffering serious concussions. I would estimate at least a dozen kids (that I know about) over the past three to four years alone. That, to me, is alarming.

The primary culprits, at least for students I work with, are football and hockey, though concussions from playing lacrosse are on the rise. As for soccer, there are definitely more knee injuries than in other sports (especially ACL tears among girls), but nowhere near as many concussion issues as I've seen with football and hockey.

As for youth football, I coached a seventh grade team one year, and what was concerning to me was the difference in size among the players. My son played free safety on that team, and he was about 5'4" and weighed right around 100 pounds. Running backs were allowed to be somewhere around 150 pounds, and there were many times he would take on a running back 40-50 pounds heavier than he was - with the back running at full speed. He was fearless and took them on in the open field, but he was also extremely athletic and used solid tackling technique, so he managed to avoid serious injury.

We had three or four other players on the team who were also barely 100 pounds, a couple of whom were not very athletic either. A few times one of them would get absolutely crushed trying to tackle a much more physically mature 150 pound back looking to punish some midget defensive back.

The bottom line is that many of these high school kids I work with suffered their first (and sometimes second) concussions in middle school and then suffered another one (or two) in high school. Who knows what these injuries are doing to their brains long term?

I do believe that as more and more research is done on concussions and youth sports, more and more parents will opt to avoid some sports, and number of participants will dwindle. There will always be risk of injury with practically any sport, including basketball, but concussions are on a completely different level in terms of potential long-term danger than are other injuries.

[ValiantSailor]

I'll bet everyone here remembers what happened when you first started driving. One or both of your parents talked about the unbelievable cost of insurance. Or maybe you were required to make up the difference. You might even have had to purchase a policy yourself.

It doesn't take much imagination to understand how families health-care policies could be affected if a teenager starts playing sports. And this aside from the policy that covers the school. Because we all know that insurance companies don't exist to distribute money. They make money. There will be increasing costs for sports-related injuries. That cost will come from somewhere, and you can be sure the insurance premium cost will be greater than the medical cost.

"You played high-school football? Well, according to our actuarial calculations, you will have the following injuries: ____. We calculate our risk at X dollars per year; therefore your annual premium is X+Y dollars."

VS

[IWB]

Phantom - I hear what you are saying, but I honestly don't believe there are more concussions today than there were years ago. The equipment is the best technology there is. Hell, my first year ever we had "suspension helmets". I truly believe the difference is this....

"Reported" concussions. Back in our day it was not unusual to "get your bell rung", or to "see stars". That was a frequent occurrence. Kids didn't miss plays, they just "dusted off the cobwebs" and got back at it. In this day and age, one shot to the noggin and "you have a concussion, you are out for a week". Second time...it is considered a serious issue, third time you are done for good. If it was that way when I played, I wouldn't have lasted from any given week to the next. I was a fullback who led and punished with my head (now illegal). It was often that I "saw stars" and common that everything would "turn yellow". The doctor that runs all of these studies and is frequently on ESPN is Dr. Mike McCrea - a very good friend of mine from college. I once told him of my experiences and he just shook his head. But back in those days, you never admitted to an injury or someone would take your spot.

Again, I am not trying to downplay the seriousness of concussions, I just think the number of occurrences is no different, just the admitting to the injury and the way they are treated/dealt with.

[TheSultan]

Phantom - I hear what you are saying, but I honestly don't believe there are more concussions today than there were years ago. The equipment is the best technology there is. Hell, my first year ever we had "suspension helmets". I truly believe the difference is this....

"Reported" concussions. Back in our day it was not unusual to "get your bell rung", or to "see stars". That was a frequent occurrence. Kids didn't miss plays, they just "dusted off the cobwebs" and got back at it. In this day and age, one shot to the noggin and "you have a concussion, you are out for a week". Second time...it is considered a serious issue, third time you are done for good. If it was that way when I played, I wouldn't have lasted from any given week to the next. I was a fullback who led and punished with my head (now illegal). It was often that I "saw stars" and common that everything would "turn yellow". The doctor that runs all of these studies and is frequently on ESPN is Dr. Mike McCrea - a very good friend of mine from college. I once told him of my experiences and he just shook his head. But back in those days, you never admitted to an injury or someone would take your spot.

Again, I am not trying to downplay the seriousness of concussions, I just think the number of occurrences is no different, just the admitting to the injury and the way they are treated/dealt with.


And its not just concussions that they are finding out are a problem. There is increasing research that repeated "sub-concussive" hits also cause damage to the brain.

[Goose85]

And its not just concussions that they are finding out are a problem. There is increasing research that repeated "sub-concussive" hits also cause damage to the brain.

How soon until they outlaw heading the ball in soccer.

[TheSultan]

How soon until they outlaw heading the ball in soccer.


Nobody has outlawed anything. This is why I didn't understand the "Taliban movement" comment that Reptile made. No one is outlawing football. No one is outlawing soccer.

As Valiant Sailor points out, the limiting factors here are going to be the insurance companies...both health and liability.

[Goose85]

Insurance is an interesting angle. Kids and adults get hurt all the time doing different things. I wonder at some point, much like you are asked if you smoke, if insurance companies will start asking for a listing of activities people engage in and have additional costs built in.

