X2 Biosystems investors Christopher Tavlarides and Jimmy Lynn “scored” this week, as their Seattle-based software company was selected by the NFL to play a "critical role in the league’s battle against head injuries,” according to Thomas Heath of the WASHINGTON POST. X2’s software “involves a six-minute test and a series of questions in which players score themselves on confusion, reflexes, dizziness, balance and concentration, including reciting numbers backwards to determine how badly they have been injured.” Tavlarides said, “There is no downside and the upside is exponential. We’re looking for it to be an international business, supported not just by professional leagues, but by development leagues, youth leagues ... the U.S. military to track concussions for soldiers in the field. The highest occurrence of concussions in all of sports is female, youth-league soccer.” Sports industry experts said that the “emergence of athlete safety, especially around head injuries, will make for a very competitive business environment.” Sports Business Group President David Carter said that the NFL deal is “a coup for X2 because it gives the company a leg up in the race to try to lock up contracts with leagues and sports governing bodies” (WASHINGTON POST, 2/28).
