President Obama on sports radio Friday said the National Football League was “behind the curve” in rooting out domestic violence because it had operated like an “old boys network.”
The president gave an interview to ESPN Radio to promote Obamacare sign-ups. Monday is the last day consumers can enroll in health marketplaces to receive coverage on Jan. 1.
However, much of the conversation centered on the high-profile Ray Rice domestic abuse case and how professional sports league police their own athletes.
Obama said that while he was “glad we got more awareness about domestic violence” in the wake of the Rice incident, he would prefer that sports leagues “establish clear policies and guidelines ahead of time” on handling such crimes.
“Men have to change their attitudes and behavior and we have to start young,” the president added.
Obama also weighed in on professional athletes increasingly wading into the world of politics, such as National Basketball Association players wearing “I Can’t Breathe” shirts to pay tribute to Eric Garner, killed by a police chokehold in New York City.
The president said it was important for sports figures to remember they’re “citizens as well as entertainers.
“They spoke out on issues that mattered at pretty critical times,” Obama said of famous athletes like Bill Russell and Muhammad Ali.
