Obama makes another statement about his imaginary son.

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**Breotan**

It seems he talks more about his imaginary son during interviews than he does his real life daughters.

Justin Sink wrote:Obama: 'I would not let my son play pro football'

President Obama said that he believed NFL players “know what they’re doing” and understood the impact that concussions could have on their long-term health in an interview with The New Yorker published on Sunday, adding that he would not let his son play pro football.

“At this point, there’s a little bit of caveat emptor,” Obama said. “These guys, they know what they’re doing. They know what they’re buying into. It is no longer a secret. It’s sort of the feeling I have about smokers, you know?”

In August, the NFL agreed to a $765 million settlement in a lawsuit brought against the league by former players. The league did not admit any liability or that brain injuries were the result of playing football, but the money will be split among former players and medical researchers. A federal judge has not yet approved the deal.

Existing research has shown that repeated concussions can be associated with memory loss and behavioral changes. They’re also linked to chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a progressive degenerative brain disease.

The president made the comments while speaking aboard Air Force One with David Remnick, the magazine’s editor and a former sportswriter for The Washington Post.

Obama said that while the risks were understood, if he had a son, he would not allow him to play professional football.

“I would not let my son play pro football,” he said. “But, I mean, you wrote a lot about boxing, right? We’re sort of in the same realm.”

**Monster Rain**

If he had a son which player might he look like?

**Kilkrazy**

He joins a stellar lineup of US presidents.

Reagan talked about his imaginary war career.
Bush talked about his imaginary victory.

**Ensis Ferrae**

He's sounding more and more like Henry VIII... going on and on about a male "heir"

I wonder though, if he had better knowledge of other professional sports out there, would he let this imaginary son play Rugby Union (or his actual daughters, for that matter)?

**Goliath**

To be fair if he talks about an imaginary son doing something or other or not being allowed to do something or other it means he is protected from any attacks in rebuttal, because commentators can't go and say "but actually your son did this!" because his son doesn't exist.

If he says something about his daughters* he leaves himself open to attacks if he gets something slightly wrong or doesn't know every detail of their actions, or if they do something in the future, as it's possible for people to go and find tiny instances where his daughters have done something that contradicts what he said.

*(and he does, it's just not picked up on very much because "obama talks about imaginary son" is more of a headline than "father talks about his children")

**hotsauceman1**

The thing I find odd is the fact that he think he can stop his son from playing Football, Pro football, when he was likely an adult

**Ensis Ferrae**

hotsauceman1 wrote:
The thing I find odd is the fact that he think he can stop his son from playing Football, Pro football, when he was likely an adult

The way he'd stop him from playing pro-ball, is by stopping him from playing HS-ball. If you dont play in HS, you don't get to play CFB.

**KalashnikovMarine**

And we thought Clint was crazy for talking to a chair.

**Kilkrazy**

Kilkrazy wrote:
He joins a stellar lineup of US presidents.

Reagan talked about his imaginary war career.
Bush talked about his imaginary victory.

Yeah but Kilkrazy, those guys weren't talking about hypothetical situations, they actually spoke as if their imagination was reality?

Automatically Appended Next Post:

Kilkrazy wrote:
Kilkrazy wrote:
He joins a stellar lineup of US presidents.

Reagan talked about his imaginary war career.
Bush talked about his imaginary victory.

Yeah but Kilkrazy, those guys weren't talking about hypothetical situations, they actually spoke as if their imagination was reality?

If I knew the difference between imagination and hypothesis, I might give a damn.

**Ouze**

Breotan wrote:
It seems he talks more about his imaginary son during interviews than he does his real life daughters.

Does it? Does it really seem that way? That he's made 2 throwaway comments about a hypothetical son, which means he's only mentioned his daughters literally once, ever?

I mean, seriously - some of you guys really patrol the internet seeking for Obama butthurt, don't you? All day long, watching him eat those crackers.

**whembly**

meh... who cares.

FWIW: I've heard/read him talk about this daughters numerous times. He always strike me as a good father to his girls.

**ScootyPuffJunior**

Obama has an opinion? You know what this must prove?

