Menu
Leagues and Governing Bodies

NHL's Bettman Denies Link Between Concussions, CTE In Response To U.S. Senator

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman "continued to deny a link between concussions" and CTE in hockey in a response to written questions from U.S. Sen Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), according to John Branch of the N.Y. TIMES. Bettman in the letter "defended the NHL’s 'more measured approach' to the growing science of concussions." At least six deceased NHL players have "been diagnosed with CTE," and the league is "fighting a class-action lawsuit against dozens of former players who say that the league did not warn them of the long-term effects of head injuries." Bettman wrote, "The science regarding CTE, including on the asserted ‘link’ to concussions that you reference, remains nascent, particularly with respect to what causes CTE and whether it can be diagnosed by specific clinical symptoms." Blumenthal in late June sent Bettman a letter "asking pointed questions about the league’s position regarding concussions and CTE." He requested answers by last Friday, and Bettman’s 24-page response was filed yesterday in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis "as part of a so-called concussion lawsuit." Bettman wrote his response "in lawyerly language and footnoted it throughout, most likely knowing that it would be used in litigation and made publicly available." It "never addresses the specific questions, laying out the NHL’s case in broad sweeps rather than in a question-and-answer format." Bettman "accused the plaintiffs in the concussion case for a public-relations assault on the topic." He ended the letter by "retelling the story of the former NHL player Todd Ewen, who died of a reportedly self-inflicted gunshot wound last year at age 49" after displaying "symptoms related to CTE." His brain ultimately "did not show signs of CTE," which Bettman "saw as proof that public opinion had gotten unreasonably ahead of science" (N.Y. TIMES, 7/27). In DC, Marissa Payne noted the reaction to Bettman's letter has been "largely negative among hockey fans, some of whom believe Bettman has fallen behind the curve, especially in comparison to the NFL, which only this year acknowledged the link between concussions and CTE" (WASHINGTONPOST.com, 7/26).

DOLLARS AND SENSE: In N.Y., Nathaniel Vinton writes Bettman's denial of the link between concussions and CTE "runs against common sense," but it "isn't Bettman's job to be sensible." His job is to "maximize the market value of professional hockey for the owners of the league’s 30 teams." That means "setting a screen of legal mumbo-jumbo between those owners and anything that diminishes hockey’s profitability, including a push from lawmakers to limit the role of fighting in hockey." Fans "generally knows that repetitive head trauma has caused brain damage in athletes who play violent sports," so Bettman is "skating a rhetorical pirouette through a maze of legal liability, poor guy, under the watchful gaze of a hockey fan base that knows the real score." By downplaying the link between head trauma and brain disease "for financial reasons, he is a danger to his own players" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 7/27).

SBJ Morning Buzzcast: March 18, 2024

Sports Business Awards nominees unveiled; NWSL's historic opening weekend and takeaways from CFP deal

ESPN’s Jay Bilas, BTN’s Meghan McKeown, and a deep dive into AppleTV+’s The Dynasty

On this week’s Sports Media Podcast from the New York Post and Sports Business Journal, ESPN’s Jay Bilas talks all things NCAA. Big Ten Network’s Meghan McKeown shares her insight into the Caitlin Clark craze. The Boston Globe’s Chad Finn chats all things Bean Town. And SBJ’s Xavier Hunter drops in to share his findings on how the NWSL is making a social media push.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

SBJ I Factor: Nana-Yaw Asamoah

SBJ I Factor features an interview with AMB Sports and Entertainment Chief Commercial Office Nana-Yaw Asamoah. Asamoah, who moved over to AMBSE last year after 14 years at the NFL, talks with SBJ’s Ben Fischer about how his role model parents and older sisters pushed him to shrive, how the power of lifelong learning fuels successful people, and why AMBSE was an opportunity he could not pass up. Asamoah is 2021 SBJ Forty Under 40 honoree. SBJ I Factor is a monthly podcast offering interviews with sports executives who have been recipients of one of the magazine’s awards.

Shareable URL copied to clipboard!

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2016/07/27/Leagues-and-Governing-Bodies/NHL-Concussions.aspx

Sorry, something went wrong with the copy but here is the link for you.

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2016/07/27/Leagues-and-Governing-Bodies/NHL-Concussions.aspx

CLOSE