President Obama unsure if he'd let son play football

[Auggie]

nfl.com / 1-27-13

President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, have two daughters. If they had a son, Obama isn't sure that football would be an option for him.

"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," he said in an interview with the New Republic. "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."

MORE: http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000131191/article/president-obama-unsure-if-hed-let-son-play-football

[hollysmom]

1. I understand it seems that

sometimes there is an over reaction to danger - like lawn darts where there should be parental supervision rather than banning, but with Football as it is played today, the damage seems to be serious and permanent in a supervised game, so I would like to see it changed some and I would like to see more research in brain injuries to best decide how to fix stuff like this.

[ScreamingMeemie]

3. My son plays football.

I tell him, before each game, to "keep your head up."

I also acknowledge that he could be hurt (he has been). But he also got hurt tripping down a set of stairs once because boys are boys. The good it has done for him (anger management, fitness, being part of a team) balances out my fear (which I DO have) that he will be seriously injured.

That said, Mr. President, down here in Texas we have girls who play football. It is my hope that our president does not apply gender bias to sports/playing situations when it comes to his daughters...

[MrSlayer]

4. I don't examine my conscience at all when I watch football.

It's not illegal, immoral or unethical. I don't feel dirty afterward, there is nothing wrong with it. What the hell is this line of crap about?

You either accept the risks of the game and make the bundle of money or you do not. They've made the game barely watchable anymore as it is. Go to flags or further wussify it and you're going to lose your fanbase.

[mythology]

5. And what of the kids in school who get head injuries that can cause permanent injury

or have long term potential risk that won't appear until the kid is 40 or 50 and develops CTE? As a society we protect people all the time from the consequences of actions they could be paid for. Should we do away with the protections for miners because they are adults and should be able to make a cost benefit analysis of the cost of working in the mines versus feeding their family?

Additionally there are things that can be done to reduce the potential for concussions in mandating better helmets that wouldn't impact the play on the field.