Lions LB DeAndre Levy in recent weeks has voiced his "concerns over the NFL and the lack of transparency with which the league has handled brain-related injuries in players," and he expounded on his feelings in a "thought-provoking email," according to Dave Birkett of the DETROIT FREE PRESS. Levy, who missed the majority of last season with a hip injury, wrote, "It's scary to think I may have CTE." Levy: "I became numb to the fact that CTE could be present in me. Like maybe my head buzzing a day after a game isn't normal. Maybe the emotional highs and lows of a football game/season and beyond aren’t normal. Maybe when I forget something, there's more to it than just forgetfulness. Disconnected thoughts, at times, might be a part of it. I know of and have heard many players talk about these same issues and if they relate to CTE." He added, "We, as players, have to acknowledge it and talk about it in a real way and demand answers. ... The only voices we have on the subject are the league, which, unfortunately, has shown it can't be trusted" (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 3/31)
HEAD GAMES: Chiefs S Husain Abdullah earlier this week retired after a seven-year career, and he reiterated this morning that he made the decision for his “long-term health.” Abdullah said, “You see a lot of players struggling moving forward. A lot of guys from earlier ages -- ‘70s, ‘80s, the ‘90s -- and you’re starting to see these different things we were unaware of. Now it's kind of like you get to a point to where you evaluate and you just say, ‘Is this worth it?’ There's a lot of research being done right now and there's a lot of work being done, but right now they don't have all the answers.” Abdullah said the way the Chiefs handled his most recent concussion last season was "awesome compared to what happened before, when I had previous concussions in 2011." He said, "The different rehab they have now is a lot better.” Abdullah said of the NFL, "All the information that they’ve had that they've been collecting for years and have kept hidden from us, this is stuff that we need to know. We need to understand and we need to see what's going on with former players, not just big-named guys. We need to know about every single guy because we have a fraternity” (“SportsCenter,” ESPN, 3/31).
FIGHTING WORDS: With the NFL threatening to sue the N.Y. Times over a report on concussions, in Vancouver, Cam Cole writes, "We really, really need ... to have this lawsuit go ahead." Cole: "Not because we want the Times to lose (unlikely) and have to pay a boatload of money in damages, but because the NFL, in its letter to the Times, has gone to the mattresses." He added that public interest "would definitely be on the side of seeing the NFL’s emails and correspondence, research documents and communications between league and member clubs that led to what surely looks like an intentional suppression of concussion data" (VANCOUVER SUN, 3/31). SNY’s Sal Licata said the NFL is “being reckless" towards the issue of head trauma, as they have "turned a blind eye forever.” Licata: “To say that the NFL was totally responsible and understanding of the concussion and the players’ health forever, that would be false. They didn't care.” The N.Y. Daily News’ Andy Martino: “They’ve lost all credibility on this many, many years ago.” The N.Y. Daily News’ John Harper: “It really goes to the heart of the future of the sport. That's why these owners are going to try to deny, deny, deny, even though there's so much more information out there now" ("Daily News Live," SNY, 3/30).
