What Would You Change About Football?

All this year, NPR's Michel Martin is traveling throughout the country, having conversations about issues that matter as part of the event series Going There. This month, January, she will be tackling the ethical and moral issues surrounding football, and we want you to be a part of the discussion in an upcoming live chat.

In recent weeks, football news has centered on thrilling playoff games. Beyond the field, fans are often inspired by what they see as principles of the game that drive success: discipline, teamwork, courage and grit. But the sport has also been the subject of ugly headlines about cheating scandals, alleged crimes committed by players, and the ongoing concern that the physical toll on athletes — from their earliest days to retirement — is just too high.

Which picture of football should be driving the national conversation? Tell us: If you were NFL commissioner, what one thing about football would you change? Send us your thoughts on Facebook and Twitter now using the hashtag #NPRMichel. Then join our live Twitter chat on Tuesday, Jan. 27, from 8-9 p.m. ET.

Contributors will include:

*Pablo Torre, @PabloTorre, senior writer, @ESPN

*Dave Zirin, @EdgeofSports, host of Edge of Sports Radio on Sirius/XM

*Gene Demby, @GeeDee215, writer, @NPRCodeSwitch

*Lauren Silverman, @LSilverwoman, reporter, @KERANews

*Krystina Martinez, @ThisisKrystina, producer, @KERANews

*Romonda Jordan, @Carolinagirl93, board chairman of Off the Field Player's Wives Association @OTFPWA

*Dr. Shireen Atabaki, physician, children's emergency medicine, @ChildrensHealth

*Daron K. Roberts, @CoachDKR, founding director, Center for Sports Leadership and Innovation

*Jessica Luther, @scATX, freelance journalist, @AustinChronicle @VICESports

*Isaac Carree @IsaacCarree gospel singer, Cowboys fan

*Michelle Duffie, @Michelleduffie, football fan, marketing executive

NPR's Davar Ardalan will moderate the chat, and NPR's Freddie Boswell will be tweeting using @NPRMichel.

Michel will also be hosting a live event on the future of football in Dallas on Jan. 27, in collaboration with member station KERA. Joining her onstage will be Nate Jackson, former Denver Bronco and author of Slow Getting Up: A Story of NFL Survival From the Bottom of the Pile; Nahshon Ellerbe, Texas high school senior and star running back who plans to play for Rice University next fall; and Melani Ismail, wife of former Dallas Cowboys player Rocket Ismail, who was featured on VH1's Football Wives.

We'll be looking for you on Twitter or with us in Dallas.

Copyright 2015 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.