Modesto Bee should not use babies to promote football

It was irresponsible of The Bee to splash babies decked out in football shirts across your special section "Building Blocks" (Aug. 24).

Like football or not, you are exacerbating a problem that is more and more apparent — kids are playing football at a younger and younger age. They are inadequately trained, inadequately protected and inadequately developed, and the result is a significant number of injuries.

Some start so young that they look like bobbleheads running across the field, and the parents think that huge helmet will protect a brain that won't finish developing until the child's in his 20s.

Unfortunately, football promotes less sportsmanship and more violence. The number of injuries caused by football is astounding; just count the crutches on a high school campus.

GUS HENDERSON

Modesto