Sony Pictures' "Concussion" does not open until Friday, but hundreds of active and former NFLers "already have watched" the film, according to Tatiana Siegel of the HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. NFLPA Assistant Exec Dir of External Affairs George Atallah "had strong words" for the film's "naysayers, who have criticized everything from the pic being anti-football to the accuracy of Dr. [Bennet] Omalu’s role in bringing this research to light." Atallah said player reaction to the film has "been varied." Atallah: "A number of players believe that the film might attack football itself. Then there are players on the other side of the spectrum who understand that this is a story that they have not only lived through but is necessary to tell if we want to actually make the game safer in the future. But everybody I’ve spoken to who has seen it says it’s absolutely worth seeing. ... There are some active players who say they don’t want to see the film because it hits too close to home. But most of the active players I’ve talked to absolutely want to see this film." He added, "I don’t think this movie is anti-football. I think this movie is quite the opposite and looks at how the NFL has gotten in its own way, which has hurt football. The only obstacle here is the NFL itself because of the way they managed this issue" (HOLLYWOODREPORTER.com, 12/21).
INTO THE MAIN STREAM: Former NFLer Marvin Washington said, "This movie is going to bring the subject into the mainstream, mostly with a lot of women who are casual football fans or not football fans at all. They are going to go see this movie and come away with a new perspective on football." Former NFLer Pierre Woods said, "When (Will Smith, portraying Omalu) said, 'Tell the truth; tell the truth,’ a lot of wives, a lot of kids, a lot of parents period, especially single parents, when their kids go out there and play football, they are going to look at this and they’re going to be like, 'If this is going to happen to my son, I think I’m going to pull him out'" ("Outside the Lines," ESPN2, 12/20). Woods added of watching the film, "I almost cried. My eyes teared, because I identified with it. You've got to see the movie. I'm not going to give the ending away. At the end of the movie, it touched me. It was very emotional to me" (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 12/20). Former NFLer Ray Lucas said, "This is going to show people how bad this really is." He added, "It’s a movie about concussions. It is a movie about former NFL players who went crazy because they played in the NFL. If you look at it as a whole, you could say (the NFL) were in denial mode, but they have really tried to make strides." Attorney Michael Kaplen, who specializes in brain injury law, said the film gives Goodell and the NFL "a pass" by presenting the concussion issue "as historical" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 12/20).
 |
McCaskey said the league needs to do more to
make the game safer for players |
GOOD WILL COME OF THIS: The AP wrote Bears Chair George McCaskey "sees good coming" from the movie, "even if the NFL is portrayed in a controversial light." McCaskey: "The important part I think, is that any attention on player health and safety is a good thing. The NFL's made changes in recent years, rules changes, research is being funded, we need to improve the science, we need to improve the equipment and we need to improve the rules, need to improve the rules enforcement. And we think that the changes that we're making in the NFL will filter down to all levels" (AP, 12/18). McCaskey added, "We need to make the game safer. That’s something that the commissioner emphasizes at just about every league meeting. Whatever we’re doing, we need to do more" (ESPN.com, 12/18). More McCaskey: "I don't know that I'll see it in the theater" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 12/19).
PUSHING AN AGENDA? ESPN analyst and former NFLer Merril Hoge said that Omalu is "an 'ego-centric individual' pushing an agenda, and using fear to do so." Hoge: "What’s unfortunate is that we’re often in a court of public opinion, where you can throw hearsay and hypotheticals out there and make it sound factual. People need to hear the truth to make informed choices. This movie, from my perspective, may extinguish all the good things that are going on in youth sports. Someone as uninformed about this as Dr. Omalu is trying to light people’s hair on fire with fear. The messaging is important in what gets to the parents. The more correct information people have, the better decisions they can make" (L.A. DAILY NEWS, 12/20).
