The National Football League (NFL) attempted to downplay the risks of playing football and tried to influence concussion research, according to bombshell allegations in a new book, “League of Denial: The NFL, Concussions and the Battle for Truth.”
According to an excerpt published by ESPN, the NFL worked for two decades to undercut growing research linking brain damage to playing football by trying to have medical journals retract published work and by injecting its own controversial research findings.
For example, in the mid-1990s, an NFL investigatory committee published research in the journal Neurosurgery that concluded concussions were minor injuries and that football did not lead to brain damage, according to ESPN investigative reporters.
The book’s revelations follow a contentious few months in the ongoing football concussion saga that has consumed the sport. In August, the NFL reached a $765 million settlement with former players who argued the league didn’t do enough to protect players. Earlier that month, ESPN itself raised eyebrows when it withdrew its brand from a joint documentary project it was producing in collaboration with PBS’ Frontline.
The book excerpt can be read here.
Evan joined TriMed in 2011, writing primarily for Health Imaging. Prior to diving into medical journalism, Evan worked for the Nine Network of Public Media in St. Louis. He also has worked in public relations and education. Evan studied journalism at the University of Missouri, with an emphasis on broadcast media.