Frontline PBS Documentary 'League of Denial' Examines NFL Concussion Problem

The moment I knew PBS Frontline's League of Denial -- a documentary on the NFL's concussion crisis airing Tuesday night -- was a big deal? When my mother sent along an article about the accompanying LOD book noting that it "raises a lot of tough questions for the NFL and the sport of football in general." That's precisely what PBS' documentary does and it's worth your time or, at the very least, DVR space.

The beginning of the film focuses specifically on Mike Webster, former Steelers offensive lineman, and the struggles he dealt with after football.

Webster's brain is credited as one of the first to show that the damage football could cause; when Webster died at age 50, Dr. Bennett Omalu decided to preserve his brain.

"If I had not been told his age I would have thought he was 70," Dr. Omalu said of the 50-year-old Webster.

Things quickly shift toward Frontline's straight-up accusation that the NFL knew the danger of concussions all along and did its best to cover up any concerns over the issue. There aren't many punches pulled in the documentary, with Frontline claiming the Paul Tagliabue regime appointed doctors who consistently denied the link between mental health issues and the NFL, despite strong evidence to the contrary.

Dr. Omalu, known as the "brain seeker" in some circles, found what is now known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy

Frontline claims the NFL did its best to impair Dr. Omalu's reputation after he attempted to bring the issue of (CTE) to the forefront. Dr. Omalu, speaking in the film, claims he met in secret with an NFL doctor and was basically told to stop pursuing the issue of brain damage in football players.

"Bennett, do you know the implications of what you're doing?" the NFL doctor reportedly asked Dr. Omalu. "If 10 percent of mothers in this country would begin to perceive football as a dangerous sport, that is the end of football."

--snip-- (Preview video at link above.)


Heard parts of a couple of interviews with the authors, this book is most likely not going to go away quietly into the night, bears watching for fans...

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"If I had not been told his age I would have thought he was 70," Dr. Omalu said of the 50-year-old Webster.

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So so so sad !!

It's a serious serious problem !!

I have a lot of mixed feelings and emotions about the whole topic, ranging from sad sympathy for these guys that have basically become vegetables, to a real angry concern that gubmint is eventually going to overstep its bounds (once again, what a shock!!!) and basically put the league out of business.

The way I see it is like this, pour as much sunlight on the medical facts of the matter as possible, let the players at all levels (and parents for the kids) be completely educated and aware about the potential risks of participating in this sport (either for $$$ at the pro level (and select collegiate athletes that have a potential pay day coming), or for the love of the game below that), and let the free market stay the course.

It is my opinion that there will still be enough players that will be willing to assume the risk for their rewards, always. The real problem may come at the youth levels, many parents may shy away from allowing their kids to play the game. That's going to cut down on the talent that will ultimately get into all of the up stream feeder systems, and is certainly going to be a revenue crunch for the league and its properties, and related businesses as well. But so be it, the truth needs to come out and the young men that strap on their helmets all across the country every week need to understand fully, just how much protection that helmet is providing them, and how much it isn't.

Just my two cents.