Teddy Roosevelt Bans Football

[westvirginiarebel]

Roosevelt apparently threatened to do so by executive order in 1905 when American football was indeed a violent and often fatal sport. WI he had?

[orvillethird]

People would still play it- it would just not be as organized. It would likely be less popular, unless it was quickly brought back. Of course, if it was illegal, it could get more violent...

[Jasen777]

Well he'd have to get Congress to pass a law, which I doubt would be easy. And Roosevelt didn't want to ban it anyways, he wanted to save it, as there was a growing public outcry against the sport and some colleges had started dropped it. Colleges dropping the sport is the true threat to football, not Roosevelt. Roosevelt go leaders from the top colleges together and helped talked them into making rule changes that saved the game. They were college that had dropped football for Rugby (which wasn't much, if any, less rough but I guess less people died from it), so if football did die off, that could be what takes its spot.

[Hominid]

I doubt the ban would have lasted, or worked.

[AYC]

Assuming football remains a minority sport, it's interesting to wonder what would fill the void. Cricket is out, since baseball was already established as America's pastime. Perhaps soccer gains more popularity?