Jim Harbaugh Responds to President Obama
By Eric He
Jan 28, 2013; New Orleans, LA, USA; San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh speaks during a press conference at the Marriott New Orleans game to discuss Super Bowl XLVII to be held February 3, 2013. Mandatory Credit: Tyler Kaufman-USA TODAY Sports
President Barack Obama’s comments regarding football and player safety have raised some eyebrows around the league.
In an interview with New Republic, Obama said that if he had a son, he would “have to think long and hard before I let him play football.”
“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,” he continued. “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.”
Many former players and coaches have disagreed with Obama’s statement, and San Francisco 49ers’ head coach Jim Harbaugh is no exception.
“If President Obama feels that way, then (there will) be a little less competition for Jack Harbaugh when he gets older,” Harbaugh told the media, referring to his son. “That’s the first thing that jumps into my mind, if other parents are thinking that way. It’s still early, Jack is only five months old, but he’s a really big kid. He’s got a enormous head.”
The consensus around the league seems to be that even though football is a physical sport, the players signed up for it and they are paid handsomely to play a game.