Perhaps the BEST B1G Forum anywhere, here at College Football Fan Site, CFB51!!!

As for me, I am not convinced it does not affect young high school brains.

And yet the tactics, the anticipation needed to perform at a high level, especially for undersized persons like me, and the strength, resilience and work effort of these players are something I learned a lot about as a kid, and respect in people who play now.

I do have the same concerns expressed by Cunningham. These guys literally knock their brains out. The damage is hidden for 20 or 30 years, but usually becomes apparent. I hope we find a solution but it seems elusive.

The collisions in high school are not as high speed; most of us experienced having our bell rung, and continued to play back in our day before all this concussion protocol. I am convinced it does affect high school brains.

It's hard for me. Badger football was a core part of my collegiate experience, and it has remained the best way to stay connected with my best college friends, despite living 2000 miles away. It was part of the early days of my marriage--heck, it played a key role in my relationship with SFIrish in the first instance. Arguably going to a Stanford/Notre Dame game together was the catalyst.
Heck, I even like all you guys. 'Cept Badge. He's too sensAtive. 
I probably spent more time on here last fall than watching football games--and you guys know I haven't been here as much as in the old days.

Giving up the NFL was easy because I mostly stopped watching it when we had kids and I didn't have time for two-day football-watching marathons. So "giving up" the NFL is a bit like giving up liver and onions for Lent.

But the "eyes wide open" approach doesn't work for me. Nearly all of these players start the sport when they are kids, far too young to know what their future holds--or what it could hold. By the time they are juniors in high school, with the locals and college coaches dripping all over them because of their amazing exploits, we're expecting a 16-year old boy to think, "you know, I'm really good at this, people love me for it, but nah, I think I'll throw myself into chemical engineering."

Adults create and perpetuate this, not high school kids. So the adults are the ones whose eyes should be wide open.

And I completely understand the lessons people learn from football. There's a reason there's a plaque (of dubious accuracy) at West Point quoting General George Marshall, "I want an officer for a secret and dangerous mission. I want a West Point football player." The teamwork and life skills football teaches are similar to the military: hard work, perseverance, reliably doing your job, and counting the person next to you to do his. Football is unique among sports in its approach to teamwork--and the combination with difficult physical demands is a big part of it.

So now I'm looking at when I might visit Wisconsin this fall. My schedule makes it hard in September and October, but I could do November. The Iowa game is my favorite annual Wisconsin game; it's on November 9. I could probably make it. Or do I wait for the release of the basketball schedule? Right now I'm waiting. But I haven't made up my mind.

The Bethard game, specifically, looked worse than it was, in hindsight.  He hurt his hamstring on a big hit and his inability to escape other hits from an aggressive defense.  He looked stunted or woosy, but he was just hobbling around on a bad hammy.


I do not understand leaving him in late, in a blowout, like that.  But before then, I think there was an illusion of him looking like a stunned boxer, but it was the hammy.