Nowinski: 'Goodell's Lying So Frequently That I Almost Don't Think It Matters Anymore'
BOSTON (CBS) -- It's a frustrating time to be one of the most outspoken and experienced advocates for concussion awareness and prevention.
That much is evident in the latest comments from Chris Nowinski, the co-founder and president of the Concussion Legacy Foundation, who watched Thursday as the NFL fought back against a damning New York Times article which focused on the NFL's misrepresentation of concussion numbers from 1996-2001.
Nowinski vented his frustrations to the Palm Beach Post.
"In the big picture, it should be irrelevant what Roger Goodell or Jerry Jones thinks about the link [between playing football and developing CTE]," Nowinksi said. "So in the big picture this is nothing more than a 'Big Tobacco, sowing a seed of doubt' game plan that only serves to confuse the public."
As for the commissioner's statement this week that said the NFL continues to fund research on the topic, Nowinski remains skeptical.
"He's standing there, saying that, 'We're going to let scientists do the right research' only three months after it was exposed that they weren't letting the best scientists do the best research when they refused to fund a Boston University-led study, with their supposedly no-strings-attached donation to NIH that was a lie," Nowinski said. "Goodell's lying so frequently that I almost don't think it matters anymore."
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Nowinski himself once believed that the NFL would take positive steps toward working with the best researchers. In 2010, the NFL appeared to be willing to do that with Nowinski.
"It's just been six years of taking steps backwards," Nowinski said. "I would argue the NFL is getting more sophisticated in how they're trying to fight the truth."