NFL and Concussion: How the League Handled its Biggest Threat to Date (and What it Didn't Do)

1. Russell Varner – Public Opinion in New Media

2. NFL Success
 Recently named the most popular sport
in America for the 30th consecutive year
 Brought in $9 billion in profits in 2013
 Average NFL team worth: $1.9 billion

3. Concussions
 Lawsuit from former players
 Jim McMahon Interview
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkes
4Hb0HbI)
 Junior Seau suicide
 Bernie Kosar
 Javhid Best

4. NFL’s Response
 Heads Up Football
 Lawsuit settlement
 New rules
 Madden
 Few, if any, attempts to interact via
social media

5. The Problem
 24/7 Sports News Cycle
 NFL one of the biggest talking points
 Media made concussion a talking point
daily (Agenda setting)
 Opinion leaders sided with players (two-
step flow, framing, cultivation)
 Those who opposed seen as against
helping older players (spiral of silence)

6. The Problem
 NFL didn’t help itself
• James Harrison hit
• Backlash from players
and fans alike

7. What the League Could’ve
Done
 Engaged with their fans
 Two-step flow of their own
 Used the same propaganda techniques
used with Heads Up Football program