I love high school football...

...and can't imagine my fall weekends without it. (I mean, how much opera can a guy listen to?) That's why I was a little taken aback by something my godson, Brad, wrote to me in an e-mail last week. He's a smart kid who passed up Yale to pursue his dream of playing in the NFL. (Funny; I had the same dream.) After playing big-time college football at the University of Kansas (he even got me in to see a game at Nebraska!), Brad tried out for the Arizona Cardinals last summer. He hurt his foot in the first week or so of practice but plans on giving it another shot this year. If that doesn't work out I could see him becoming a coach at some level. 

So what did Brad say that surprised me so? 

First a little background. Slate caught my eye last week with an article on the dangers of playing football. (It has a similar piece this morning by Buzz Bissinger.) The first article referred to a piece in Grantland that said: 

...economists Tyler Cowen and Kevin Grier imagine a fairly plausible chain of events leading to the demise of the NFL. Liability suits at the collegiate and post-collegiate level prompt insurance companies to stop covering schools when it comes to football. Coaches and parents shy away from the sport, sapping the NFL feeder system. As links between CTE and concussions grow clearer, a stigma attaches to the league and advertisers withdraw support. Ultimately, football goes the way of rugby, boxing, and horseracing. 

I e-mailed this quote to Brad, and not only did he agree with it, but he also said (my emphasis): 

On a final note, I wouldn't let my kids play football. 

Now what the heck does that say about the future of football in America?