League of Denial (55 page)
Authors: Mark Fainaru-Wada
Phil Bennett, the outgoing managing editor of
Frontline
and former managing editor at the
Washington Post
, turned our modest project into
something vastly more ambitious: not only a book but also a two-part documentary film and a yearlong reporting partnership, with stories published simultaneously by ESPN and
Frontline
. Phil also read drafts of the manuscript and made improvements in every chapter, a kind of editing magic he generously has performed on Steve’s copy for nearly 20 years. We also are immeasurably grateful to Sabrina Shankman, whose reporting for the film and the book thoroughly enriched both. Thanks also to
Frontline
’s Michael Kirk, Jim Gilmore, Mike Wiser, Lauren Ezell, Colette Neirouz Hanna, Raney Aronson, David Fanning, Pam Johnston, Patrice Taddonio, Tom Jennings, Travis Fox, and Caitlin McNally.
Alan Schwarz blew open the concussion story with three years of relentless reporting in the
New York Times
. Alan embraced our book from the beginning and shared some of his previously unpublished research, along with his own backstory. Julie Tate constructed a database of all the plaintiffs in the growing lawsuit against the NFL, excavated useful documents, and, in the end, held us accountable. Kevin Fixler and Jordan Conn provided dogged research on a variety of topics, including the history of the helmet and the marketing of NFL violence. David Maraniss gave us one huge research tip early on that made our lives considerably easier. The esteemed photographer Brad Mangin somehow managed to make us look presentable, and he also provided two superb shots for the insert. We are thankful to all.
Matt Chaney’s indispensable listserv, which he fills with biting commentary and the latest articles on concussions, repeatedly alerted us to material we hadn’t seen. We’re also grateful to Irv Muchnick (
Concussioninc.net
), Dustin Fink (
TheConcussionBlog.com
), and the lawyer Paul Anderson (
NFLConcussionLitigation.com
), who also enhanced our understanding of the issue. Chuck Finder helped us navigate the concussion research community in Pittsburgh; his
Steelers Encyclopedia
also proved invaluable. Many thanks to Tim Gay for translating the physics of football. Thanks also to Marcy Thorne and her colleagues at “A Better Type.”
We are grateful to Mauro DiPreta, editor in chief at Crown Archetype, for his passion for this project and his unwavering support. Also from Crown/Random House, thanks to Tammy Blake, Ellen Folan, Carisa Hays, Min Lee, Lisa Buch, Elizabeth Rendfleisch, Mark Birkey, Meredith McGinnis, and Christina Foxley; and to Deborah Bull for helping us nail down all
the photos. Maury Gostfrand was exceedingly patient and steadfast in helping us navigate our relationship with
Frontline
. Scott Waxman was bullish on this book from the moment we first discussed it, and we have benefited from his magic touch.
We are blessed with incredibly supportive families who endured more than their share of tedious updates on “the book.”
Mark:
Unending thanks to my wife, Nicole, and my kids, Max and Ella. I will never be able to fully express how lucky I am to be living amongst such a loving, supportive, smart, and funny family. Also, I’m grateful to all my in-laws and nephews and nieces—Sylvie, Oliver, Amelie, Isae, Doug, Duncan, Ariel, Luanne, Kyan, and Jocelyne. Thanks to Glenn Schwarz and Ron Kroichick, who endured book talk for months on end during our regular “mayo” lunches and never wavered in their interest and support. Thanks to my dear friend Michael Heenan, who ushered me through my internal challenges with a remarkable sense of understanding. Thanks to Lance Williams, who taught me so much about reporting and whose friendship I cherish. Thanks to T. J. Quinn, who understands it all. And thanks to my hermano, an extraordinary journalist, for this incredible journey; the ride has been wild yet fulfilling, and I’m so grateful we took it together.
Steve:
Thanks to my wife, Maureen, and my son, Will—my family, my everything—for filling my days with love, happiness, support, and understanding. Thanks also to my wonderful new in-laws: Bob and Doreen Fan, Elliot Fan and Elaine Grace Chu, and Coby and Jenna. Thanks to our amazing lifelong friends Bud Geracie and Donna Kato, residents of the Budonna Wing, who introduced us to a new world of joy and contentment. Thanks to Karl Vick, whose friendship spans oceans. In loving memory, thanks to Anthony Shadid, Green Bay Packers fanatic, who lost his life reporting in Syria last year but continues to inspire journalists around the world, including and especially me. Thanks to my coauthor, my amazing brother, for bringing me along for this ride and all the others.
To our accomplished and wonderful mother, Ellen Gilbert, our hero and inspiration, thanks for supporting us—again—like all the other messes we’ve gotten ourselves into.
This book was built on a foundation of more than 200 interviews conducted in 2012 and the first half of 2013. The interviews took place throughout the United States; one or both authors made six separate reporting trips to Pittsburgh, the epicenter of the NFL’s concussion crisis. Among the principal characters who agreed to participate, most were interviewed on more than one occasion.
