Hey Fooy, try marching or walking backwards at 208 beats per minute, with a 28 pound Contrabass on your shoulder for 10 minutes straight, that is after you learn how to play it and memorize the music. Your talking out your azz again.

I was in football and marching band during my time in school. I can only say that the demands that are put on the "band member" are not the same as that of the "football player". Agreed, the band has more to remember and maintain in there heads all at one time. Physically the football players probably have to maintain there "strong physique", but try overall, I agree that the Band members have to endure a more gruling atmosphere...

Article also mentions that it was based off of a survey. I'm basing it off of when a doctor wired up a football player and wired up a tenor drummer from a World Class Drum Corps and compared the medical data.

Wow, some people are very closed minded. I played High School varsity football, and I was in marching band, and have been teaching marching band and drum & bugle corps for years. Knowing from first hand experience, marching a show is MUCH more demanding, both mentally and physically. Memorizing music, and drill, (which is far from WALKING, especially if you're marching at a 6 to 5 stride at 220 BPM's). There is much more discipline, and much more planning and designing in writing drill for a show than could EVER go into a play book. This stuff isn't opinion, its proven scientific fact. Music and marching band icreases IQ, bottom line. I hate when people run their mouths without doing research!

That is ridiculous bbtb47. First of all, exercise science has proven that interval training, short bursts of high energy followed by resting periods, is far more demanding and is much better for cardiovascular endurance. Football is a game entirely of interval training. Second, WALKING around a field for 8-12 minutes does not give you anything resembling exercise unless you are over 65. Thirdly, you clearly have never played football if you think that the mental demands of a band are more difficult. If you ever tried to memorize a football playbook and audible calls you clearly would be lost because it is much more difficult than anything a band member has to memorize. Also, Fouhy played football all the way through college, so he can clearly play the game. Finally, if you think all a sports anchor does is sit in front of a camera, you are sorely mistaken. Go back to your band and realize that there is no comparison between playing football and being part of a band, sorry.

Both Marching Band and Football have their merit and demands. I love watching football best game very and I ahve been involved with marching bands for over 30 years! Both are demanding their is no question about that. The fact that marching band member maintian a higher heart rate for a longer period of time is where the diffenence is. Player get breaks after every play and many times after 3 downs and rest on the side line until the offence of defence are done. With Band, you are on the filed and moving for any where from 8 - 12 minutes straight! Sorry, even football players can not do that, not unless they have been trained, which they are not. They are trained for short and hard action, not long and consistant action. The fact the reporter took the information and twisted it shows poor professionalism on his part and the stations. Physical demands are more then the broken bones and pull muscle the Fouhy wrote about and don;t even get me started on teh mental demands which are also different! Like I said I love both and both have their own demands mentally and physical. Best part is the reporter - Fouhy - is most likely incapiable af taking part in either football or marching band - Standing in front of a camera, now there is an easy job!

What a bunch of baloney by the physiologist. There is no contest, the physical demands of playing football are miles ahead of the demands on a member of a marching band. When do you see marching band members running wind sprints at the end of a grueling 2+ hour practice? How often are band members tearing ligaments and breaking bones? The band is great, but football is far more physically demanding.

I disagree. I was in the marching band back in high school. Marching band is not only walking down a street playing an instrument. We are on the field moving in formation, running back and forth, and playing an instrument all at once. I lived in Fresno Ca and during the summer months, when it got to 109 the band was outside practicing for hours. The football players were taken inside the gym to cool down, while we went from end zone to end zone in the unhealthy air practicing our field show. We were only allowed breaks every once in awhile.