And the mixed reactions keep coming. Since Kurt Warner made his comments about not wanting his sons to play football, we have seen a number of players and former players share their thoughts on the matter. Some feel as though football is an extremely dangerous game and Warner has every right to prefer that his kids not play, while others like LaVar Arrington think his opinion is absurd.
“To me, it’s sissification, and I think that’s the only way to put it,” Arrington said on Outside the Lines Tuesday according to Pro Football Talk. “I will not go through my life scared and I don’t want my children to go through life scared. I started playing football when I was 8 years old and I would never not want to give that opportunity to my children.”
Arrington said he wants his son to play football and that he believes young children are generally not big enough nor strong enough to injure each other — assuming they’re supervised properly. The basis of the three-time Pro Bowler’s argument is that teaching kids that football is dangerous is more harmful to them than allowing them to play a physical sport.
The bottom line is I doubt Warner would prefer that his children play Xbox instead of football, and I don’t think people are getting that. Usain Bolt seems to be in decent physical condition, and he doesn’t smash helmets with his opponents to remain in shape. Given the lasting consequences some athletes have faced as a result of head injuries, Warner would prefer that his children play something associated with less risk.
