Concussion Inc.: The End of Football as We Know It

Investigative sports journalist Muchnick (Wrestling Babylon), who has written extensively about the tragic effects of traumatic brain injury among wrestlers, turns his attention to the same issue in football. In this compilation of blog entries written between 2009 and 2013, Muchnick unflinchingly documents National Football League veteran Dave Duerson's time on the league's disability claims review board, which he spent frequently denying benefits to other retired players and "downplaying known evidence of the connection between football traumatic brain injuries and long-term mental-health problems." When Duerson committed suicide in 2011, he left a note indicating that he himself suffered from brain damage. Another target of close scrutiny is Dr. Joseph Maroon, longtime neurosurgeon of the Pittsburgh Steelers, who was on the NFL's concussion policy committee while simultaneously promoting concussion management software and nutritional supplements that purportedly protect against concussions. Muchnick argues that the NFL's violent culture has a dangerous effect on teenage athletes and that tackle football must be banned in public high schools. It's not easy reading. The author's tone is sometimes polemical or pompous, but his arguments will resonate, not only with football aficionados but also with fans of hockey, boxing, and other contact sports. (Feb.)