We also benefited greatly from thousands of documents, including previously unpublished medical records, NFL memorandums, letters, and personal e-mails that were provided to us by various sources. We also reviewed court records, congressional testimony, medical journals, and a large body of research on the NFL and concussions that preceded our work, in some cases by several years.
A handful of journalists provided critical early reporting that raised awareness of this issue and highlighted the struggles of retired NFL players facing mental disabilities. They include Alan Schwarz, whose reporting for the
New York Times
forced the NFL and the medical community to confront the urgency of the concussion crisis; Jeanne Marie Laskas, whose stories in
GQ
provided the first documentation of the league’s efforts to stifle Bennet Omalu; Greg Garber, whose ESPN stories foreshadowed the crisis by nearly two decades; Michael Farber, whose 1994 piece in
Sports Illustrated
was similarly prescient; and Peter Keating, whose stories for
ESPN The Magazine
and
ESPN.com
revealed how Elliot Pellman’s Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Committee understated the seriousness of concussions.
Those journalists all made our work easier; in addition to his insights and earlier reporting, Schwarz generously provided audio recordings of previously unpublished interviews with Pellman and Ira Casson. We are deeply grateful.
We made numerous requests to interview the NFL officials who figure prominently in this story, including Commissioner Roger Goodell; his predecessor, Paul Tagliabue; and the previous leaders of the Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Committee. The NFL, still embroiled in a lawsuit involving thousands of its former players, denied those requests and declined to cooperate.
1
Behold the mighty woodpecker:
Numerous articles have been written about the Chinese woodpecker study. See “Why Don’t Woodpeckers Get Concussions?”
Toronto Star
, Oct. 27, 2011.
2
Displayed a woodpecker skull:
Julian Bailes interview, 2012. D
3
uring a closed-door meeting:
Multiple sources, including Bailes, provided details about the NFL’s concussion conference.
4
The body of Mike Webster:
Information about Webster’s physical condition at the time of his death is from interviews
with his family and doctors and his medical records.
5
Hall of Fame:
From video of Webster’s induction on July 26, 1997.
6
An arsenal of weapons:
Colin Webster interview, 2012.
7
Addicted to Ritalin:
Jim Vodvarka interview, 2012.
8
“Oh, probably about 25,000 times”:
“Webster Still Feeling Bumps on Road to Hall,”
Capital Times
(Madison, WI), July 11, 1997.
9
Thousands of letters:
Webster’s family, doctors, friends, and attorney provided copies of his personal correspondence.
10
As Webster lay dead:
Bennet Omalu interview, 2012.
11
A media empire:
Walt Disney Company, 2012 Annual Report.
12
The network pays the NFL:
“ESPN Extends Deal with N.F.L. for $15 Billion,”
New York Times
, Sept. 8, 2011.
13
ESPN’s bet:
Barry Blyn interview, 2012.
14
“Ultimate reality show”:
Mike Florio, Pro Football Talk blog, Dec. 26, 2010.
15
“Contact ballet”:
Michael Oriard,
Reading Football
, p. 2.
16
A football-loving physicist:
Timothy Gay,
Football Physics
, pp. 29–30.
17
“Journal of No NFL Concussions”:
Kevin Guskiewicz interview, 2012.
18
“Frequent repetitive blows”:
David C. Viano et al., “Concussion in Professional Football: Comparison with Boxing Head Impacts—Part 10,”
Neurosurgery
, Dec. 2005.
19
Which concluded it was false:
FTC letter, April 24, 2013.
20
Nearly 6,000 retired players:
NFLConcussionLitigation.com
.
21
Riding a bike:
“Researchers Discover 28 New Cases of Brain Damage in Deceased Football Players,”
ESPN.com
, Dec. 3, 2012.
22
Abolishing tackle football:
“Preventing Sports Concussions among Children,”
New York Times
, Oct. 6, 2012.
23
We asked her:
Ann McKee interview, 2012.
24
An estimated $40 billion:
ESPN was estimated to be worth nearly half the value of Disney, its parent company. See “Why ESPN Is Worth $40 Billion as the World’s Most Valuable Media Property,”
Forbes.com
, Nov. 9, 2012.
25
“You mean that guy”:
The account of Webster’s autopsy and Omalu’s methodology was drawn from interviews with Omalu, Webster’s medical records, and a viewing of an autopsy conducted by Omalu in French Camp, CA.
1
Opening day of training camp:
“Jack Lambert: ‘I’ll Play Somewhere,’ ”
Pittsburgh Press
, July 16, 1974.
2
The Nutcracker:
Details about the Nutcracker derived from several sources, including “OU’s Gift to Football,”
The Oklahoman
, Aug. 22, 2010; David Maraniss,
When Pride Still Mattered
, p. 219; “Belichick Pines for Oklahoma,”
Boston Herald
, July 29, 2006.
3
Noll turned it into a public spectacle:
Interviews with Jon Kolb, Stan Savran, and Art Rooney Jr., 2012.
4
“You think I’m mean”:
“A Living Legend Called Mean Smilin’ Jack,”
Sports Illustrated
, July 12, 1976.
