Super Bowl XLVII is hardly the only event in football making news this week. Immediately following President Obama’s comments in The New Republic, suggesting he’d have been unlikely to allow a son to play the sport, the NFL Players’ Association announced a 10-year, $100 million project by Harvard University to treat, study and prevent injuries in the increasingly violent sport.
In the days leading up to the big game, all of this is translating into an increased interest in safety and the gridiron pastime at all levels, with a particular focus on the effects on youth. The Aspen Institute’s Sports & Society director and ESPN reporter Tom Farrey recently joined Dr. Robert Cantu, co-director of Boston University’s Center for the Study of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, and DeMaurice Smith, executive director of the NFL Players Association—as well as over 30 other medical and sports-related professionals—for a roundtable discussion to gain a deeper understanding on what may need to change to protect our most vulnerable players.
Take a look here to learn how what you’re watching this weekend could shape rules, regulations and even legislation in the future for players at every level.
