Any FBGs with both Military and Football background? (1 Viewer)

[Max Power]

I played football for 10 years organizationally. I've been in or asw the Military for 15 years.  I'm kind of wondering how others feel?  This is a good place (if not the best) to get a cross mixture of opinions. 

PTSD may be a thing.  CTE may be a thing.  There are counterclaims to both.  I feel like I took way more shots to the brain during my 10x years of football than I did in my 15x years of military.  PTSD is real, and is almost awarded as requested in military circles, but there is no definitive proof to CTE at the moment.

I'm mid-late 30s and feel like my brain will betray me before my body and I am scared.

Poll added to gauge responses although it went with a separate line of thought :/

 

[Doctor Detroit]

Yes, no, yes, yes

 

[Max Power]

Yes, no, yes, yes

Can you break it down. I realize I didn't post the most comprehensive text there.  I'll clean this up in the A.M.

 

[SameSongNDance]

I would of course let my kid join the military, I would never let my kid play football. It is the dumbest ####### sport on the planet.

 

[Max Power]

I would of course let my kid join the military, I would never let my kid play football. It is the dumbest ####### sport on the planet.

I'm on the same boat in fact, but can you expand on your comments?

 

[RokNRole]

why would any rational person sign up for either?

 

[Max Power]

why would any rational person sign up for either?

Are you american?

 

[RokNRole]

Are you american?

Yes 

 

[FUBAR]

Soon to be retired Army, I would encourage coast guard.  

 

[AAABatteries]

I would of course let my kid join the military, I would never let my kid play football.

 

[Franknbeans]

CTE is a thing

 

[KCitons]

My kids wanted to play football, I steered them towards flag football as kind of a compromise. Fast forward 10 years and I proudly support my son joining the Marines. Even with my concern of losing him to an attack or PTSD. The difference now, is that he is  making the choice. As a child, parents are supposed to protect their children. Even if it's from themselves. Football is not a necessity. Serving in our Military is. If not my son, then someone else's.

 

[SameSongNDance]

I'm on the same boat in fact, but can you expand on your comments?

I view serving your country as honorable and football to be objectively stupid (although I obviously enjoy it). We simply didn't evolve to smash our heads into one another.

The guys we see in the pros are statistical anomalies who were somehow able to withstand constant blows to the head (although clearly we do still come across our Jahvid Bests). The process in which we arrived to these freaks left many a damaged child in it's wake. I watched that 30 for 30 documentary on kids suffering catastrophic brain damage and in some cases death due to head injuries while playing and it is unavoidable as long as they're allowed to tackle. There are just plenty of other sports out there to choose from.

As an aside I had a pretty serious surgery when I was 6 years old which made it impossible for me to partake in contact sports. I was a pretty big kid and was destined to play football before the surgery but I was instead forced to play soccer. I've been playing soccer for two decades now and I'm really happy this choice was "forced" upon me for a myriad of reasons. The worst injury I've ever suffered playing soccer was a hip pointer. Even just playing pick-up games of football with friends, I broke both of pinkies. #### football.  

 

[tommyboy]

I'll let my kid do both but that wasn't a voting option

 

[ClownCausedChaos2]

Soon to be retired Army, I would encourage coast guard.  

My dad was in the Navy and served in Vietnam.  The joke that I always heard was the only requirement to be in the Coast Guard was that you must be six feet tall. That way you wouldn't drown.

 

[OrtonToOlsen]

PTSD may be a thing.  CTE may be a thing.  There are counterclaims to both.  

There are also counterclaims to the earth being round.

 

[tommyboy]

My dad was in the Navy and served in Vietnam.  The joke that I always heard was the only requirement to be in the Coast Guard was that you must be six feet tall. That way you wouldn't drown.

Well that and you have to be able to save the dip#### Navy guys when they run aground

 

[tommyboy]

There are also counterclaims to the earth being round.

go on...

 

[ClownCausedChaos2]

Well that and you have to be able to save the dip#### Navy guys when they run aground

 

[ClownCausedChaos2]

If sleeping with drunk people is a crime we should all be in jail

Which do you prefer?  The drunk military men or the drunk athletes?

 

[RokNRole]

Which do you prefer?  The drunk military men or the drunk athletes?

Damn this board is messed up

 

[Uncle CornCob]

Yes

Yes