Mike Ditka Doesn't Think It's a Good Idea for Kids to Play Football

If he had an 8-year-old son right now, Mike Ditka wouldn't let him play football.

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Back in early November, LeBron James revealed that his kids are allowed to play any sports that they want to play…except for football. He didn't elaborate on his reasoning behind it, but it's safe to assume that he believes that football has become too dangerous for grown men, let alone pre-teen boys. And he's not alone in his thinking.

Last night, HBO aired an episode of Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel that featured Gumbel speaking with members of the 1985 Bears. During it, Gumbel found that many players on that team suffered irreversible health issues as a result of football. And while interviewing former Bears head coach Mike Ditka, he discovered that Ditka wouldn't allow his kids to play football if he had any young children.

"If you had an 8-year-old kid now, would you tell him you want him to play football?" Gumbel asked Ditka.

Ditka shook his head no before speaking about the dangers of the game.

"Nope," he said, "and that's sad. I wouldn't. My whole life was football. I think the risk is worse than the reward. I really do."

Fast-forward to the 2:45 mark of the video above to hear Ditka's comments.

[via Chicago Football]

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