Nothing. This proves nothing.

Also, as the father of two daughters and a diehard football fan, I have the same opinion; if I had a son I wouldn't let him play football either, not with what we know now about the potential consequences of the game.

**hotsauceman1**

Ensis Ferrae wrote:
hotsauceman1 wrote:
The thing I find odd is the fact that he think he can stop his son from playing Football, Pro football, when he was likely an adult

The way he'd stop him from playing pro-ball, is by stopping him from playing HS-ball. If you dont play in HS, you don't get to play CFB.

Ok, I find it hard to believe Obama thinks he can control a teenager when he cant even control congress, who acts like teenagers.

**motyak**

Consequences? I played rugby and I never suffered any conse

Consequences? I played rugby and I nev

Consequences? I played rug

*drools quietly onto my keyboard*

**Ensis Ferrae**

hotsauceman1 wrote:
Ensis Ferrae wrote:
hotsauceman1 wrote:
The thing I find odd is the fact that he think he can stop his son from playing Football, Pro football, when he was likely an adult

The way he'd stop him from playing pro-ball, is by stopping him from playing HS-ball. If you dont play in HS, you don't get to play CFB.

Ok, I find it hard to believe Obama thinks he can control a teenager when he cant even control congress, who acts like teenagers.

When parents have to sign consent forms, yes they can control a Teenager, and prevent them from playing sports. OR, they can not take them to the physical, etc.

For the record, as a parent of a boy and a girl, I'd much rather them grow up playing rugby than american football.

**d-usa**

If the son only had an imaginary gun...

**Breotan**

Ouze wrote:
Breotan wrote:
It seems he talks more about his imaginary son during interviews than he does his real life daughters.
Does it? Does it really seem that way? That he's made 2 throwaway comments about a hypothetical son, which means he's only mentioned his daughters literally once, ever?

How is the Treyvon Martin comment a "throw away"?

d-usa wrote:
If the son only had an imaginary gun...

He'd... make his dad let him play in the NFL?

Want to try again? This thread hasn't been Godwin'd yet.

**Yodhrin**

Ensis Ferrae wrote:
hotsauceman1 wrote:
Ensis Ferrae wrote:
hotsauceman1 wrote:
The thing I find odd is the fact that he think he can stop his son from playing Football, Pro football, when he was likely an adult

The way he'd stop him from playing pro-ball, is by stopping him from playing HS-ball. If you dont play in HS, you don't get to play CFB.

Ok, I find it hard to believe Obama thinks he can control a teenager when he cant even control congress, who acts like teenagers.

When parents have to sign consent forms, yes they can control a Teenager, and prevent them from playing sports. OR, they can not take them to the physical, etc.

For the record, as a parent of a boy and a girl, I'd much rather them grow up playing rugby than american football.

It's really not any better. You're probably at a bit less of a risk from being brain-damaged by having a near-constant concussion for a decade, but the probability of a catastrophic injury, while still not huge, is probably higher. A good mate of mine will be on disability benefits for the rest of his life thanks to a spinal injury he got at 21 when the opposing team collapsed a scrum. Frankly I think parents are mad to let kids get involved in full-contact sports, but the levels of money sloshing about in sports these days makes trying to argue the point futile.

**Ensis Ferrae**

Yodhrin wrote:

It's really not any better. You're probably at a bit less of a risk from being brain-damaged by having a near-constant concussion for a decade, but the probability of a catastrophic injury, while still not huge, is probably higher. A good mate of mine will be on disability benefits for the rest of his life thanks to a spinal injury he got at 21 when the opposing team collapsed a scrum. Frankly I think parents are mad to let kids get involved in full-contact sports, but the levels of money sloshing about in sports these days makes trying to argue the point futile.

I grew up playing american football (being thats where Im from), but recently converted to rugby. Of the two, I'd take rugby over football any day.

