This morning, ESPN published a story saying that the NFL “has backed out of one of the most ambitious studies yet on the relationship between football and brain disease.” Almost immediately, the NFL denied it.

 

NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy took to Twitter shortly after ESPN published its story and said that the NFL has given money to the National Institutes of Health for brain research, and that the NIH determines which studies that money should finance.

 

“ESPN story is not accurate. NFL did not pull any funding. NIH makes its own decisions,” McCarthy wrote.

 

It’s interesting to see that the NFL can, when it wants to, react quickly to an ESPN report it views as inaccurate. That isn’t always the case: Eleven months ago, when ESPN published an inaccurate story about the air pressure levels in the Patriots’ footballs, the NFL made no effort to correct the story, leaving the public with a false impression about the extent to which the footballs were under-inflated.

 

NFL, ESPN butt heads over brain research report | ProFootballTalk

The NFL is so corrupt.

 

If I didn't love the NFL so much I would be reaching for my pitchfork a couple of times a month, and that's just what we hear about...

 

Oh, I will keep watching.

The NFL is so corrupt.

 

If I didn't love the NFL so much I would be reaching for my pitchfork a couple of times a month, and that's just what we hear about...

 

Oh, I will keep watching.

 

No doubt but I bet if you dig deep enough people can find how each major sports is corrupt.

No doubt but I bet if you dig deep enough people can find how each major sports is corrupt.

 

No question about it but my gut says football is worse than the others.

NFL is not overly concerned about the health of the players as long as the consumer stays.

 

Which they will.

No question about it but my gut says football is worse than the others.

 

I HATE so much about the NFL. I am almost ashamed to say that I will be watching this weekend. Actually, besides the ownership of the NFL being basically evil IMO on many issues, I don't actually think the product is that great. Without FF, I would hardly watch.

I agree the product is bad right now. QBs except for a few are really bad.

I haven't watched a full game all year. I basically look at my fantasy teams.

NFL is not overly concerned about the health of the players as long as the consumer stays.

 

Which they will.

In my opinion this is like saying tobacco companies arent overly concerned about their customers. Every player on the field today knows what the risks are.

In my opinion this is like saying tobacco companies arent overly concerned about their customers. Every player on the field today knows what the risks are.

 

I see your point but if NFL wants to continue to put out a good product they need to be concerned about their employees.

I see your point but if NFL wants to continue to put out a good product they need to be concerned about their employees.

I agree to a point. They've made rule changes, continue pushing for safer equipment, ect.. I don't think giving millions and millions of dollars to brain research is their responsibility. If they want to great but if not I'm not holding it against them. I'd personally rather see them give that money to any number of other causes.

Also, how much has the union donated to brain research?

Also, how much has the union donated to brain research?

 

Great question

NFL is not overly concerned about the health of the players as long as the consumer stays.

 

Which they will.

 

I would disagree some. They have made basically all the rule changes it could make to make the game safer. If you think about it he NFL can't win either way.

 

What is the one thing people complained about when they made all these safety changes. People were saying might as well make this flag football at this rate. So it seems to me fans don't care about the players health either.