RST: League of Denial producer talks concussion crisis in NFL

What to look for on Radio Smart Talk Tuesday, October 8, 2013:

Baseball may call itself the national past time, but based on the number of viewers and interests, professional football is America’s favorite sport. Every Sunday and Monday in the fall, tens of millions are tuned in to watch NFL football.

Football has been described as a truly American game because of its speed and violence.

But what attracts fans to the game is also what jeopardizes its players.

The men who play the game are not only fast, but they’re bigger than any who ever played before them.

The violent collisions that happen on every play in an NFL game have resulted in serious head injuries to players over the years. We’re just learning now how serious player concussions are and have been.

The Frontline film, League of Denial: The NFL’s Concussion Crisis is an investigation into how much the NFL knew about head injuries and when they knew it. The film shows a league that continued to deny a correlation between concussions and long-term brain disease in former players. Even the lawsuit that was settled with 4500 former players or their families for $765 million this summer does not include an admission of liability.

League of Denial’s co-producer and writer Jim Gilmore appears on Tuesday’s Radio Smart Talk to discuss the film’s findings.

Former Penn State All-America and Philadelphia Eagle wide receiver Kenny Jackson will also discuss his experiences with head injuries.

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