Football Dying Out: Fact or Fallacy?

It has been said that if baseball is considered Americas pastime, then football is Americas
passion. The National Football League is rich with history, tradition, and controversy. Though
football is still watched and adored by many, whispers are starting to be heard, with increasing
volume, that the future of the sport is starting to dwindle and it could even die out. How can this
be possible? The NFL made an estimated nine billion dollars in revenue during the last year
alone, but some are saying this will not be enough to save the sport.

These murmurs are not coming from individuals who possess feelings of indifference towards
the sport. Dallas Mavericks owner and lifelong fan, Mark Cuban has been publicly expressing
his opinion that the NFL is nearing its end, stating, the NFL is 10 years from implosion.
Another die-hard football buff and CBS Sports columnist, Gregg Doyel, depicts the idea of
football meeting its as, crazy, until you think about it.

In accordance with new information about the long-term effects associated with head trauma, the
NFL has been served with an overwhelming number of injury suits. Litigation is not the only
impending issue the league can expect, with information circulating about the dangers of football
becoming increasingly far-reaching, more and more parents are pulling their children out of
football programs. This does not bode well for the future of the NFL.

Over four thousand former players have already filed suits against the league for, allegedly,
concealing the dangers to the brain from concussions. In order for the league to withstand the
crippling financial losses they will face during litigation processes, they will be forced into a
tough situation. To prevent future lawsuits the level of violence on the field may need to be

significantly scaled down. The problem is, violence is the very thing that attracts many to the
sport.

The NFL recently attempted to put in place a new concussion settlement for former players. This
$765 million dollar settlement would provide qualifying players with baseline medical exams,
monetary awards upon the diagnosis of brain diseases such as; Lou Gherigs, Parkinsons and
Alzheimers, and education programs related to football safety. Critics of this new settlement
like, CBS Sports Analyst Jason LaCanfora, dont believe its enough to compensate affected
players. Sure, $765 million sounds like a lot of money, but trust me, this is chump change
LaCanfora wrote in one of his editorials.

Lawsuits are not the only concern the NFL has ahead of them. In light of the recent information
about head injuries more and more parents are pulling their kids from football programs. As
young athletes continue to switch to safer sports, the talent pool for future professional football
players will gradually dwindle. This scenario is not one that would occur overnight. In
comparison to bankruptcy from legal fees, this would take place over a much broader period of
time. Evidence of this decline has already started to surface. Pop Warner, a non-profit
organization that provides football programs for children has seen a 9.5% decline in participation
between 2010 and 2012 alone.

Football players themselves are included in the pool of people who are becoming increasingly
hesitant to allow their children to play football. Current NFL analyst and former Dallas
Cowboys Quarterback, Troy Aikman is one of many who have expressed this concern: If I had
a 10-year-old boy, I dont know that Id be real inclined to encourage him to go play football, in

light of what were learning from head injuries, Aikman said in one interview. This scenario
could bring about new challenges for the league, since they have little control over what parents
choose to do with their children.

Though it may seem hard to imagine American culture without the presence of football, the NFL
has several substantial obstacles ahead of them if they hope to stay afloat. Andrew Sullivan, a
popular blogger, has presented the question of if football will become the next tobacco. He
justifies this comparison by examining two lucrative industries having knowingly destroyed
peoples health in order to maintain its revenue.

If the league chooses to alter the sport into a less violent form, the possibility that its appeal
could be lost and therefore its fan-base, is a real concern. The National Football League may be
alive and well at the moment, but it will be very interesting to see where they stand ten years
from now.