Rug roh
Times are changing
Smaller pool of CA football players to recruit...

Some of it is probably kids being pushed by a coach to concentrate on a single sport. Remember when the biggest status symbol in high school was getting varsity letters in 3 different sports? Not anymore. A kid whose best sport is baseball or basketball doesn't play football today because in the "off season" he's on a travel team for baseball or basketball. Or soccer, or lacrosse, or whichever sport. High school football rosters used to include a few dozen players whose "primary sport" was something other than football. Kids like that are only playing one sport now.

Undoubtedly some of this injury concerns. People should face the fact that football as we know it is not long for this world. Just a matter of time before some big universities abandon it for ethical reasons. I wonder why Cal is not a leader.

bearchamp said:

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Undoubtedly some of this injury concerns. People should face the fact that football as we know it is not long for this world. Just a matter of time before some big universities abandon it for ethical reasons. I wonder why Cal is not a leader.

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Should be interesting to see how Cal manages the program after JW leaves after this season or (latest) next. I wouldn't be surprised to see the university start winding up football at that time.

Northside91 said:

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bearchamp said:

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Undoubtedly some of this injury concerns. People should face the fact that football as we know it is not long for this world. Just a matter of time before some big universities abandon it for ethical reasons. I wonder why Cal is not a leader.

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Should be interesting to see how Cal manages the program after JW leaves after this season or (latest) next. I wouldn't be surprised to see the university start winding up football at that time.

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Wow! Such optimism.

Golden One said:

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Northside91 said:

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bearchamp said:

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Undoubtedly some of this injury concerns. People should face the fact that football as we know it is not long for this world. Just a matter of time before some big universities abandon it for ethical reasons. I wonder why Cal is not a leader.

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Should be interesting to see how Cal manages the program after JW leaves after this season or (latest) next. I wouldn't be surprised to see the university start winding up football at that time.

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Wow! Such optimism.

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Wow this shocked Golden One. You have now been put on the 2018 MOC (Most Optimistic Cyberbear) watch list.

okaydo said:

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A decrease of 25,000 kids is significant. I would like to see that figure broken down by region. The most telling number would be in the South. A decrease in that region would be a major hit for the sport....

Geez, I wonder what Coach Fedora thinks about this topic...

Post is optimistic: optimism that the University will act responsibly toward student athletes.

If SoCal HS football enrollment is down, that's a huge hit. California sends the most of any state to the NFL, and many QBs. Population density and the level of competition makes it among the best in the nation.

Seems pretty obvious it's head injuries, plus other options. When former NFLers state they don't want their sons or grandsons playing football...that's a big deal. Then there's the Aaron Hernandez thing, where literally a chunk of his brain was gone from CTE. That's no longer guess work or conjecture...that's a 26 y.o. with servere brain damage at a very young age.

I say make your peace now that FB as we know it will either change drastically or seize to exist.

Another Bear said:

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If SoCal HS football enrollment is down, that's a huge hit. California sends the most of any state to the NFL, and many QBs. Population density and the level of competition makes it among the best in the nation.

Seems pretty obvious it's head injuries, plus other options. When former NFLers state they don't want their sons or grandsons playing football...that's a big deal. Then there's the Aaron Hernandez thing, where literally a chunk of his brain was gone from CTE. That's no longer guess work or conjecture...that's a 26 y.o. with servere brain damage at a very young age.

I say make your peace now that FB as we know it will either change drastically or seize to exist.

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Clearly push/pull. Kids that grew up playing soccer want to keep playing soccer. Every college has a basketball team and the NBA and other non-NBA pro options have grown, making basketball relatively a better choice.

This is not just in Southern California, it's happening here in Texas, where the very thought would have once been considered blasphemy. https://www.texasmonthly.com/articles/texas-high-school-football/

And here in the Carolinas with two Triangle teams canceling football due to lack of interest/players. Here is an article with UNC coach Larry Fedora chiming in with his thoughts on local schools shying away from football.

https://abc11.com/sports/larry-fedora-reacts-to-local-high-schools-dropping-football/3957558/

Futbol is on the upswing.

oskirules said:

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Futbol is on the upswing.

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Until the forwards start to pick up the ball and run with it. Then, we'll have rugby, nationwide. You know they want to.

