12/22/24
February 03, 2011
Aikman Wouldn't Let Son Play Football: Hall of Fame quarterback and Fox broadcaster Troy Aikman told HBO's Real Sports that he's not sure he'd let his own 10-year-old son play football because the sport's become so dangerous. "As the equipment has gotten better, and it's gotten better in an attempt to try to protect the player more, then the equipment becomes used more as a weapon," he says. "I'm concerned right now overall with -- the long-term viability of our sport."
I'm leaning that way myself.
I have an 11-year-old who eats, sleeps, and breathes football most of the year. I had some misgivings before last season--his first playing tackle--and more now: in his final game, played in the Northern Iowa UNI-Dome, he got his bell rung on the last play of the first half. By his own teammate's knee, weirdly enough. Sat out most of the second half and admitted he had a headache later.
He plays safety and db but wants to switch to running back or wide receiver next year. I'm on the fence about whether to even let him play, now he wants to take the field in a couple of the most injury-prone positions. He will be devastated if we bar him from playing tackle next year.
His second-favorite sport, which he'd take up in earnest if we had the money? Snowboarding. Apparently he doesn't like his own knees or head.
posted by Uncle Toby at 05:28 PM on February 03, 2011
I heard Scott Fujita say the very same thing to David Zirin back in January.