jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Why do so many kids want to become great football players, and why do parents push them into the sport? Here's just one reason.

http://www.thesportbuzz.com/323211/20-amazing-homes-owned-by-nfl-stars/

ottopj Loc: Annapolis, MD USA

This is why about 75% of pro athletes are bankrupt after retirement. Most have no idea how to handle it and they have their entourages.

Some ethnic group's old saying: "If you want to see what God thinks of money, look at who he gives it to."

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

One of their justifications for the high salaries is the fact that they have relatively short careers. That doesn't even begin to make sense. "Pay me a boatload of money because I'm going to retire soon."

Flyerace Loc: Mt Pleasant, WI

Boys like football. Boys frequently like girls. Football players get the girls. Simple and true!

Jackel Loc: California

jerryCr1 - Louisiana high school football player dies from injury suffered at game
Published September 06, 2015
FoxNews.com


A Louisiana high school football player has died after suffering an injury during a game Friday night.

Franklin Parish Sheriff Kevin Cobb identified the victim as 16-year-old Tyrell Cameron, a Franklin Parish High School player who was hurt while helping cover a punt in the fourth quarter of the game against Sterlington.

Johnny Ogden, an investigator with the parish coroner’s office, said the player collapsed on the field after impact with another player. He was transported to the emergency room at Franklin Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. The coroner’s office was still investigating the precise cause of death, Ogden said.

As news of the player's death spread, LSU coach Les Miles said he was planning reach out to the coaching staff at Franklin Parish.

"Just a horrible situation," Miles said after the weather-related cancellation of LSU's season opener against McNeese State on Saturday night. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to everyone involved in the entire thing. You work so hard to get out there on the football field. ... You never expect something like this to happen. Just a horrible and sad situation and again our prayers are with the family, school, coaches and players."

Louisiana High School Athletic Association executive director Eddie Bonine released a statement as well.

"As a father of three children, my heart breaks for Tyrell's family," Bonine said. "I cannot imagine their pain."

Los-Angeles-Shooter Loc: Los Angeles

In talking to educators and teachers in many other countries, they express astonishment at the over-emphasis of sports in the JR High and SR High level in the USA. The more perceptive ones discussed how the over-emphasis shafts minority kids who spend all their energy on sports rather than academics. How many black kids, for example, spend an inordinate amount of time and energy on basketball or football rather than activities which will quality them for success in life?

I used to do research at a local library (before the WWW got useful). When the High School across the street let out, the library would fill with Asian and white kids while the black kids hit the hoops and were rarely ever seen in the library.

Is it any wonder that years later the kids who put their emphasis where it belonged are professionals and entrepreneurs living the good life, while those kids who devoted all their energies to basketball garnered nothing from it except a better jump shot?

More than one academic (and leaders going way back beyond Malcolm X and MLK) has strongly suggested changes along the lines suggested by foreign academics. Meanwhile, is it any wonder that compared with other Western nations, our kids, especially minorities, rank in the gutter?

richosob Loc: Lambertville, MI

Not bad for a bunch of overpaid whiners who only work 5 months out of a year.

Rich

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Years ago, there was a local kid who was a great basketball player in high school. He didn't care anything about academics because he was going to be "rich and famous" playing basketball. Well, one day he damaged his knee, and he wound up with neither an education nor an NBA contract.

I'm always impressed by young actors who take time off to get a college education.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Tom Brady has a nice cozy home, doesn't he. Not bad for a cheater, and he got away with it! No fine, no penalty, and his fans are thrilled. Good example for kids. cheating is fine, as long as you get away with it.

MontanaTrace

A lot of the difference is cultural. I would hear black students criticize others that did their homework, studied and got good test grades: "Why you wanna act white?"

Wrangler Loc: North Texas

Just a couple points: football put me through college. It taught me perseverance, gave me good work ethic and forced me to be accountable to others. Most high schools (if not all high schools) have academic standards that must be met in order to play. All schools that I have been around have training rules such as no smoking, no alcohol, no drugs and no illegal activities. Do they have those have the same standards at the pool hall or the local Quick Mart corner hangout? A high schooler is going to do something. Would you prefer your son spent his time on a football field or on a street corner? If you think that a professional football player works only 5 months a year, you are a fool. It takes a 12 month commitment. When I graduated from college, I read a study that said the average life span of a running back in the NFL (not playing life but real life) was 52 years.

Wrangler Loc: North Texas

Maybe I forgot to mention that I coached high school football go 17 years and high school wrestling for 25 years. As a head wrestling coach we had a study table every day before practice with tutors. My wrestling teams had more kids in the National Honor Society than any other group. I am proud of my kids. VERY PROUD.

Bob Smith Loc: Banjarmasin

A famous UK coach once said Football is not a matter of life and death, it's more important than that! Guess Gridiron is much the same. 49ers fan by the way. How are they going to do this season?

Impressionist

All the injuries and violent tendencies, think giving them a guitar and in the words of Dire Straits Money for nothing and your chicks for free is the way to go.

rickerb Loc: utah

Jerry, normally I agree with you on almost everything. But it is wrong to say that Tom Brady got away with cheating is wrong. All he did is refuse to be railroaded by an overbearing commissioner that has obviously overstepped his boundaries. Excuse me, Goodell has no boundaries.
I am not a Patriot fan but I believe in fairness and the way Goodell, The NFL, and the manipulated media was totally wrong and I am always glad to see someone step up and defend himself from this Kangaroo court.