The new documentary "League of Denial: The NFL's Concussion Crisis" is set to air on Tuesday night on TBS's Frontline and the film takes a hard look at the league and how it has tackled and not tackled the issue of concussions and head trauma regarding player health and it will be broadcast at 9 pm on local public stations.
The documentary and accompanying book of the same name by Mark Fainaru-Wada and Steve Fainaru accuses the NFL of some very shady practices over the past couple decades, including trying to actively cover up information about concussions and also discrediting scientists and studies working on the subject. The documentary is describes as a film examining the way the NFL has responded to concussions coming from the game of football as well as how the league also tried to discredit evidence that showed a clear link between head trauma and brain injuries to the game and collisions on the field.
The film received more attention after ESPN pulled out of a co-branding partnership with Frontline, saying that they did not have enough editorial control of the content. Both PBS and the reporters working the story were surprised by the move, as ESPN had been supportive for quite some time and then reports from the NY Times came out that the network was pressured into pulling out of the documentary. The Fainaru's said that the move did not affect any content or their job status, but the move was troubling to many within ESPN.
Check here for information on the documentary or for the schedule of air times in your area.
The move came as no surprise to some that have followed the story, as detailed in the book, the NFL consistently tried to cover up and "deny" evidence of links to brain damage and football. The move is even more pertinent now after the concussion lawsuit with the league was settled for over $700 million, with many saying that still was not enough to cover injuries sustained by many players over the years. The deaths of players like Mike Webster and the suicide of Junior Seau are mentioned in the film, as are allegations that the NFL did not take concussions and head injuries seriously for many years, as the main doctor on their concussion panel did not have any previous head trauma experience.
While the NFL has been touting their programs and new safety rules, the league has not done a great job even in recent years regarding concussions, as evidenced by the fact that they made ESPN pull out of the film partnership. Many players came out after excerpts came out to speak about the revelations in the book, with Ed Reed saying that the NFL's actions were "shady".
