I   never   thought   I   would   utter   these   words,   but   the   death   of   football   is   most   certainly   on   the horizon.   Its   demise   could   come   much   more   swiftly   than   many   would   think   possible.   Drastic   change   can certainly   occur   when   health   is   an   issue,   especially   the   health   of   our   children.   There   is   no   question   that football   is   proving   to   be   very   hazardous   to   the   long   term   health   of   those   who   play   it   for   any   length   of time. This knowledge will inevitably lead to the end of football, at least as we know it. This   isn’t   a   particularly   new   thought,   but   there   is   no   doubt   that   it   is   most   definitely   a   minority opinion   at   the   moment.   To   be   clear,   I’m   in   no   way   advocating   the   outlawing   of   football   or   any   such thing.   I   am,   and   always   will   be,   a   staunch   defender   of   freedom.   We   all   should   be   free   to   engage   in whatever   activity   in   which   we   so   desire.   I   don’t   want   the   government   trying   to   protect   me   from myself.   No,   this   is   simply   an   observation   of   what   will   most   surely   come   to   pass.   This   is   simply   based   on the   observation   of   the   revelations   that   keep   pouring   out   about   how   damaging   the   game   really   is   to the health of those who play it. There   is   no   telling   how   swiftly   this   could   all   occur.   With   football   as   big   as   it   is   in   this   country, there   is   no   chance   that   it   would   be   outlawed.   No,   the   death   will   come   a   step   at   a   time.   Individuals   will begin   to   make   choices   that   will   be   the   beginning   of   what   will   prove   to   be   the   end.   In   fact,   those choices   are   already   being   made.   There   have   been   already   been   a   few   NFL   players   that   have   decided   to walk   away   from   the   game   early   in   their   careers   because,   to   them,   the   risk   of   lasting   injury   to   their brain just isn’t worth the money and the glory that comes with playing. While   it   is   significant   that   a   few   NFL   players   have   chosen   to   walk   away,   the   end   of   the   game   will actually   begin   at   the   grassroots   level.   As   more   stories   of   the   lasting   effects   of   repeated   blows   to   the head   surface,   backed   by   warnings   from   the   medical   community,   we   will   begin   to   see   less   and   less children    even    getting    into    the    sport    to    begin    with.    At    some    point,    school    systems    and    local governments    will    make    the    choice    to    stop    sponsoring    football    because    of    public    perception    and pressure. There   is   no   doubt   that   there   will   be   significant   public   pressure   against   abandoning   football   as well.   The   roots   of   football   run   deep.   This   will   not   be   an   easy   process,   but   it   will   inevitably   occur. Parents   will   simply   not   be   able   to   justify   endangering   their   children   over   what   is   really   nothing   more than   a   game.   People   survived   without   football   for   the   vast   majority   of   history.   We   will   be   able   to adjust as well. This   process   will   begin   at   the   Pee   Wee   level   and   progressively   work   its   way   up   the   food   chain. The   supply   of   players   for   the   higher   levels   will   increasingly   dwindle   over   time.   The   demise   of   high school football will dry up the supply of college players, which will eventually starve the NFL of talent. The   process   will   be   the   most   accelerated   at   the   local   and   public   school   level.   Public   pressure   can have   a   swift   effect   on   things   having   to   do   with   the   government.   Colleges   and   the   NFL   are   different stories.   There   is   so   much   money   involved   in   college   football   and   the   NFL   that   the   process   won’t   be quite   as   swift   there.   But   the   supply   of   players   is   the   key.   Where   will   they   come   from   if   football   is nonexistent at the lower levels? Do   I   want   this   to   happen?   Am   I   advocating   that   it   happen?   The   truth   is   that   I’m   indifferent   to   it. There   was   a   time   in   my   life   when   I   could   never   have   imagined   life   without   football.   But,   as   I   age,   I’m finding   that   there   are   far   more   important   things   than   sports.   What   does   it   really   matter   if   my   teams happen   to   win?   Does   my   life   change   when   the   Yankees   win   the   World   Series?   Does   it   really   mean anything   if   the   Cowboys   can   manage   to   win   another   Super   Bowl?   Does   any   of   it   really   matter?   The truth   is   that   there   are   far   more   important   and   far   more   interesting   things   to   spend   my   time   on, outside of sports. I   neither   want   football   to   die,   nor   will   I   cry   when   it   does.   The   health   issues   are   far   too   significant to   ignore.   I   have   a   friend   who   suffered   a   brain   injury   in   an   automobile   accident.   Football   players   are subjecting   themselves   to   numerous   smaller   brain   injuries   on   a   constant   basis.   The   effects   that   many   of them   suffer   are   actually   worse   than   what   my   friend   goes   through.   If   I   had   a   child,   there   is   no   way   that I   could   allow   him   or   her   to   play   football.   I   simply   could   not   subject   them   to   that   risk.   Sure,   life   is   full   of risks, but football is one that is totally avoidable. But   there   is   no   doubt   that   this   should   be   a   personal   choice.   At   some   point   those   choosing   to hold   their   kids   out   of   football   will   cause   things   to   reach   a   critical   mass.   This   is   when   the   programs themselves   are   ended.   As   I   said,   once   this   begins   at   the   lower   levels   it’s   just   a   matter   of   time   until   it affects the professional level as well. The   truth   is   that   professional   football   will   most   likely   live   on   in   some   form   or   the   other   for   quite some   time.   But,   as   another   writer   suggested,   it   will   most   likely   have   to   resort   to   the   fringes   such   as MMA   or   the   like.   There   aren’t   MMA   programs   set   up   for   children   and   there   never   will   be.   Adults choose   that   route.   Adults   will   choose   to   play   professional   football.   But   the   pipeline   of   players   that reaches all the way back to the Pee Wee ranks will dry up.