I think this is mostly pertaining to the NFL but either way I'm getting sick and tired of the government sticking its nose into football. We have much more serious problems than whether or not multiple concussions while playing football results in mental disability later in life.

Furthermore, I think it is pretty much clear when you put on the pads and strap on the helmet that you are succeptable to such injuries and its your choice to play or not. Its like people who smoke, you know there's a chance your gonna get lung cancer, and its your choice whether you smoke or not.


What is your opinion about the government continuously sticking its nose in football affairs?

Roger Goddell said today the study presented and being discussed is "based on a phone survey" by the University of Michigan and "long term effects of head injuries are a concern". Everyone one knows the NFL wants to protects its players, but it also wants to protect its product.

However, congress sticking its nose into this buisness is actually doing less than what the UIL is doing by taking over the officiating and by selecting the championship sites so they can bid it out.

...and just where do they come off even thinking that they have any authority over a private business...we have to get these idiots and loons out of office as soon as possible....anyone who is not a conservative, and I mean a REAL conservative, needs to be sent packing......

I for one am glad someone stepped in and stopped the rampant drug use in baseball.

Since the NFL has antitrust exemptions, I think it is appropriate for them government to take a look into the leagues doings, and decide if continued exemptions are appropriate. Unless of course you are in favor of monopolies, in which case I could challenge just how capitalist you are.

Would you please clarify what you mean by "REAL conservative?"

The NFL clearly treats its former players like dirt. Not just on the concussion issue but they clearly have exhibited a lack of care or concern about former players that are fundamentally disabled. Hence the establishment of organzations like Gridiron Greats, of which Mike Ditka is one of the founders, that are dedicated to seeking treatment for these former players. Is there anybody here that thinks The Tyler Rose wasn't disabled? Many former player do not even qualify for a pension. Certainly the players that played before 1972 do not. Meanwhile, the NFL continues to rake in billions on success that was established on the backs of these former players. They made the league great.

Here is an example of the on-going saga of one of Tyler's all-time greatest players. Smoaky had it posted on his site here earlier this week. Pay close attention to the league and team spokespeople and how full of manure they are.

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football...one_grimes.html

Government had no business in the baseball thing, either....it was the responsibiltiy of baseball to police itself..........Congress had no business giving any kind of exemption to any private business for anything...that is what is wrong now...we have allowed government to grow and overstep it's limits to the point where it has become despotic and tyrannical.....

a REAL conservative is one who refuses to compromise when he or she is right.......

If the market is left to its own free movements without government interference, monopolies will not exist anyway...the truly free market would not support them......

Sir you are my new hero! You seem like to classy a guy to ever stoop into politics, but I'll give it a shot anyway: COLMESNEILFAN1 FOR PRESIDENT!!!!!!

certainly better than that guy we have there now...ole wuts his name? ombamasa? mumbasa? obmango? hell idk...

I do not know if you are aware of who FA Hayek is, but he is credited along with John Maynard Keynes for modeling how our economic system works today. He was very involved with the Austrian School their belief is that "...that a complex economy cannot be rationally planned because true market prices are absent. As a result, the information critical for centralized planning cannot be obtained." (http://www.britannica.com/facts/5/725586/F-A-Hayek-as-discussed-in-Austrian-school-of-economics) As you can see he was no Socialist. However, he did offer this very in depth criticism of conservatism:

"Conservatism, though a necessary element in any stable society, is not a social program; in its paternalistic, nationalistic and power adoring tendencies it is often closer to socialism than true liberalism; and with its traditionalistic, anti-intellectual, and often mystical propensities it will never, except in short periods of disillusionment, appeal to the young and all those others who believe that some changes are desirable if this world is to become a better place."- FA Hayek The Road To Serfdom

Unfortunately, baseball was unable, because the players were unwilling to police themselves and clean the sport up. It was necessary to bring the government in and clean it up. I guarantee you that the government would be more than happy to step in if either you or I were using illegal drugs.

I hate using wikipedia, but this is how they define the American Conservative: "Conservative principles include nationalism, traditionalism, capitalism, and opposition to strong national government (except that most conservatives support a strong military)." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_conservative)

Your definition sounds more like a Glenn Beck talking point. He is the political equivalent of Howard Stern.

