DOCUMENTARY OF THE WEEK- Fontline’s A League in Denial: Another great from the Frontline series of documentaries, this time exploring the ongoing crisis within the National Football League over what is known as the “concussion crisis.” It all started with Pittsburgh Steelers super star and Super Bowl winner Mike Webster, a player known for his aggressive style that helped endear him to fans as one of the toughest center position players in history. Soon after retirement, Webster’s mind slowly disintegrated and he died at the age of 50, but not before suing the NFL for injury compensation. Forensic neuropathologist Bennet Omalu examined Webster’s brain and cited the cause of death to be chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a neurodegenerative disease caused by repeated trauma to the head.

The NFL aggressively pursued a campaign to discredit Omalu and its own team of physicians issued waves of denial that football was the cause of Webster’s death and the issue was pushed to the back of people’s minds. However, as more and more players began to show signs of CTE and a number of popular former players continued to die prematurely, the myth that football was a harmless sport began to unravel, jeopardizing the credibility of the most popular league in the US, and even that of the sport itself. To this day, the NFL continues to deny any wrongdoing, but has tempered its stance to acknowledge that more research must be undertaken.

Why would the NFL risk the safety of its most prized assets? At risk was a multi-USD bn industry revolving around sponsorships, primetime broadcasting rights, and merchandising, as the league was considered one of the most profitable athletics organizations in the world. The culture of the time also plays heavily here, as the NFL grew in popularity as violence became an intricate part of American popular culture, and the need to satisfy the public’s need for the bloodsport became a crucial part of keeping those profits churning. But even more crucial than the above was the fact that the sport itself was at risk, as medical evidence demonstrated that teenagers in high school were susceptible to CTE. Essentially, if word got around to American mothers that the sport was killing their children, then the whole party would be over. You can view the riveting documentary here (runtime: 1:56:10).