**Goliath**

Breotan wrote:
Ouze wrote:
Breotan wrote:
It seems he talks more about his imaginary son during interviews than he does his real life daughters.
Does it? Does it really seem that way? That he's made 2 throwaway comments about a hypothetical son, which means he's only mentioned his daughters literally once, ever?
How is the Treyvon Martin comment a "throw away"?

d-usa wrote:
If the son only had an imaginary gun...
He'd... make his dad let him play in the NFL?

Want to try again? This thread hasn't been Godwin'd yet.

Because in the grand scheme of things, Trayvon Martin's death isn't actually that big of a deal? Sure it led to a media frenzy for a while, and sparked a "thoughtful debate on gun laws" but nothing really happened because of it, so Obama commenting on it and saying "If I had a son, he'd look like Trayvon" isn't actually that massive in comparison to events such as statements in regards to Benghazi or the Boston bombings or a million other more important events than the death of a single teenage boy which ended up resulting in the creation of a few memes, some running jokes, an interesting new media crazy (zimmerman) and not much elsee.

Even if the comments aren't "throwaway" you're latching on to a tiny part of Ouze's comment; Your point about him "[seeming to] talk more about his imaginary son in interviews than he does his real life daughters" is still completely ridiculous.

**hotsauceman1**

Kilkrazy wrote:
He joins a stellar lineup of US presidents.

Reagan talked about his imaginary war career.
Bush talked about his imaginary victory.

Clinton talked about his imaginary intern......wait

**Relapse**

Trayvon Martin? Holy gak! (Scrambles for bingo card)

**sebster**

Must be a slow news week for the anti-Obama crowd.

**Relapse**

hotsauceman1 wrote:
Kilkrazy wrote:
He joins a stellar lineup of US presidents.

Reagan talked about his imaginary war career.
Bush talked about his imaginary victory.

Clinton talked about his imaginary intern......wait

I thought it was his humidor....

**d-usa**

Relapse wrote:
hotsauceman1 wrote:
Kilkrazy wrote:
He joins a stellar lineup of US presidents.

Reagan talked about his imaginary war career.
Bush talked about his imaginary victory.

Clinton talked about his imaginary intern......wait

I thought it was his humidor....

I don't think it kept his cigars as dry...

**Captain Fantastic**

Ouze wrote:

I mean, seriously - some of you guys really patrol the internet seeking for Obama butthurt, don't you? All day long, watching him eat those crackers.

It's fun to hate Obama. I'm pretty sure it's just become one huge piece of imageboard irony.

**Soladrin**

I miss bush, he was more fun.

**BlaxicanX**

I don't think Bush was as fun. Everyone hated him, so there was no real spark in ridiculing him.

Obama though... his very existence whips a lot of conservatives into a frenzy. It's pretty hilarious. The "birthers", the "anti-socialist" people, the "Obama is the anti-christ" people.

Obama is apparently a socialist, muslim agent of Satan who is also not really an American citizen. That is comedy gold that Bush kind of lacked.

**djones520**

BlaxicanX wrote:
I don't think Bush was as fun. Everyone hated him, so there was no real spark in ridiculing him.

Obama though... his very existence whips a lot of conservatives into a frenzy. It's pretty hilarious. The "birthers", the "anti-socialist" people, the "Obama is the anti-christ" people.

Obama is apparently a socialist, muslim agent of Satan who is also not really an American citizen. That is comedy gold that Bush kind of lacked.

You realized you just described Bush right?

Not everyone hated him. His current approval rating for his presidency (47%) is higher then Obama's right now. On the other hand, his very existence whipped the liberals into an absolute frenzy. MIHOP/LIHOP'ers, "Bush is a muderer" people, etc...

Now, if President Obama were as savaged by the media as Bush was, I gaurantee his approval ratings would be even more abysmal when Bush left office. Lord knows he's done worse in a lot of categories.

**MWHistorian**

I think Obama is a socialist douche nozzle, but that said, the dude's allowed his opinion. I don't see the problem with him talking about a hypothetical son. We all do similar things so why isn't he allowed to do it?

Out of all the problems with our government, I don't think this one needs any more time wasted on it. Find something more important, like the erosion of civil liberties, the TSA, income disparity, etc.

(Bush was just as bad if not worse, btw.)