Adults and kids will have to answer what they participate in and be charged accordingly.
Basketball will cost $ Hockey will cost $. Football will cost $. Soccer will cost $. Track will cost $. If you ride a bike it will cost $. If you are in dance it will cost $. Competitive cheer will be $. If you ski it will cost $. Skateboard and snowboard costs $.

Liability is a different issue. Some helmets now have stickers on them basically saying they shouldn't be used for actual contact. I'll have to check my bike helmets to see if they have the same.

[Nukem2]

Nobody has outlawed anything. This is why I didn't understand the "Taliban movement" comment that Reptile made. No one is outlawing football. No one is outlawing soccer.

Re-read Reptile's post, especially his closing remark. I think he was being facetious/sarcastic...?

[IWB]

Some helmets now have stickers on them basically saying they shouldn't be used for actual contact. I'll have to check my bike helmets to see if they have the same.

Here is the exact wording, from the back of a football helmet currently in use....

"NO HELMET SYSTEM CAN PROTECT YOU FROM SERIOUS BRAIN AND/OR NECK INJURIES INCLUDING PARALYSIS OR DEATH. TO AVOID THESE RISKS, DO NOT ENGAGE IN THE SPORT OF FOOTBALL."

Yep, sticker on the back of a Schutt football helmet.

[ValiantSailor]

Here is the exact wording, from the back of a football helmet currently in use....

"NO HELMET SYSTEM CAN PROTECT YOU FROM SERIOUS BRAIN AND/OR NECK INJURIES INCLUDING PARALYSIS OR DEATH. TO AVOID THESE RISKS, DO NOT ENGAGE IN THE SPORT OF FOOTBALL."

Yep, sticker on the back of a Schutt football helmet.

For Riddell helmets:

WARNING: NO HELMET CAN PREVENT SERIOUS HEAD OR NECK INJURIES A PLAYER MIGHT RECEIVE WHILE PARTICIPATING IN FOOTBALL. Do not use this helmet to butt, ram or spear an opposing player. This is in violation of the football rules and such use can result in severe head or neck injuries, paralysis or death to you and possible injury to your opponent. Contact in football may result in CONCUSSION-BRAIN INJURY which no helmet can prevent. Symptoms include: loss of consciousness or memory, dizziness, headache, nausea or confusion. If you have symptoms, immediately stop playing and report them to your coach, trainer and parents. Do not return to a game or practice until all symptoms are gone and you have received medical clearance. Ignoring this warning may lead to another and more serious or fatal brain injury.

[MayorBeluga]

On Wisconsin Men's Basketball Season Tickets:

WARNING: Badger men's basketball games have been known to cause viewers to see the world through red glasses. Hyper-partisan obnoxiousness has also been reported in clinical trials beginning in 1994. In rare cases, death by boredom has ensued. Do not operate heavy machinery while watching Badger games. For a Badger game attention span lasting more than four hours, contact your doctor immediately.

[IWB]

Beluga - A game!

VS - same thing on the Schutt helmets, the part I listed is added on at the end.

[CaribouJim]

Speaking of concussions....

http://variety.com/2013/tv/news/espn-abandons-frontline-nfl-head-injury-investigation-1200586725/

Puts ESPN in an uncomfortable position.

[CaribouJim]

On Wisconsin Men's Basketball Season Tickets:

WARNING: Badger men's basketball games have been known to cause viewers to see the world through red glasses. Hyper-partisan obnoxiousness has also been reported in clinical trials beginning in 1994. In rare cases, death by boredom has ensued. Do not operate heavy machinery while watching Badger games. For a Badger game attention span lasting more than four hours, contact your doctor immediately.


Is there any medicine as of yet that can prevent this hideous disease - if you can call it that - other than abstinence? Is there a rash that is involved?

[TAS35]

The best cure- an immediate prescription of Marquette season tickets.....

[farmerdoc]

Is there any medicine as of yet that can prevent this hideous disease - if you can call it that - other than abstinence? Is there a rash that is involved?

Repeated enemas and a chicken poop poultice to any areas of rash.

[MUMac]

Is there any medicine as of yet that can prevent this hideous disease - if you can call it that - other than abstinence? Is there a rash that is involved?

I am pretty close to the situation, living in Madison. I have not been afflicted with it yet, so I have not seen a Dr and do not definitively know what they prescribe. What I have noticed, though, is there appears to be a prescription for excessive amounts of alcohol intake before viewing a Badger game. This appears to work well, as I have seen people openly smile when discussing the game. Frequently, I notice the prescribed drug changes the way one sees the game. It has a psychodelic effect, changing the memory of some of the actual plays in a game. One time I heard someone talk about a Badger player dunking the ball. Another time I heard someone talk about a fast break. Knowing these were not possible nor allowable offenses, I merely chalked it up to the prescribed alcohol that individual consumed before the game.

[MUMac]

Look at the Packer - Seahawk preseason game tonight as to what will happen to football. You have seen it in previous years. The QB (Quinn) is passing, gets hit and taken to the ground as he releases the ball. A good, solid hit. The NFL, though, is concerned about defenseless hits. That is a penalty. Really does weaken the game, but that is the concern about the injuries. That is part of what will change the game.