NFL unveils $100M concussion initiative; PR raises eyebrows
League commissioner Roger Goodell says the ‘Play Smart. Play Safe’ effort focuses on prevention and treatment of head injuries. Still, some question the PR around the launch.
Roger Goodell may spend most of his time around football. However, some journalists are criticizing their peers for tossing Goodell softball questions about the NFL’s handling of traumatic brain injuries.
On Wednesday, Matt Lauer interviewed Goodell, the National Football League’s commissioner, on the “Today” show about the league’s initiative aimed at the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of gridiron head injuries.
In an open letter in Wednesday’s Wall Street Journal, Goodell announced the league’s “Play Smart Play Safe” initiative in which $100 million is being put toward medical research and developing new technology to make the game safer for its players.
“I think it’ll change the game immediately,” Goodell said. “We have invested significantly in the past to further research, but we’ve also not waited on research. We’ve made rule changes. We’ve made changes in our equipment. We’ve done things to improve the way the game is played.
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