SUN EDITORIAL:

NFL is in denial

League repeatedly downplays research linking concussions to long-term brain injuries

Saturday, Oct. 31, 2009 | 2:04 a.m.

Testifying Wednesday before the House Judiciary Committee, National Football League Commissioner Roger Goodell sidestepped the key question before the lawmakers: Does the league believe there is a link between concussions players suffer during their careers and long-term brain deterioration?

“The answer is, medical experts would know better than I do,” Goodell told Committee Chairman John Conyers, D-Mich.

Goodell knows better — or he should. Years of research have shown a link between concussions and long-term damage. A survey commissioned by the NFL this year indicated that retired players have a significantly higher rate of Alzheimer’s disease and other memory problems than the general public.

The league, however, downplayed the findings. The medical community largely accepts that repeated concussions and hard hits to the head suffered on the football field can lead to serious long-term brain problems. Dr. Robert Cantu, one of the nation’s foremost experts on concussions, says the medical research provides “growing and convincing evidence” of that.

Still, the NFL has repeatedly called for more conclusive studies and says the current rules, which outlaw players using their helmeted heads as weapons, as well as the latest helmets, do a good job of protecting against head injuries. Experts say more can, and should, be done by changing rules, teaching better tackling techniques and developing new equipment.

The NFL’s actions are important because college, high school and youth football leagues often follow its lead on safety issues. Sadly, experts have noted that many concussions, particularly at lower levels of football, go undiagnosed, meaning that many players who never make it to the pros may face serious health consequences as well.

We believe Congress is often overzealous when it comes to dealing with college and professional sports, but in this case, it is correct. We hope lawmakers will pressure the league to act quickly to curb head injuries because the NFL’s current stance is putting players at all levels at serious risk.