(10-21-2013 02:45 PM)All Dukes_All Day Wrote:  Football has been battling government regulation since the early 1900s. It was almost banned several times and I believe the forward pass was instituted to make the game more safe...which is ironically the reason why it is so dangerous now.

Indeed. I saw this plaque in the College Football Hall of Fame that stood out to me so much that I had to take a picture.

(10-21-2013 02:45 PM)All Dukes_All Day Wrote:  Football has been battling government regulation since the early 1900s. It was almost banned several times and I believe the forward pass was instituted to make the game more safe...which is ironically the reason why it is so dangerous now.

Not necessarily. At least wrt. CTE the players most susseptible are linemen, linebackers and RB's. The theory is that sustained, repeating head trauma is the biggest culprit. Not necessarily the big hit. Still a lot to learn though.

(10-21-2013 03:40 PM)JMUETC Wrote:  

(10-21-2013 02:45 PM)All Dukes_All Day Wrote:  Football has been battling government regulation since the early 1900s. It was almost banned several times and I believe the forward pass was instituted to make the game more safe...which is ironically the reason why it is so dangerous now.

Not necessarily. At least wrt. CTE the players most susseptible are linemen, linebackers and RB's. The theory is that sustained, repeating head trauma is the biggest culprit. Not necessarily the big hit. Still a lot to learn though.

Fair point, but somebody is definitely more likely to sustain an immediate concussion or even paralysis from one of those big hits when you're a defenseless receiver.

(10-21-2013 03:21 PM)DooX Wrote:  

(10-21-2013 02:45 PM)All Dukes_All Day Wrote:  Football has been battling government regulation since the early 1900s. It was almost banned several times and I believe the forward pass was instituted to make the game more safe...which is ironically the reason why it is so dangerous now.

Indeed. I saw this plaque in the College Football Hall of Fame that stood out to me so much that I had to take a picture.

Presidential edict .... Teddy trying to overstep Madison's constitution. Only right way to settle this - add James Madison to the President's race at Nat's Park. I can see nimble Madison running circles around Bully Moose Teddy!

(10-21-2013 03:56 PM)All Dukes_All Day Wrote:  

(10-21-2013 03:40 PM)JMUETC Wrote:  

(10-21-2013 02:45 PM)All Dukes_All Day Wrote:  Football has been battling government regulation since the early 1900s. It was almost banned several times and I believe the forward pass was instituted to make the game more safe...which is ironically the reason why it is so dangerous now.

Not necessarily. At least wrt. CTE the players most susseptible are linemen, linebackers and RB's. The theory is that sustained, repeating head trauma is the biggest culprit. Not necessarily the big hit. Still a lot to learn though.

Fair point, but somebody is definitely more likely to sustain an immediate concussion or even paralysis from one of those big hits when you're a defenseless receiver.

I simply have no earthly idea how kids today think leading with their head (helmet) down only puts the other player at risk. The idea that the human head mounted on the tip of the spinal cord is more durable than core of the human body is ludicrous. Anybody old enough to remember Marc Buonticonti's body go limp and paralyzed for life after spearing a ball carrier knows what I mean.

(10-21-2013 03:21 PM)DooX Wrote:  

(10-21-2013 02:45 PM)All Dukes_All Day Wrote:  Football has been battling government regulation since the early 1900s. It was almost banned several times and I believe the forward pass was instituted to make the game more safe...which is ironically the reason why it is so dangerous now.

Indeed. I saw this plaque in the College Football Hall of Fame that stood out to me so much that I had to take a picture.

There is a great book that descibes this episode, gives a background of football history and how much of a fan Teddy Roosevelt was of football. I read it about 2 years ago. For those of you intersted in the early history of college football, I highly recommend this quick, interesting read. The title of the book is "The Big Scrum: How Teddy Roosevelt Saved Football".

if you want to read a great book on College Football from its early days on, read this one, which is written by a (or ex-) JMU professor I believe.



http://www.amazon.com/College-Football-H...tball+john

(10-18-2013 10:52 PM)BDKJMU Wrote:  

(10-17-2013 05:50 PM)JMU1985 Wrote:  

(10-17-2013 04:32 PM)jmu@uva Wrote:  

(10-17-2013 02:42 PM)JMU1985 Wrote:  

(10-17-2013 01:26 PM)jmu@uva Wrote:  Completely agree. Parents not wanting their kids to have brain damage is completely pu**ified. I routinely whack my kids in the head so they will be tough enough to play football when old enough...my dad did the same to me and I turned out just....oh wait....

Wow! Looks like we are having a hard time staying focused. Growing JMU to concussions in football. This is simple to me. Whether as an individual human being or a coporation, you are either growing or shrinking. You either grow the top line or cut the bottom line. If you think you can stand still you are kidding yourself because standing still is shrinking as others are growing. We must grow the top line all the way around. We need to increase our ability to grow revenue. It is life.

Yeah not buying it from you or anyone else on this board. Going into FBS football is NOT the only way to grow an institution of higher learning into a more nationally RESPECTED institution of higher learning.

I have no problem with FBS, but stop acting like it's the only way JMU can thrive. And should the worst happen and JMU decides to stay FCS, we can still grow into a nationally respected university based on our academics. Look at all the growth in JMU in the past 15 years...all the new academic facilities and programs offered. That is only going to continue, FBS or not...

It isn't the only way JMU can thrive. There are plenty of facts to back it up - Harvard, Yale, U of Penn, etc. That is painfully obvious.

I don't think staying FCS is the worse that can happen.

Growth is important to any organziation. $$ is required. Big time college football is big time money. Going after that $$$ helps grow JMU and the brand that is JMU.

JMU is my school. Its reputation is important. I'd rather be known first as an outstanding academic institution. We do not want to sacrifice academics for football. We do need $$$. We can do both. This is a good option.

There you go again. JMU is going to move up, but isn't going to move up to "big time college football", aka a Big 5 conference...

I should explain myself when I say "big time college football". We are FCS. FCS means you will never be big time college football. FBS means you could start winning and have a chance, etc.