Face in the News: Super Bowl Sunday Edition

As Bob said, "The big game in the Big Easy-- it doesn't get any better than that."

The Super Bowl was the big topic of conversation on "Face the Nation," this Sunday as host Bob Schieffer asked NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell about the increasing violence and injuries in the game. Joining the commissioner were CBS Sports Commentators Jim Nantz, Phil Simms, and Shannon Sharpe.

Last week, President Obama said he'd "have to think long and hard" before letting a son play football, in an interview with New Republic Magazine. Obama went on to predict that the NFL "will probably change gradually to try to reduce some of the violence," but that fans should examine their consciences in the meantime.

On "Face the Nation," Goodell acknowledged the President's concerns and admitted to worrying about his own daughters, who are active in sports, but pointed to a series of reforms by the NFL to curtail concussions. The Commissioner said he would "absolutely" allow his son to play football, a sentiment echoed by CBS Sports' Phil Simms. Simms went so far as to predict, with the recent rule changes, "we're going to see a new generation of players that get through the NFL, and their health is going to be so much better than some of the generations we've seen before."

(For President Obama's comments on football safety, visit New Republic. For more on our discussion of player safety in the NFL, check out New York Magazine and the San Francisco Chronicle.)

Goodell and the CBS Sports team also discussed the topic of the Commissioner's legacy and the future of the NFL this Sunday. Schieffer asked the Commissioner about his reception in New Orleans following a number of heavy fines and suspensions levied against local New Orleans Saints in connection with a bounty scandal that resulted in significant player injuries. Goodell brushed off the idea, thanking the welcoming committee and praising New Orleans fans for "the passion they have." Said the Commissioner, "The people here have been wonderful, they've done a great job with the Super Bowl, they've been welcoming."

CBS Sports Analyst Shannon Sharpe was also quick to defend the NFL Commissioners decisions, praising the recent emphasis on player safety. "Change is always met by resistance," said Sharpe. "You look at integration...you look at civil rights, it was met with resistance. But as we look back, we realize that was the right thing to do. I think, ten, fifteen years from now, all the players will sit back and say, 'I didn't like what the Commissioner did at the time, but it was the right thing to do.'"

(For more on Commissioner Goodell's conversation with "Face the Nation," check out The Hill Blog, Politico, and the Chicago Tribune.)

For the full episode of "Face the Nation," see above. For more coverage of Super Bowl XLVII, please visit cbssports.com, and be sure to join us next week for continued political coverage from Washington.