This bill is heading to the California Assembly, and it will ban tackle football for kids under 12 if it passes both chambers. You already know the Hair-Gel King's gonna sign it if it makes its way to him.
If this bill passes, it will without a doubt cause even more migration from California to Texas and Florida. It's always been those three states which just dominate the football scene, but if California goes ahead with this ban, it will put a handicap on the state's talent, from which it will never recover.
Needless to say, this bill is terrible for football, terrible for kids, and terrible for good old fashioned fun.
California lawmakers who want to ban tackle football for kids under 12 to reduce brain injuries gained ground Wednesday in the Legislature but still face a very long field and a clock that is ticking …
[T]he Assembly committee that regulates sports voted 5-2 to send the bill to the full chamber.
The full Assembly has only until the end of January to approve it. If they do, it goes to the Senate and then Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Heightened concern over concussions and the growing popularity of flag football are driving the effort to impose the ban, which opponents say would take away the ability for parents to decide their children's activities, put California youth players behind those in other states and cut off some children from a source of exercise and an important after-school activity.
So because of "heightened concern over concussions" and — I can't believe this is a thing — "the growing popularity of flag football," we're going to ban tackle football for kids 12 and under?
I get the concussion stuff, but a full-on ban of tackle football? Like, ban hitting drills at practice, or maybe put a limit on them; ban the kickoff; but don't just take away the sport. I know kids who escaped the streets every single day by showing up to tackle football practice at age 12 and younger, and if this bill passes we'll just have those kids right back on the street, cuz you know they ain't gonna play flag football.
That's another thing: I know plenty of parents who had their kids in flag football up until high school.
IT WAS THEIR CHOICE!
But now the government wants to come in and make the choice for you, California. And I'm sorry, but that's not what the government is for.
California, you're about to embarrass yourself on a national level if this thing passes. You will be the laughingstock of football in general, and nobody will take you seriously on the gridiron ever again.
Also, y'all better make it a serious penalty to get caught organizing Pop Warner football, because I don't know a single football coach or dad who will not find a way to get around this bill.
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