Trump said he would allow Barron to play football, though he would not "steer him that way"GETTY IMAGES
President Trump believes football is a "dangerous sport" and would have a "hard time" if his son, Barron, decided he wanted to play the game. Trump, during an appearance on CBS' "Face the Nation," said, "I just don't like the reports that I see coming out having to do with football. ... It's really tough. I thought the equipment would get better -- and it has. The helmets have gotten far better. But it hasn't solved the problem. I hate to say it because I love to watch football. The NFL is a great product." He said he would allow Barron to play the game if he wanted to, though he would not "steer him that way." Trump: "I've heard NFL players say they wouldn't let their sons play football, so (the opinion is not) totally unique." CBS' James Brown said concerns around head injuries is a "very serious issue" that the NFL, and football in general, "cannot run from." Brown said, "Football is not playing chess or playing Scrabble, it's a very tough game. But what we have seen is a very significant drop, a nearly 24% drop in concussions. Hopefully it will continue going in that direction." More Brown: "Roger Goodell probably gets a real bad rap because they’ve called him the new sheriff in town who’s trying to clean up the game. That's a good thing. The players recognize that as well, because when you see they are no longer playing on the field and walking around showing the wounds sustained in their games, they need to be protect from themselves” (“Face the Nation,” CBS, 2/3).
CHANGING TIDES? In L.A., Mark Whicker wrote, "Football is no longer about the homecoming queen and the campus cachet and the letter sweater. It is now connected with injury and risk." That risk "is real," as CTE has "become an established acronym, a doomsday buzzword." The "wave of concussion lawsuits" has also "led to insurance difficulties." But while the game is "not safe," it is "safer." There were 178 targeting calls in D-I in both '18 and '17, which means 178 players "were ejected." In the NFL there were 17 penalties for "lowering the head to initiate contact, a rule that was largely ridiculed and labeled as unenforceable." The players "adjusted, as they always do." Commentators have started to note plays that "could have been flagged for helmet-to-helmet." That is an "illustration of awareness" (L.A. DAILY NEWS, 2/3). In DC, David Von Drehle wrote, "There are many good reasons to turn against football, starting with 110 damaged brains out of 111 donated for study by deceased former NFL players." But as long as the game continues, "let’s take it for what it is -- a compelling jumble of opposites" (WASHINGTON POST, 2/2).
THINGS TO COME: TopSpin Technologies won the NFL’s fourth annual First & Future competition for making a helmet with a small bar at the top that the wearer spins by turning their neck. TopSpin CTO Theo Versteegh said that it is designed to strengthen neck muscles and help prevent concussions. The Eagles and Jets are already clients. The runner-up was Solius, which makes a body-length chamber allowing the user to replenish Vitamin D. The event also featured four data analysts who crunched punt numbers to offer ways to make the play safer. Analyst Halla Yang suggested an automatic five-yard gain for fair catches, plus helmet sensors. The second winner, Alex Wainger, suggested allowing all of the kicking team’s player to move forward after the hike, and not just after the kick, ideally resulting in more fair catches (Daniel Kaplan, THE DAILY).
