NBC Embarrasses Itself, Insults Viewers With Non-Coverage of Michael Vick Concussion

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Al Michaels, Chris Collinsworth, and everyone involved in the production of last night’s NBC telecast of the Philadelphia Eagles-Atlanta Falcons game have to be questioning their professional pride today – if they have any.

Michael Vick got blown up and clearly suffered a concussion. Michaels and Collinsworth babbled about a “neck injury.” Ace sideline reporter Michele “Scoops” Tafoya told scores of millions of viewers that Vick was spitting up blood because he “bit his tongue.” And as Vick departed for the locker room – with no visible support for his “neck injury,” by the way – the network completely whiffed on the prime-time opportunity to educate its audience on the use of the new, supposedly John Madden-inspired, edict to remove concussed players to a quiet space.

What a disgrace. The Concussion Blog’s Dustin Fink has more details at http://theconcussionblog.com/2011/09/19/sunday-night-debacle/.

I’ll be following the good ole boys at the Slate-Deadspin NFL Roundtable to see if this is another example of “an absence of headline-grabbing negativity in the NFL right now.” Also to see if Stefan “Go Fuck Yourself” Fatsis takes umbrage when I point this out by “willfully taking his words out of context.” See https://concussioninc.net/?p=4543, https://concussioninc.net/?p=4588, and https://concussioninc.net/?p=4617.

 

Irv Muchnick

2 Comments

  1. Dave Pear says:

    Please remember that Commissioner Roger Goodell decides who announces NFL games but more important who DOES NOT enjoy the privilege of announcing.

    Certainly these announcers want to curry favor with Goodell and keep their high paying and prestigious jobs by parroting (on national TV) what is acceptable to Roger.

    After all this might help limit the liability of these 32 billionaires. May be these owners are establishing their Corporate Headquarters in different countries around the world (China, Japan, India, Saudi Arabia),etc.? This certainly would limit their exposure in a court of law.

    May be they should ALL ride around in John Madden’s bus and discuss another plot to cover up this scandal.

    Will Commissioner Goodell impose a fine regarding sell out hypocrite announcers for being culpable on concussion cover ups?

    What about the so called integrity of the game?

    No way! The Commissioner will abdicate his authority and duty for the sake of GREED.

    Besides, Roger Goodell in no way wants to give up his $11,000,000 a year job plus benefits (Super Bowl Tickets)and every thing else he receives at no cost.

    Regards,
    Dave Pear
    Pro Bowl 1978
    Super Bowl XV
    Social Security Disability 2004 (at the age of 51)
    davepear.com
    footballvets.org

  2. Irv,
    It’s no surprise that those in positions to make the biggest impact on changing the culture of football are mere parrots for the NFL owners. Rodger Goodell knows he’ll be killing the very Golden Goose who lays his $11,000,000/year golden egg. If Rodger does anything to suggest the NFL’s standard operating procedure of denying head injuries and the resultant long term cognitive declines in their injured employees is flawed, their goes his free Super Bowl tickets. Don’t tell me you wouldn’t do the same in order to attend the post game party.

    Who can blame him? He gets to hang out in the locker room and sniff the jocks of very famous athletes while knocking down an 8 figure salary. I should say “currently very famous athletes”. Once the NFL is done with them, they’ll be thrown on the trash heap like the rest of us injured NFL employees. Maybe not as obscure as a nobody such as myself, who has survived 9 NFL caused emergency VP shunt brain surgeries, but forgotten soon enough.

    Despite the fact I was forced to sue the 49ers for Workers Compensation just to get my 2nd and 3rd brain surgeries paid for, surgeries which occurred 4 months after we won Super Bowl XVI, and I am now on brain surgery # 9, I still don’t qualify for NFL benefits. But Rodger and his family are covered.

    I too am looking forward to Stefan “Go Fuck Yourself” Fatsis’s reply. When he took umbrage at your statements he took shots at anyone who played the game, and whose families continue to pay for it.

    George Visger
    SF 49ers 80 & 81
    Survivor of 9 NFL Caused Emergency VP Shunt Brain Surgeries
    Benefactor of ZERO NFL Benefits

Concussion Inc. - Author Irvin Muchnick