Dr. Elizabeth Nabel, selected as the NFL’s first chief medical and health adviser, got her first hard hit courtesy of Keith Olbermann on the Olbermann program on ESPN.
Olbermann on Friday anointed NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and New England Patriots owner Bob Kraft the day’s “World Worst People” for picking Nabel for the job.
In short, Olbermann skewered the president of Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston as too cozy with the Krafts. He also said Nabel is playing out of position when it comes to tackling the biggest health issues the NFL is facing.
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And at a time when in which domestic violence, anger management and especially head trauma are the dominant medical issues in the league, the NFL’s new chief health and medical adviser Dr. Elizabeth Nabel is a CTE specialist? No.
Brain specialist? No.
Head trauma? No.
Cardiologist. Because of that rash of heart murmurs going around the league. A cardiologist at a time of post-concussion crisis.
Only the NFL – specifically Commissioner Roger Goodell and Pats owner Bob Kraft, who made this happen.
Olbermann points out this weird relationship with the NFL and healthcare is not new. He claimed that the head of the NFL’s brain injury committee in the 1990s was a rheumatologist and the personal doctor of the then-commission, Paul Tagliabue.
Many cardiologists do give off a vibe that they can do anything. Also, that Kraft-Brigham relationship is awfully cozy.
However, it’s also not fair to dismiss Nabel, who I’m assuming is going to offer more insight on proper procedures and policy than treating individual players. As a president of a hospital, she’ll be pretty good at that.
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So I’m going to throw a penalty flag on Olbermann’s analysis. But, because of the NFL’s past sins, we’ll call it offsetting penalties. Play on.
Dr. Nabel, get up and rub some dirt on the bruise from that hit. It won’t be the last one.
