Despite a research in recent years showing that the sport of football can have very serious implications to brain health for those who play it, a new survey found that a vast majority of American parents would still allow their sons to be an NFL superstar. While polling shows an uptick in concern about their child playing football in general, with 56% being “concerned,” the study found 98% of parents would be “very pleased” if their son was a rich and famous star.
“The problem with past studies is the questions that were asked,” said Gerald Mankins, president of Advanced Sports Polling. “If they’re being honest, no one wants their son to grow up to be a lineman or a fullback. There are no linemen or fullbacks who are famous and those positions also have the most brain trauma risk. But if you ask parents if they would want their kids to grow up to be like Tom Brady and be rich and famous and married to a supermodel, the vast majority are okay with that.”
One parent who participated in the study said she is very open to any of her sons being rich and famous.
“I think what the anti-football crowd doesn’t realize, and some of these people are parents and friends that I know, is that I have no intention of my sons being just regular players who get drilled in the head over and over,” said the mother of three. “Why would I sign them up for that? Why would I let my son be some high school scrub who gets hit over and over every day in practice? No way. But my boys are exceptional and I think have legitimate shots at the NFL, where they will become stars and get very rich and take care of me in my old age and give a lot to charity and probably actually set themselves up for legitimate runs at the presidency after their careers. So, yeah, I think a possible concussion or two along the way is worth it for all of that and I’m not sorry for feeling that way.”
Of the 2% of parents who said they would not be “very pleased” if their son was a rich and famous football star, all of them said their son will instead be a rich and famous soccer or ice hockey player.
