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WASHINTON, DC - OCTOBER 2: U.S. President Barack Obama addresses the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute Awards Gala at the Washington Convention Center October 2, 2014 in Washington, DC. More than 2 million illegal immigrants have been deported during the Obama administration, a rate higher than under any previous president and intensifiying anger among some Hispanics. So to discourage children in Central America from making the dangerous trek across Mexico by themselves, Obama approved a plan this week to allow several thousand of these children to apply for refugee status so as to join relatives already living in the United States. (Photo by Michael Reynolds-Pool/Getty Images)Pool/Getty Images

President Obama Discusses the NFL, CFB Playoff and More on ESPN's 'The Herd'

Mike ChiariDec 12, 2014

President Barack Obama was a guest on ESPN's The Herd with Colin Cowherd Friday, and he addressed a number of pressing issues in the world of sports.

Chief among them was his take on the NFL's handling of domestic violence situations. Former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice was suspended indefinitely before winning an appeal, and the president was critical of the league seemingly being out of touch with the issue, according to Zeke Miller of Time:

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He hammered that point home by suggesting the NFL was behind the times in that regard, per Angela Greiling Keane of Bloomberg News:

Obama's focus eventually shifted toward college football and the excitement surrounding the inaugural College Football Playoff to determine a true national champion.

Controversy persists with Baylor and TCU being left out of the Top Four, so while the president supports the CFP, he believes it will eventually expand, according to Justin Sink of TheHill.com:

The president is also a huge basketball fan, and one of the biggest news stories surrounding the NBA currently is the decision by many players to wear "I Can't Breathe" shirts in support of Eric Garner, who died in July while being apprehended by police.

Per Meredith Shiner of Yahoo News, however, Obama glossed over that topic:

What he did discuss, though, was the play of his hometown Chicago Bulls. According to Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com, the president favors the Bulls to represent the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals, health permitting:

Few presidents have been as open as Obama about their sports fandom, so it was certainly refreshing to hear him provide some informed opinions regarding the sporting landscape.

Sports are a huge part of American society as a whole, and the president definitely has a firm grasp of that.

Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter.