Washington – President Barack Obama is a big football fan with two daughters, but if he had a son, he says he’d “have to think long and hard” before letting him play because of the physical toll the game takes.
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“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,” Obama tells The New Republic.
“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.”
In an interview in the magazine’s Feb. 11 issue, Obama said he worries more about college players than he does about those in the NFL.
“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,” Obama said. “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.”
NFL spokesman Greg Aiello responded Sunday, “We have no higher priority than player health and safety at all levels of the game.”
Every day, this man thinks of new ways to attack American values.
What this man gets away with is unbelievable !!
What’s worse, the media give him a pass – all the time.
“Washington – President Barack Obama is a big football fan with two daughters, but if he had a son, he says he’d “have to think long and hard” before letting him play because of the physical toll the game takes.”..
.. So for some reason, he feels no compunction about his girls NOT playing football that, he thinks, may take a physical toll on boys, but he has no qualms about sending his daughters to the front lines.
Again, It is dogma that girls don’t play football, and not part of the NFL, Yet for some reason the President feels a need to compromise the military and moral by having women serve in the front lines.
It’s not about women carrying guns or being promoted, It’s about lowering the standards to allow a predetermined ratio of women in certain units. Just as there are calls to have 50 women senators or 200+ congresswomen. Or the absolute necessity to have a woman president, regardless of qualifications.
Hypocrisy!
sexism. women can compete with men in the army which protects our nation but playing football only if he had a son….
I assume if you ask a shaila as if one could play college or professional football a rav would voice an opinion similiar to Obama’s. Evidence is mounting that there’s long term damage, but the pros are well compensated for that eventuality.
He is right, but really the fact is that football is a culture and we are not ready to realign our future in a way that is not as appealing or uncomfortable for the fan base. And of course today we know the risks.
Why all the hype about football? Would we be hearing the same repercussions if his son would think about boxing as a career? And doesn’t everyone understand that there are health risks in playing football? Isn’t a scholastic career just as profitable and less hazardous?
It is only a matter of time. American-rules football is doomed. The next nail in the coffin will be this summer’s trial in Philadelphia.
Regarding the various comments about equality in the military (which I support), among men and women, I was wondering if something could be clarified? Why does the government only require males to register for Selective Service, and not females? Somehow, there is a dichotomy here; if there is to be true equality in the armed forces, then both males and females should be required to register for Selective Service. Otherwise, the Selective Service System should be abolished, as it has not required conscription in forty years.
No, Mr. President. The REALLY tough call was your reelection!
He’s absolutely right. Football is incredibly physically damaging. It causes thousands of brain and spine injuries every year. If Chemistry were as dangerous as football, Science classes would be outlawed.
The guy has no guts when he needs to stand up as a leader for our country and he’s equally “squeamish” when it comes to sports! So is it okay for his daughters to play soccer or field hockey or do the secret service do that for them? Please…give me a break, the chess club, debate team and philosophy are all wonderful parts of education, stop trying to “bubble” your child to the point of suffocation! Too much or too little of anything is no good..moderation and SAYCHEL helps!
Didn’t he say if he had a son, he’d look like Trayvon Marton? Inside AND out, Mr. Great Divider??