I agree, no business should have monopolistic powers. With out government intervention this past crisis would have been much worse than it was, and yes it was caused by lack of regulation.

The fact that you use the word "crisis" to describe the baseball steroid issue clearly illustrates what side of the fence you are on. You see everything as a crisis that the government needs to intervene and solve. Healthcare, swine flu, the death of a celebrity, etc. etc. etc. I could care less what Wikipedia calls me. I believe in low taxes, small government, right to life, strong private property rights,
the strongest military in the world, dumping the UN and kicking them off American soil, capitalism, and gun control (which I define as the ability to hit what you shoot at). Government is the problem in most cases, not the solution. When people stop paying ridiculous ticket prices to see overpaid athletes play a game, the professional leagues will start policing themselves, and their athletes will learn to behave.
Otherwise they'll be faced with the cold hard reality of having to work for a living. That is why no professional sports franchise will ever see a dime of my hard earned money! The high school athletes here in East Texas are much more fun to watch, and they play for the right reasons.

A lack of regulation? When Barney the toothless dinosaur Frank forced banks to take bad paper via "regulation", that set the table for the current crisis. I don't need Beck or Wikipedia to see that!

Hayek and Keynes were on opposite sides of the economic schools of thought.....Hayek was of the Austrian school...Keynes formed his own school of thought on economics, the Keynesians.....Those of the Austrian school (Ron Paul and myself included) know that a sound monetary system can not exist without money being backed by a comodity(aka: a gold standard), and are against a centrally planned economy and for a truly open and free market (laissez faire)....those of the Keynesian school believe (mistakenly) that money backed by nothing (fiat money) is just fine....they also tend to favor planned and controlled markets with a lot of regulations.......the keynesians have been in charge since the Federal reserve was created and have wreaked havoc and destruction on our financial system ever since.....

Until we turn back to the conservative values that this nation was founded on, there is no hope for a bright future....the dollar is sinking and no matter how much happy, feel-good news you hear from the "media" it's not getting any better...the economy is still tanking...jobs are still being lost....and the lies are growing from chancellor hussein and his minions.....

Government has no business being involved in anything at all that is not granted to it in the Constitution....until we the people stop allowing the intent of that document to be perverted by politicans, this nation has no hope....

I never watch Beck....I can think for myself....you better go back to google and find a few more articles.....

Preach on Brother!!!

I didn't really intend for this to become a thread about the economy... just about whether or not the government should be wasting time getting involved in the NFL.

The owners obviously don't care about former players, but just because they don't care does not mean that it is the governments job to force them to. It is the duties of the NFL players union to fight for former players.

I really just don't want the government coming in forcing the NFL to create more rules on how you can't make a tackle... We have watered it down ENOUGH as it is. We've already taken away any contact to the helmet (helmet to helmet, shoulder to helmet, arm to helmet,) if the government starts making rules we could wind up watching the equivalent of two hand touch.

My point is, getting hit is part of the game. Everybody who plays knows that when they go out there. Everybody knows there's a chance of breaking your leg, arm, or even your neck. Concussions are known to happen. It's the nature of the game.

Good point...any more discussion on Austrian vs. Keynesian economics should be taken to the political forum....let's get this thing back on the topic of a tyrannical government trying to gain control over every aspect of our lives...even our sports.....

When someone signs a contract to play professional football, he accepts the short and long term risks to his physical well being. Many of the players who are complaining about being "neglected" by the NFL
played well past their prime, or didn't take care of themselves when they did. If someone is making millions of dollars per year to play a game where the season lasts 6 months from training camp to championship, do they have a right to complain if they don't have a penny to their name when they get ready to retire? Maybe they should fire their lawyers and hire an accountant!

yep, the thing that worries me is that once they take control of the NFL and its rules, whats next? It will just trickle down to NCAA, and then UIL. I honestly can see them pulling some #### like saying that 7th graders shouldn't be allowed to play tackle football because if they suffer a concussion it could cause further brain damage or something...

I agree they are overpaid, and I go and see high school sports for the same reason.

I used crisis to describe the recession not baseball. The only crisis there is how bad the Yankees looked tonight.

