I’m not one for tradition, so I wouldn’t keep something around just because it’s an american pastime.

But, I don’t think it’s fair to take sports out of school. kids could be injured or killed playing any of them….though it seems to be more frequent with football.

Is it too rough? it is rough, period. But, how would a kid be playing college football unless they started playing at least at high school age.

If there are safer uniforms they could use, perhaps that would be something to help.

but you can’t stop them from playing as teenagers and you can’t make them play some wimpy version of the sport if they’re under a certain age because again, they would need to be prepared for college if they are that serious about it.

..okay, listened to, a discussion between a Scot and an American about the relative dangers of US football and rugby. The Scottish guy made the point that actually, rugby is safer because of its lack of padding and other protective gear. Everyone on the pitch knows that they have to take responsibility for their own and other’s safety – it’s a lot less reckless, because the players don’t believe that everyone is wearing impenetrable armour which will protect them from stupid tackles. High tackling is totally unacceptable, and people don’t launch themselves at other people trying to hurt them, because they are aware of the serious damage they could do, or could be done to them. As a result the tackles become more refines and less a matter of brute force.
He also suggested that’s why rugby players are, in general, more sportsman like that football players (US or soccer), because they know that the other players could easily break their neck if they wanted to. Collective vulnerability makes for a safer and more responsible sport, said my Scottish friend.
The American just looked a little confused and said that if you didn’t have as much padding, you might get hurt.
My friend changed the conversation back to the unseasonably wet weather.

... is a rough sport, we all know it. I’d tend to say that it might be a good solution like in almost all hockey leagues, and not allow physical contacts before the age of 14. But football is mostly about physical contact, so that wouldn’t work.

I guess it’s just a dangerous sport, like many others. What can we do about it? We couldn’t get it out of school or anywhere, it’s such a big thing in the United States! So, I seriously don’t know.