What kind of sport is it that doesn't test the most important athletic skill - hand-eye coordination?

Rushinbear said:

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oskirules said:

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Futbol is on the upswing.

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Until the forwards start to pick up the ball and run with it. Then, we'll have rugby, nationwide. You know they want to.

What kind of sport is it that doesn't test the most important athletic skill - hand-eye coordination?

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Cal Hockey, Memorial would be a great Hockey venue

Rushinbear said:

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oskirules said:

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Futbol is on the upswing.

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Until the forwards start to pick up the ball and run with it. Then, we'll have rugby, nationwide. You know they want to.

What kind of sport is it that doesn't test the most important athletic skill - hand-eye coordination.

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I don't know what's more important but foot eye coordination is difficult simply because the foot is the farthest point from the eyes and brain.

Another Bear said:

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If SoCal HS football enrollment is down, that's a huge hit. California sends the most of any state to the NFL, and many QBs. Population density and the level of competition makes it among the best in the nation.

Seems pretty obvious it's head injuries, plus other options. When former NFLers state they don't want their sons or grandsons playing football...that's a big deal. Then there's the Aaron Hernandez thing, where literally a chunk of his brain was gone from CTE. That's no longer guess work or conjecture...that's a 26 y.o. with servere brain damage at a very young age.

I say make your peace now that FB as we know it will either change drastically or seize to exist.

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If you've seen some of the penalties called on tacklers in this NFL preseason, it's hard to argue that we're not almost there.

Let's not overstate the problem (and I don't really like the term problem, as I wouldn't let my kids do football), but I find it hard to believe that the NFL will ever struggle finding people willing to put their body's in harms way in exchange for the money and fame. The spectacle is still very popular, and until the money starts draining from the sport, I think it sticks around. The product may be worse with less participants, practice and competition, but I think it sticks around.

Cal should double down on soccer.

calumnus said:

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Another Bear said:

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If SoCal HS football enrollment is down, that's a huge hit. California sends the most of any state to the NFL, and many QBs. Population density and the level of competition makes it among the best in the nation.

Seems pretty obvious it's head injuries, plus other options. When former NFLers state they don't want their sons or grandsons playing football...that's a big deal. Then there's the Aaron Hernandez thing, where literally a chunk of his brain was gone from CTE. That's no longer guess work or conjecture...that's a 26 y.o. with servere brain damage at a very young age.

I say make your peace now that FB as we know it will either change drastically or seize to exist.

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Clearly push/pull. Kids that grew up playing soccer want to keep playing soccer. Every college has a basketball team and the NBA and other non-NBA pro options have grown, making basketball relatively a better choice.

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Yup. what they don't have is a financial model without college football to pay for these other sports.

BTW, the dirty little secret on soccer is your daughter's exposure. I would put them in a no header league until 14 or so.

Hopefully, some technological break throughs with equipment will help on the concussion/CTE side. I do think in many areas, the reduction in football turn-out is directly related to head trauma. That said, some areas like the south are seeing increased participation. Maybe football isn't fading away, it's just moving where it's played https://usat.ly/2hxp8hk via @usatoday. Maybe Sonny was just ahead of his time on where to recruit.

LunchTime said:

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Cal should double down on soccer.

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and double attendance to double digits.

GMP said:

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Another Bear said:

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If SoCal HS football enrollment is down, that's a huge hit. California sends the most of any state to the NFL, and many QBs. Population density and the level of competition makes it among the best in the nation.

Seems pretty obvious it's head injuries, plus other options. When former NFLers state they don't want their sons or grandsons playing football...that's a big deal. Then there's the Aaron Hernandez thing, where literally a chunk of his brain was gone from CTE. That's no longer guess work or conjecture...that's a 26 y.o. with servere brain damage at a very young age.

I say make your peace now that FB as we know it will either change drastically or seize to exist.

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If you've seen some of the penalties called on tacklers in this NFL preseason, it's hard to argue that we're not almost there.

