In a recent interview with The New Republic, President Obama was asked a tough question that lurks in the minds of football fans everywhere: Does he “take less pleasure in watching football, knowing the impact that the game takes on its players”?
It’s an uncomfortable question – not one with a cut-and-dry answer and not one we like to contemplate. Now that we know how harmful those hard hits are to the men making them and the men taking them, are we still just as happy to watch the concussions-in-progress as we were when ignorance was bliss?
The President, a self-proclaimed football fan, acknowledged the danger and need to change. He said football fans, himself included, are going to have to come to terms with the idea that the game might have to become less exciting in order to make it safer for the players, and then perhaps fans “won't have to examine our consciences quite as much.” He admitted that if he had a son, he’d have to think long and hard before letting him play the game.
He also stated that he worries about college players more than NFL players. He said NFL players are unionized and old enough to make the decision to takes the risks, and most are “well-compensated for the violence they do to their bodies.” One the other hand, he said college players are younger and have nothing to fall back on when faced with brain injury.
*Scientists have no conclusive evidence as to whether or how the reduction of g forces during impacts reduces the number or degree of concussions and head injuries. GelDefenderTM products provide supplemental padding as well as cooling and comfort benefits when used with helmets and caps. Participants in activities in which head impacts can occur should always use tested and approved helmets for protection. However, no helmet or supplemental padding can protect the user from all serious head or neck injuries that can result from impacts.
