President Obama: ‘If I had a son, I’d have to think long and hard before I let him play football.’

studmlb55 · Jan 27, 2013

Looks like Manti Te'o and the President have something in common. They both like talking about people that don't exist!:scared:

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-s...had-son-d-think-long-hard-150248874--nfl.html

The long-term impact of repeated collisions on the skull, health and psyche of NFL players has become one of the sport's paramount concerns, with lawsuits and allegations flying. Now, the nation's First Football Fan has weighed in ... and he's expressing some trepidation about the game's future. In a wide-ranging interview on violence with The New Republic, President Obama touched on the culture of sanctioned (and potentially damaging) violence in football:
I'm a big football fan, but I have to tell you if I had a son, I'd have to think long and hard before I let him play football. And I think that those of us who love the sport are going to have to wrestle with the fact that it will probably change gradually to try to reduce some of the violence. In some cases, that may make it a little bit less exciting, but it will be a whole lot better for the players, and those of us who are fans maybe won't have to examine our consciences quite as much.
I tend to be more worried about college players than NFL players in the sense that the NFL players have a union, they're grown men, they can make some of these decisions on their own, and most of them are well-compensated for the violence they do to their bodies. You read some of these stories about college players who undergo some of these same problems with concussions and so forth and then have nothing to fall back on. That's something that I'd like to see the NCAA think about.

Murphy8276 · Jan 27, 2013

hmmm

I think this guys love of sports would prevail.. and if he wasnt president he would let the son play sports surely if he chose to do it.

-murph

The Great One returns · Jan 27, 2013

LOL.

And the wussification of the United States continues. Of course in his case, it is understandable.

studmlb55 · Jan 27, 2013

Obama continues to show his "dumbassness"...

And government continues to stick their nose in places it doesn't belong!

RudyRuetigger · Jan 27, 2013

What's wrong with that statement?

studmlb55 · Jan 27, 2013

RudyRuetigger said:
What's wrong with that statement?

mplastered · Jan 27, 2013

Maybe the Prez can teach him to bowl. Oh, that's right, never mind.

NickPappagiorgio · Jan 27, 2013

I have a 7 yr old and my bride and I have been talking about this for months now. It is not an easy decision since we want our kids to try out any sport that they want but we are also responsible for keeping him safe.

studmlb55 · Jan 27, 2013

It is a decision that each family has to make for themselves. Me personally, I could care less what some guy who has never played the sport thinks about it...

Murphy8276 · Jan 27, 2013

NickPappagiorgio said:
I have a 7 yr old and my bride and I have been talking about this for months now. It is not an easy decision since we want our kids to try out any sport that they want but we are also responsible for keeping him safe.

I have never heard anyone actually refer to fiance or wife as bride. (other than in the obvious ceremony of marriage)

@)

-murph

ProPokerPlayer · Jan 27, 2013

If he had a son getting hurt playing football would be the least likely thing that could happen...

Mr_Mark · Jan 27, 2013

:lolBIG:

Dave007inVegas · Jan 27, 2013

ProPokerPlayer said:
If he had a son getting hurt playing football would be the least likely thing that could happen...

Good one.

RudyRuetigger · Jan 27, 2013

studmlb55 said:
It is a decision that each family has to make for themselves. Me personally, I could care less what some guy who has never played the sport thinks about it...

So again, what exactly was wrong with his statement?

studmlb55 · Jan 27, 2013

RudyRuetigger said:
So again, what exactly was wrong with his statement?

Please tell me why he is wasting his precious time talking about football or predicting the NCAA tournament bracket again...

studmlb55 · Jan 27, 2013

Sorry for expecting more from the POTUS during his tenure of "leadership"...

If he wants to dress up as the guy in the Barney suit after he is out of office I could give 2 darns, but when he is in office he needs to shutup and get to work

studmlb55 · Jan 27, 2013

ProPokerPlayer said:
If he had a son getting hurt playing football would be the least likely thing that could happen...

RudyRuetigger · Jan 27, 2013

studmlb55 said:
Please tell me why he is wasting his precious time talking about football or predicting the NCAA tournament bracket again...

Do you think Obama created the idea that athletes visit the White House?

I'm not even a Democrat and this is ridiculous.

mplastered · Jan 27, 2013

studmlb55 said:
Please tell me why he is wasting his precious time talking about football or predicting the NCAA tournament bracket again...

He's got unemployment to it's lowest in the last 5 years, what else did you have in mind?

SoCal · Jan 27, 2013

i wonder what percentage of retired NFL players, who are aware of the implications concussions, will allow their kids to play. is it a right to manhood to allow children to potentially and irrecoverably damage their brains?

my step son will be playing division 3 football next year on a full academic scholarship. He ranks in the top 3% mathematically for the state of CA. I made him aware of as much as I could and he is aware of the risk. At his age though, it is his decision. If he were a child, it might be different. now if I was a child... would I listen? No.. I'd play whenever and wherever I could. But a good parent might consider trying to keep their child away from a sport that is causing brain damage. my two cents