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I haven't watched any pre-season NFL but I heard the new rule is crazy. I don't see how they're going to change that without different helmets or a bunch of rule changes..but I concur, the changes are being made now. Given the NFL's conservative nature, I'd guess they try and implement changes over time, which could work or fail big time. Hard to say.

it's not just the kids that are losing interest in football

I saw a media study that showed the big lead that football had over every other sport is shrinking fast (baseball is on a decline too). Basketball is the sport with the big rise in popularity

I think the main factors are changing demographics and attitudes of the younger gens. Football is just too long. Yeah concussions are a factor in youth participation rates, but there are other factors changing overall interest in the sport

golden sloth said:

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Let's not overstate the problem (and I don't really like the term problem, as I wouldn't let my kids do football), but I find it hard to believe that the NFL will ever struggle finding people willing to put their body's in harms way in exchange for the money and fame. The spectacle is still very popular, and until the money starts draining from the sport, I think it sticks around. The product may be worse with less participants, practice and competition, but I think it sticks around.

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Sure, it'll stick around, and the decline of talent also means the decline of interest from the general public. NFL may not "struggle" to find people willing to put their bodies in harm's way; neither does the UFC and its smaller competitors.

Football will always have die-hard fans for generations to come, but the number die-hard fans alone aren't enough to pay for billion dollar stadiums, and for the NFL to demand exorbitant fees from the TV networks.

I do believe football is on the decline in many ways, in popularity, financial success, etc.

Random thought (unsubstantiated by any research): Football's success mirrors a bit of American culture in some ways. Football has always been most popular in rural and "smaller" communities + the midwest/south, and it's been heavily shown to be tied to patriotism. As the US becomes more globalized, football is falling behind other sports as it has failed to evolve. Look at NFL's policies v. the NBA's.

Headers in soccer a problem?

Quick fix: no more headers. This impacts the game, but not that much, especially at the youth levels. East Bay United Soccer already prohibits heading the ball for all under 10 players. I would have no problem prohibiting it from all youth play. Even adult play; doing so would definitely eliminate most, if not all, head-to-head accidental contact.

BTW, Memorial would be a great site for a velodrome. Let's make cycling a division 1 sport!

TandemBear said:

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Headers in soccer a problem?

Quick fix: no more headers. This impacts the game, but not that much, especially at the youth levels. East Bay United Soccer already prohibits heading the ball for all under 10 players. I would have no problem prohibiting it from all youth play. Even adult play; doing so would definitely eliminate most, if not all, head-to-head accidental contact.

BTW, Memorial would be a great site for a velodrome. Let's make cycling a division 1 sport!

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No more headers for girls until they reach a certain age. I'm not sure you gain much taking headers out of the game for adults for example. Its hard enough to see any scoring in a match as it is.

wifeisafurd said:

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TandemBear said:

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Headers in soccer a problem?

Quick fix: no more headers. This impacts the game, but not that much, especially at the youth levels. East Bay United Soccer already prohibits heading the ball for all under 10 players. I would have no problem prohibiting it from all youth play. Even adult play; doing so would definitely eliminate most, if not all, head-to-head accidental contact.

BTW, Memorial would be a great site for a velodrome. Let's make cycling a division 1 sport!

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No more headers for girls until they reach a certain age. I'm not sure you gain much taking headers out of the game for adults for example. Its hard enough to see any scoring in a match as it is.

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Wife, again you are a young sprout, but without the values...."to see any scoring"in a match....Do you really realize that this is not at all what soccer is all about?.....It is getting a one goal lead and protecting as the other team attacks. It is striving for a two goal lead and hoping you hang on. It is being the weaker side and doing everything to take it to OT then PKs (the worst futbol result) and winning....It is a glorious chess match that involves probably better athleticism than FB for sure....Sit back, relax, give futbol (soccer) a shot....It is really much more chess like than FB ever was, and I am a FB lover, but will not give an inch on the reality of what soccer is.

HoopDreams said:

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Basketball is the sport with the big rise in popularity

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Attendance to Pac 12 games and for most conferences is going in the opposite direction. And college viewership (TV which is measurable) is also down. So it must be the NBA . and your right. Along with record-setting attendance each of the last 3 years, the NBA set all-time marks for social media and retail. BTW, the gains have been reasonable, but look enormous compared to other sports and car racing where the numbers are mostly in the red.