I credit George Bush for implementing foreign aid that has allowed something like 34 million African children to go to school. I was, and still am for the war in Afghanistan. You are evidently an isolationist. You should read about what happened to the League of Nations, and how it led to WWII. The UN was set up to nip something like before it could started. Sixty years later there has been several conflicts, but none as massive as WWII. If you don't want a swine flu shot, then don't get one. I agree with higher taxes to lower the deficit, and I am pro choice. You are entitled to your opinions, that is the beauty of America.

exactly... One thing that gets me is that there are several players out there that took the money they were making, and invested it wisely because they knew they couldn't play football forever, and now they are making 10x what they made while they were in the NFL. (ex. Roger Staubach)

but then you got the guys who basically just blew all the money they were making on all kinds of ####. Didn't invest in anything, and then when they stopped playing had to go and get a real job making 10x less because they didn't finish their college education and now don't have the money to go back.

Most companies offer some disability for employees who are hurt on the job. If this was a discussion about oil field workers getting hurt on the job I suspect the tone would be very different.

10x my salary is nowhere near Romo money

And Romo money is nowhere near what Staubach makes now.



If an oilfield worker gets hurt while he is employed by the company then the company most definitely owes it to him to pay for his injuries. But thats not whats happening here.

The conditions that are affecting former players now are usually guys needing knee and hip replacements or back surgery or something along those lines. The ones who suffer from these conditions are often the ones who played long past when they should have, because they knew didn't have the ability to afford their lifestyles because they hadn't invested or saved anything. Does the NFL owe them something? Maybe a little, but for the most part the blame falls on them, there are too many players who were smart with the money they made in the NFL to truly feel sorry for the guys that didn't.

Honestly, I don't know what the answer should be. There are a lot of people who have been diagnosed with asbestos related illnesses years after they quit working in construction. The NFL needs to step up and take greater care to ensure, that people with football related injuries will be taken care of. I keep thinking about Michael Irvin. Was he past his prime? Probably. However, he was still a productive member of the team when he was hurt.

If you go to the movies in Longview there is a sign as you are turning in that says something like Staubach Properties. Even he was worried that his commercial real estate firm was going to bust during this past recession.

The bottom line... Government needs to worry about more important things. Not football and baseball. I do think they helped baseball but the government shouldnt have ever put their noses in it.

got my vote.

I'll bet you my Mama's prized collection of Dale Earnhardt TV trays that Roger Staubach doesn't go to Congress with his tail between his legs asking for a handout. George W. Bush proved in 2001 that the way to get out of a recession is to cut taxes and encourage business growth and investment. This Congress and President do not want to end this recession, because as the White House Chief of Staff stated before this administration even took office " It's a shame to let a good crisis go to waste." They look at every situation as "How can we use this to sieze more power and control people's lives." No I am not an isolationist. I support the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and I would fully support military action against Iran, North Korea, or Venezuela if the situations were to escalate. However, I am afraid that this President doesn't have the courage to do what would need to be done to handle a situation like that. He doesn't even believe the word "victory" should be used when describing a war! We definitely don't need these people sticking their nose in sports!

Unfortunately, GW Bush never saw a spending program he didn't like!

You are right, and that is one of my biggest problems with W. But I'd trade to get him back in place of the guy we got now anytime!

He was a Keynesian.....

And we prohibit smoking for minors because they lack the experience and foresight to appreciate its long-term risks.

The government seems to be quite heavily invested in promoting and enforcing safety in a variety of workplaces. Why should the NFL be any different?

Who extended the bailouts to the banks? W. Who extended the loans to the car companies, with stipulations to let the state take over if they weren't paid back? W. Who said about 3 weeks ago that the recession was over? Bernanke. I am sorry, but it was not Obama who let the government seize control of the banks, and auto industry. We do not know what the long term effects of stimulus will be, but there are estimates that it saved around 2 million jobs, most of which in the public sector, police, teachers, etc.

I can't foresee any scenario where military action will be needed in North Korea, and especially Venezuela. The latter because they know we pay their bills by buying their oil. The former because unlike Iran they have no one protecting them.

If the NFL can police themselves and reduce the risk of longterm damage to their players, or ensure they will be taken care of after their careers are ended then ok. But, if they are unable to, then Congress has every power to step in and take away their anti trust exemptions. Like it or not.

