In L.A., Bill Dwyre writes concussions "are the most serious threat to the future of the NFL and its license to print money," but they "have gone from an 'oh-my' story, to 'do-I-have-to-read-about-that-again?'" Real NFL contrition "is nonexistent, and NFL payouts are way short of proper compensation." Its attention to head injuries "is driven more by public relations and long-term survival instincts than heartfelt attempts at doing the right thing." When the most recent story hit about CTE and the 96% finding, it "triggered ho-hum reaction." Dwyre: "That's exactly what the NFL hopes for, that the concussion story becomes old news" (L.A. TIMES, 9/22).
CATCH ME IF YOU CAN: USA TODAY's Jeff Gluck writes the confrontation between NASCAR drivers Jimmie Johnson and Kevin Harvick following Sunday's race "was enough to make highlight packages on Monday morning news shows and help NASCAR steal some headlines during NFL season." Now the sport "has some drama heading into the second playoff race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway this weekend, and memories of the dull, largely uneventful regular season can quickly be left behind." That is "exactly what NASCAR wants -- and what the Chase was created to do" (USA TODAY, 9/22).
WHY STOP A GOOD THING? NBA.com's David Aldridge wrote, "I don't want to remind everyone that we could be less than 15 months away from another date with a work stoppage." The possibility "is always there." But Aldridge asks, "What possible reason could there be for either owners or players to opt out of the Collective Bargaining Agreement?" There are "still owners who believe they should get even more financial concessions from players than they did the last time, the league is still pushing for a hard salary cap, and many players are beyond angry that they've given up billions in salaries, and want to recoup some of those losses" (NBA.com, 9/21).
