The league still is downplaying the impact of head injuries.
America’s number one day party is the Super Bowl. This year’s event will be held west of Phoenix, Arizona in Glendale, a city that has lost money on the Super Bowl in the past. No one wants to spoil a party and more than likely no one wants to ask this question of National Football League Commissioner Roger Goodell, the 31 owners, the Green Bay Packers Board of Directors or the league’s medical staff. Does the NFL and football in general have a concussion issue that remains dangerously unresolved? Apparently not if you ask Miami Dolphins General Manager Chris Grier who reiterated a thought that has floated around the NFL for years, Dolphins starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is not at risk to suffer more concussions in the future despite being knocked out of games with head injuries in the 2022 season. Grier, in fact, made it perfectly clear that it should not be a problem going ahead.
“From what our doctors and the consultants we’ve talked to through the NFLPA, that is not a true statement. So for us, I don’t think he’s any more prone than anyone else. For us, we’re just letting the doctors, the medical staff and the people in that field that know more. From everything we’ve been told that is not a concern.” The NFL makes billions of dollars by selling its product as a party and betting time and watching an NFL game is a communal experience. Why publicize the negative? NFL TV partners including CBS, NBC, FOX, ESPN and Amazon have no reason to be critical of the concussion issue as it could impact them financially. Meanwhile some South Florida medical review board should be calling in the Dolphins medical staff and find out what side of the ball are they on. Dolphins’ ownership or the players?
Evan Weiner’s books are available at iTunes – https://books.apple.com/us/author/evan-weiner/id595575191
Evan can be reached at evan_weiner@hotmail.com
Teammates gather around Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) after an injury during the first half of an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Emilee Chinn)