They don't have the constitutional authority to do it in those workplaces, either...that is the main idea of this entire thread....an oppressive and tyrannical government making a grab for even more power in its attempt to gain complete control over every aspect of our lives.....the time for us to allow this to continue has long passed.....we need to clean house November 2010......

Congress has no power that wasn't given to it by we the people in the Constitution....that was the intent of the founders...We have been slack in our oversight and have allowed tyrants and dictators to worm their way into power....that will change soon.......and THEY will be the ones who don't "like" the outcome....

Starting with Gohmert.

The conservative right is equally oppressive.
We also don't have the constitutional right to fire fighters, education, police, public interstate system. I am guessing that you and your family have enjoyed those public services, why not let the government ensure that workers have the right to a safe workplace?

The list goes on, sanitation, water, etc.

I have previously stated that it was a mistake for Bush to approve the bailouts of the banks and car companies. A true free market would have allowed them to fail like any poorly run business would. But the higher taxes you support will only deepen the recession. You need to stop drinking the Obama Kool-Aid and wake up. We don't need to buy oil from Venezuela, Saudi Arabia, or any other foreign country. If you liberals would just get out of our way and stop OVERREGULATING US, the American oil and gas industry could end the recession and put people back to work creating prosperity that you couldn't dream of. Sadly, prosperity and profits are dirty words in Washington these days. As far as the NFL, it is a private business, and if you don't like the way it is run, do what I did: STOP WATCHING IT!

State and local governemnt is not controlled by the Constitution...they are WHY the Constitution was written in the first place: TO LIMIT THE POWER AND SCOPE OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT......We have lost that...we were not worthy enough to have and to hold liberty....we would rather have safety and security......we deserve the dictatorship that we have now and if we don't take this nation back in November 2010, we will deserve all of the consequences that will follow....

I notice that you have never graced the political arena...of if you have, you don't come in there very often...we welcome liberals such as yourself in there....come by for a visit.....

NOTE: This thread is now IN the political arena. As such, it is now governed by the "Wide Open" policy of that forum....fire away....and we can now get back to Austrian vs. Keynesian economics if anyone is interested.....

I have had the honor of meeting Congressman Gohmert, and he is one of a shrinking minority of people in Washington who is still interested in the best interests of his constituents. Perhaps if you will listen to Colmesneilfan1, he may be able to educate you. You are obviously to far brainwashed by the leftist Kool-Aid you've been drinking for me to save you! Have a nice day.

Actually, I am fairly moderate in my economic views. I have met many politicians both conservative and liberal. Gohmert is a doofus. He is against a public option that would allow American citizens to shop and compare insurance policies, yet tells the Kilgore Herald "Yes. But most people wouldn't want the plan I have this year. I don't like it. But we have a nice cafeteria plan, with lots of plans to choose from and I'll change next year." lol, I'm the one drinking Kool-Aid.

Source: http://www.kilgorenewsherald.com/news/2009...ie_Gohmert.html

This is true, but public universities, and the interstate system are both Federal programs. Are we entitled to nice roads, and a good education, but not healthcare?

We are not "entitled" to any of them under the original intent of the Constitution.....

So is Eisenhower a communist too now for starting the Interstate system? Should Kennedy have not guaranteed equal rights to minorities just because it wasn't the original intent of the constitution? Should blacks still count as 3/5 of a person? Should we privatize NASA, and do away with public universities all together?

^ Do away with public schools who hire liberals would be a good start

I went to a conservative school, and it had the opposite effect.

When you bring politics into a thread, you have to expect both sports and politics to intermingle.

I love the NFL, it's faster, it's fiercer, and it can be won by brute strength or finesse. I think the NFL has done enough to tame down the sport, and I don't want to see it become a flag football league. I can remember when recievers and quarterbacks didn't wear invisible red jerseys. I wish more could be done for the older players who put their blood and guts on the turf.

The Government should stay out. I wish more could be done for the older players, because they were tougher than today.

To be fair, I suppose they'll have a committee next about marching band injuries.

The 3/5 thing and the equal rights were taken care of properly, in the form of a Constitutional amendment......the interstate highway system was a huge power grab by the feds over the states....We should privatize NASA and do away with all universities that cannot support themselves without getting money from the government......

If you want a true picture of Eisenhower, read "Target Patton".........

I am beginning to think you are a anarchist.