Cute commercials are not the best way to inform parents about brain injuries in sports, as the National Football League surely knows. Nonetheless, the league is deploying one of its best PR weapons — Tom Brady — to try to take the edge off parents’ rightful concerns about kids’ head injuries while playing football. Parents would do well to head for the kitchen whenever this particular commercial comes on.
The spot shows a mother telling Brady that her “little boy” loves playing football but wants to know what the NFL is doing to make the game safer. Brady introduces one man who says the league is developing new rules. Another man in a lab coat boasts the league is working with the NFL players union on medical research. The mother says, “Wow,” and is convinced to say, “Well, I feel a lot better about him playing.” Brady says, “Love to meet the little guy.” But the “little guy” turns out to be Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis, offering a menacing glare. Brady says, “Cute kid.”
Comments
Concussions are bruises on the brain. When young children play football they are almost literally bashing each others brains to smithereens. It can fundamentally change who your child is as a person for the rest of his life. Leading and encouraging young children to play full-contact football is, in my opinion, a form of child abuse. It is especially bad when the father is one of these guys who had his glory days back in high school but not much success at anything else since that time.
Life is full of risks but the point to living is to live. If one enjoys football whether a child or an adult then take the precautions available and enjoy. There is a bit too much fear of living by some in this country, fear of "what might happen". I often agree with "Giermund" but not this time. To instill within a child the need for "risk free" adventure is to me a form of child abuse. Take the risk, fill your cup and live to the fullest.
These editorial comments are among the dumbest ever printed by the Globe!