>>>
>>> KIDS
>>> KIDS AND TACKLE FOOTBALL. HOW YOUNG SHOULD THOSE TWO GO
TOGETHER?
TOGETHER?
TOGETHER? SHOULD THEY EVER BEFORE THE
KIDS ARE TEENAGERS OR SHOULD WE
JUST LEAVE IT BE AND ACCEPT
THAT IT IS ALL JUST PART OF THE
GAME?
GAME?
GAME? ALL
GAME? ALL QUESTIONS THAT BUBBLED TO
THE SURFACE THIS MORNING WHEN
AN NFL RUNNING BACK POSTED A
VIDEO OF A YOUNG CHILD MAKING A
BIG HIT.
BIG HIT.
BIG HIT. THIS IS THE VIDEO POSTED BY
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS RUNNING
BACK LEONARD.
BACK LEONARD. IT'S A FAMILY MEMBER, THE
LITTLE GUY HE IS FOCUSED ON.
THE LITTLE GUY LAYS OUT ANOTHER
LITTLE GUY AND IT IS CELEBRATED
BY HIS COACHES.
FERNETTE POSTED IT ON HIS
INSTAGRAM LAST NIGHT.
COMMENTS START TO COME.
ESPN SPORTSCENTER POST IT AS
WELL AND WE SAW IT WHEN ESPN
NATIONAL NFL WRITER POSTED IT
ADDING HIS COMMENT THAT SAID,
QUOTE, NOTHING ABOUT THIS
VIDEO, NOT THIS TYPE OF HIT IN
A PRACTICE, NOT THE COACHING
AND NOT EVEN THE DRILL ITSELF
WILL BE PART OF ANY FORM OF
FOOTBALL THAT SURVIVES TO THE
NEXT GENERATION.
NEXT GENERATION. UNFORTUNATELY, WE NEED THE
ADULTS TO GROW UP.
>> ON A FOOTBALL LEVEL IF THIS
IS A TACKLING DRILL, THIS IS
NOT A TACKLING DRILL.
THEY ARE RUNNING AT EACH OTHER
AND SUPPOSED TO USE PROPER
TECHNIQUE AND NOT JUST EAR HOLE
HIM OR CLUCK THEM OR SOME OF
THESE MACHO WORDS THAT GOES
WITH THE ADULT VERSION OF
FOOTBALL.
FOOTBALL.
FOOTBALL. IT'S DISTRESSING TO SEE THAT
HAPPEN AND SEE IT CELEBRATED IN
THE WAY IT WAS.
>> Reporter: THE CELEBRATION
CAME FROM THE OLDEST ON THAT
PEE-WEE FIELD.
PEE-WEE FIELD. >> LET'S GO, BOY.
>> THAT'S WHAT WORRIES ME ON
THAT LEVEL WHEN THAT TYPE OF
CONTACT IT IS CELEBRATED IS THE
KIDS GET THE IDEA THAT I GUESS
THAT MEANS THAT WAS GOOD SO I'M
GOING TO KEEP DOING THAT AND
KEEP TRYING TO HURT THE OTHER
GUY AND THE GOAL IS NOT TO HURT
EVEN IF IT IS YOUR OPPONENT.
NOT TO HURT HIM, BUT TO BEAT
HIM.
HIM.
HIM. >>
HIM. >> Reporter: NOT EVERYONE
THINKS THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG
WITH THIS VIDEO.
THAT HIT, THE COACH'S REACTION,
BUT FOR SPORTSCENTER, THERE HAD
TO BE MORE BACKLASH THAN
APPLAUSE BECAUSE BY THIS
AFTERNOON, THEY HAD DELETED THE
POST THAT HAD THE VIDEO IN IT.
>> SOMEBODY SAID, YOU KNOW, ANY
PARENT THAT WATCHES THAT, THE
FIRST THING THEY'LL DO IS
GOOGLE YOUTH SOCCER.
MY SUGGESTION WOULD BE GOOGLE
FLAG FOOTBALL.
FLAG FOOTBALL. >> Reporter: FLAG FOOTBALL IS
AN OPTION THAT IS EXPLODING IN
YOUTH SPORTS AND IT DOESN'T
TAKE A GENIUS TO FIGURE OUT
WHY.
WHY.
WHY. KIDS
WHY. KIDS WANT TO PLAY FOOTBALL AND
PARENTS WANT THEM TO PLAY TOO,
BUT THEY ARE CAUTIOUS ABOUT
THOSE HITS.
THOSE HITS. >> YOU CAN TEACH SO MANY OF THE
SKILLS THAT WILL EVENTUALLY BE
NECESSARY IN TACKLE FOOTBALL IN
FLAG FOOTBALL.
FLAG FOOTBALL. WHEN YOU TEACH A KID HOW TO GO
GRAB THE FLAG OFF OF THEM, IT'S
THE SAME THING AS GETTING IN
POSITION TO TACKLE.
YOU HAVE TO BE IN FRONT OF THEM
AND BE IN THE RIGHT POSITION.
THE FINAL STEP IS ACTUALLY THE
CONTACT AND WRAPPING.
>> Reporter: FINAL THING YOU
SHOULD KNOW, KEVIN IS NOT AT
ALL ANTI-NFL OR FOOTBALL.
HE IS ACTUALLY THE OPPOSITE.
HE WRITES NATIONALLY FOR THE
NFL, FOR ESPN.
HE LOVES THE GAME.
HE LOVES IT SO MUCH HE WILL
CRITICIZE IT TO SAVE IT.
>> "SPORTSCENTER" NEVER PUT ON
AN EXPLANATION AS TO WHY THIS
CLOSE TO TAKE DOWN THE VIDEO
AFTER IT HAD BEEN UP FOR A FEW
HOURS.
HOURS.
HOURS. I'M CURIOUS WHAT YOU THINK.
I'VE HAD A LOT OF GOOD
CONVERSATIONS IN OUR NEWSROOM
AND RANDY SHAVER AND OTHER
PEOPLE ON-LINE.
PEOPLE ON-LINE. IS THE HIT TOO MUCH OR IS IT
JUST PART OF FOOTBALL?
WHAT DO YOU THINK.
I'LL CHECK THAT TONIGHT AND GET
BACK TO YOU.
>>> FROM SPORTS TO SCHOOL, KIDS
IN ST. PAUL WILL BE HEADING
BACK TO SCHOOL NEXT WEEK, BUT
THERE WILL BE A BIG CHANGE FOR
THEM.
THEM.
THEM. GORDON WANTED TO GET THE FACTS
AND IMPACTS OF WHAT THEY ARE
DOING PUSHING SCHOOL START
TIMES BACK.
TIMES BACK. BEFORE WE GET TO GORDON'S STORY
AND THAT BREAK, HERE ARE SOME
OF THE THOUGHTS YOU'VE ALREADY
SHARED WITH US ABOUT THAT
FOOTBALL HIT.
FOOTBALL HIT.