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Trainers assist Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassel (7) during the second half of an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo., Sunday, Oct. 7, 2012. The Ravens defeated the Chiefs 9-6. (AP Photo/Colin E. Braley)

From injury prevention to cruel cheers: Mack Strong calls football a 'war zone'

BY Alyssa Kleven  on October 8, 2012 @ 5:23 pm (Updated: 9:04 am - 10/9/12 )

There is something that professional football players understand that fans, young athletes, their parents and even doctors may not understand: The field is a war zone.

It's a war zone that comes with real danger, according to former Seahawk Mack Strong. The risks involve not only the outcome of the game, but the well being of the athletes who play it.

That's why head injuries have become such a commonplace topic in recent years. In the NFL, more players have been fined for aggressive contact. In schools and in peewee leagues, parents have been warned about the risks to their young players.

In a report out Monday, one doctor made the recommendation that children younger than 14 shouldn't be tackling.

He said kids could learn the fundamentals of tackle football, but should use dummies and not each other.

Strong has kids that age. The age where they could start playing tackle football.

"I have my own personal preferences to look at how they go about playing football," Strong told KIRO Radio's John Curley. "Right now they play flag football, and I'm fine with that. I didn't start playing tackle football until I was a freshman in high school."

Strong said that while his mother wasn't a doctor, she sensed the danger that came along with playing football. He was kind of a skinny kid and his mom wanted him to be a little more grown up before taking to the field. He started playing tackle football as a freshman in high school.

A neck injury ended his 15 year career.

Those kind of career and life ending injuries should be something that are discussed, Strong said.

"Anytime you're talking about concussions, I think it's OK to really talk about that vehemently, accurately, (and have) both sides of the argument on that case."

Strong said that conversation has lead to over a million dollars in research as well as stricter guidelines on gear that protects players from injury.

While more players are protected from life-altering injuries and more players are being fined for plays that put others at risk, sometimes it's not apparent that fans understand the risks of the NFL "war zone."

On Sunday, fans cheered following the blow that knocked out Kansas City quarterback Matt Cassel.

Strong felt for Cassel's family and the team. "What's really important in life is not football," said Strong.

When people are cheering for injuries, John Curley had to ask, are we losing perspective on the game?

According to Strong, "When you have people doing stuff like that? Absolutely."

Alyssa Kleven, MyNorthwest.com Editor
Alyssa Kleven is an editor and content producer at MyNorthwest.com. She enjoys doting over her adorable dachshund Winnie - named for Arcade Fire front-man Win Butler.
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Comments (11)


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  • ssbn629g wrote...
    War Zone?
    October 8, 2012 7:34 pm
    What does Mack Strong know about true war zones? While football is hard hitting and injuries are numerous, it hardly equates to a war zone: No guns ,mortars or rpg's You know who the bad guys are by the uniform. Players get times out to rest.... There are rules of engagement with officials to enforce those rules. War Zone? Puleese
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  • Hectic wrote...
    Webster's definition
    October 9, 2012 4:46 am
    The term "war zone" does not refer to an actual "war", with guns and motors. It simply defines a place, where combatants wage.

    Websters defines the term as: "a zone in which belligerents are waging war; broadly: an area marked by extreme violence".

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  • Brandon_P wrote...
    Thanks for the utter display of your ignorance...
    October 8, 2012 11:33 pm
    By comparing football to a 'war zone' you make it utterly clear that you have never experienced a 'war zone'. Men, women and children kill and are killed in the war zones you equate to football. Your inexperience with war zones is due to the sacrifices of veterans who experienced the full horrors of war zones so that you could live your life free of that horror. Your use of the term 'war zone' as a rhetorical device is an example of your own shameless ignorance.
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  • maplefish wrote...
    @Brandon P
    October 9, 2012 7:43 am
    Touché! you are absolutely right! Football is a GAME. A really great sport that teaches valuable life lessons. It teaches young men how to handle loss with dignity and how to win with grace. It teaches how teamwork really works. Tall is a tough, contact sport, but is in NO WAY close to a war zone! This is just more PC nanny state BS & is adding to the wussification of America.
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  • Country_Dog wrote...
    This report just made Husky and Cougar football ...
    October 9, 2012 4:26 am
    so much worse in the future. All the good athletes are not opting for athletics and are signing up for soccer instead.
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  • Rick W7PSK wrote...
    The Wussification of men continues
    October 9, 2012 6:05 am
    every day
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  • ssbn629g wrote...
    Hectic...
    October 9, 2012 9:26 am
    Wonderful topic to display your above average ability to split hairs. What branch of the military did you choose to serve?
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  • messiah101 wrote...
    Lets start by
    October 9, 2012 11:32 am
    removing the face guards from the helmets,better a broken nose then a broken neck,also it would cut the use of the helmet as a weapon.That kid in the photos face guard sticks out way too much and would be a easy handle to use.
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  • maplefish wrote...
    M101
    October 16, 2012 9:23 am
    Ever play Football? DO you have any idea how fast the game moves? Not on TV but on the field??? I would never want to take my face mask off my helmet. And there are penalties and $$$Fines for using the helmet as a weapon...
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  • messiah101 wrote...
    FISH
    October 16, 2012 9:53 am
    Yes and when I was a kid we played with no face guard.In case you haven't noticed todays player is covered with more protective gear then ever before but injury's are higher then ever.A 15 yd penalty or a fine does NOTHING to help the injured player and it certainly has not cut the use of helmets as weapons.If a person feels they are protected with Armour they take risks and chances they would not take normally
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  • ssbn629g wrote...
    Too Hoo Hectic...
    October 10, 2012 10:58 am
    Where did you go?.... Come on back to support your position. Cat got your thumb?
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