BTW, the top leagues in terms of attendance are:

1) the german soccer league
2) MLB
3) India Cricket League
4) MLS
5) Premier Soccer League
6) NFL
7) Spanish Soccer League
8) Three more Soccer Leagues
9) NBA

And before you get too excited about basketball, if the wikipedia is to be believed, more people watch golf, baseball, volleyball, table tennis, tennis, field hockey (almost 3 times more than basketball), cricket (4x more), and soccer (way more). About the same number watch football as basketball.

https://abc7news.com/sports/surfing-is-now-californias-official-sport/4011171/

When do we get our co-ed surf team?

OdontoBear66 said:

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wifeisafurd said:

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TandemBear said:

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Headers in soccer a problem?

Quick fix: no more headers. This impacts the game, but not that much, especially at the youth levels. East Bay United Soccer already prohibits heading the ball for all under 10 players. I would have no problem prohibiting it from all youth play. Even adult play; doing so would definitely eliminate most, if not all, head-to-head accidental contact.

BTW, Memorial would be a great site for a velodrome. Let's make cycling a division 1 sport!

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No more headers for girls until they reach a certain age. I'm not sure you gain much taking headers out of the game for adults for example. Its hard enough to see any scoring in a match as it is.

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Wife, again you are a young sprout, but without the values...."to see any scoring"in a match....Do you really realize that this is not at all what soccer is all about?.....It is getting a one goal lead and protecting as the other team attacks. It is striving for a two goal lead and hoping you hang on. It is being the weaker side and doing everything to take it to OT then PKs (the worst futbol result) and winning....It is a glorious chess match that involves probably better athleticism than FB for sure....Sit back, relax, give futbol (soccer) a shot....It is really much more chess like than FB ever was, and I am a FB lover, but will not give an inch on the reality of what soccer is.

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Your not going to convince me to go to a soccer match between Cal and Furd at Memorial, youth or otherwise.

golden sloth said:

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Let's not overstate the problem (and I don't really like the term problem, as I wouldn't let my kids do football), but I find it hard to believe that the NFL will ever struggle finding people willing to put their body's in harms way in exchange for the money and fame. The spectacle is still very popular, and until the money starts draining from the sport, I think it sticks around. The product may be worse with less participants, practice and competition, but I think it sticks around.

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I think FB sticks around for a while but a player/skill shortage could do it in...like if suddenly colleges stopped playing for liability/safety/financial reasons. One issue with American FB, no other nation plays it professionally or at even college levels. Baseball and basketball has both international fan following and athletes. Latin players are big in baseball and the Euro hoops leagues produces very good talent, D1 level or better.

If the NFL were smart, they'd start international development leagues. The thing is, I don't they're smart.

Northside91 said:

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bearchamp said:

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Undoubtedly some of this injury concerns. People should face the fact that football as we know it is not long for this world. Just a matter of time before some big universities abandon it for ethical reasons. I wonder why Cal is not a leader.

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Should be interesting to see how Cal manages the program after JW leaves after this season or (latest) next. I wouldn't be surprised to see the university start winding up football at that time.

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Silliest post on this board in a while.

wifeisafurd said:

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HoopDreams said:

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Basketball is the sport with the big rise in popularity

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Attendance to Pac 12 games and for most conferences is going in the opposite direction. And college viewership (TV which is measurable) is also down. So it must be the NBA . and your right. Along with record-setting attendance each of the last 3 years, the NBA set all-time marks for social media and retail. BTW, the gains have been reasonable, but look enormous compared to other sports and car racing where the numbers are mostly in the red.

BTW, the top leagues in terms of attendance are:

1) the german soccer league
2) MLB
3) India Cricket League
4) MLS
5) Premier Soccer League
6) NFL
7) Spanish Soccer League
8) Three more Soccer Leagues
9) NBA

And before you get too excited about basketball, if the wikipedia is to be believed, more people watch golf, baseball, volleyball, table tennis, tennis, field hockey (almost 3 times more than basketball), cricket (4x more), and soccer (way more). About the same number watch football as basketball.

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are you talking about the U.S.?
also, I think 'attendence' is different than viewers

bearchamp said:

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Undoubtedly some of this injury concerns. People should face the fact that football as we know it is not long for this world. Just a matter of time before some big universities abandon it for ethical reasons. I wonder why Cal is not a leader.

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The usual response here is stadium debt.