5
Lambert’s legend:
Art Rooney Jr.,
Ruanaidh
, p. 337; “Rowser Trade for 2 Choices,”
Pittsburgh Press
, Jan. 30, 1974; “Jack Lambert: ‘I’ll Play Somewhere,’ ”
Pittsburgh Press
, July 16, 1974.
6
Webster, in contrast, was small and slow:
Art Rooney Jr.,
Ruanaidh
, pp. 341–343; Rooney Jr. interview, 2012.
7
It was a clear day:
www.almanac.com/weather
and
www.wunderground.com/history
.
8
There was the whistle and then the explosion:
“Jack Lambert: ‘I’ll Play Somewhere,’ ”
Pittsburgh Press
, July 16, 1974; interviews with Robin Cole, Dan Radokovich, and Kolb, 2012.
9
Rarely has the urge to escape:
Kolb interview, 2012.
10
West Virginia clinical psychologist:
Mike Webster’s medical records.
11
Webster childhood:
Interviews with Bill Webster, Pam Webster, Garrett Webster, Reid Webster, and Billy Makris, 2012; Webster’s medical records; court records; “Blood and Guts,”
ESPN.com
, Jan. 25, 2005.
12
There was a kind of desperation in the way he prepared:
Makris interview, 2012.
13
The University of Wisconsin:
Interviews with Reid Webster, Bill Webster, Pam Webster, Greg Apkarian, 2012.
14
Her upbringing was everything Webster’s was not:
Pam Webster interview, 2012.
15
The greatest single draft:
Art Rooney Jr.,
Ruanaidh
, pp. 343–346; “Steelers Haul in 1974 among Best Ever,”
ESPN.com
, April 21, 2003.
16
Webster was the biggest long shot:
Art Rooney Jr.,
Ruanaidh
, pp. 342–343.
17
“I’m gonna go home and get bigger”:
Ralph Berlin interview, 2012.
18
The Red Bull Inn:
Interviews with Jon Kolb and Colin Webster, 2012; “Reflections in Iron,”
StartingStrength.com
, 2011.
19
Brought his training home with him:
Interviews with Pam Webster, Colin Webster, and Garrett Webster, 2012.
20
Pushing a sled:
Chuck Finder,
The Steelers Encyclopedia
, p. 147.
21
Webster’s training regimen included anabolic steroids:
Webster’s medical records.
22
Rocky Bleier … Steve Courson, later admitted using steroids:
“I Used Steroids, Bleier Says,”
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
, May 15, 1985.
23
Webster stopped at nothing:
Interviews with Colin Webster, Pam Webster, and Garrett Webster, 2012; “Reflections in Iron,” Starting
Strength.com
, 2011.
24
The strongest man in the game:
“Big Night,”
ESPN The Magazine
, July 21, 2003; “The Strongest Man in Football,” CBS video, 1980.
25
Webster appeared in every game:
ProFootballReference.com
.
26
Webster was slightly goofy:
Interviews with Charles Kelly and Tunch Illkin, 2012.
27
Pittsburgh was being depopulated:
http://www.census.gov
.
28
An estimated 30,000 steelworkers were laid off:
Robert W. Bednarzik and Joseph Szalanski, “An Examination of the Work History of Pittsburgh Steelworkers,” Institute for Labor Study, 2012.
29
Webster built the stable family life:
Interviews with Pam Webster, Colin Webster, Garrett Webster, and Brooke Webster, 2012.
30
Sometimes overruled Bradshaw in the huddle:
Interviews with Bleier and Savran, 2012.
31
One of Webster’s greatest assets:
Interviews with Harry Carson, Fred Smerlas, and Gerry Sullivan, 2012.
32
Training camp:
Interviews with several former Steelers players and coaches, including Kolb, Radokovich, Cole, and Gerry Mullins, 2012.
33
It was not recorded:
Webster’s Steelers medical records.
34
Webster rarely acknowledged:
Interviews with family members and former teammates and coaches, 2012.
35
Admitted to the hospital:
Bob Stage interview, 2012.
36
Webster never missed a snap:
ProFootballReference.com
.
37
When the streak finally ended:
“Turk Has Unenviable Task of Replacing Webster,”
Pittsburgh Press
, Sept. 3, 1986.
38
His name was Merril Hoge:
Hoge interview, 2012.
39
The Steelers effectively cut Webster:
“Webster among Free Agents Who Jump Ship,”
The Sporting News
, April 10, 1989.
40
He was devastated:
Interviews with Pam Webster, Colin Webster, Garrett Webster, and Sunny Jani, 2012.
41
Took a job in Kansas City:
Interviews with Tim Grunhard, Bob Moore, and Marty Schottenheimer, 2012.
42
As for Webster, he was done:
Interviews with Pam Webster, Colin Webster, and Garrett Webster, 2012.
43
On a medical form:
Webster’s medical records.
44
A 3,000-square-foot home:
Pam Webster interview, 2012.
