There’s a rather glaring lack of full disclosure from Alan Schwarz’s report that was dismissed by the National Football League:
“Incredibly, Schwarz never tells us that this was a telephone survey of former players. No players were examined. None was given a formal diagnosis. There was no control group. If not for Aiello’s quote, we’d never know this was a survey, not a scientific study.
“Schwarz also failed to talk to the authors of the study.
“He did quote several experts who said the report is important. And he noted that the findings are consistent with previous research done at the University of North Carolina. That’s helpful, but not a substitute for more carefully reporting what was done in this study.
“He also said that the findings ‘could ring loud at the youth and college levels.’ If that’s true, it will be because the Times put this on the front page, not because the findings are conclusive enough to demand an immediate overhaul of youth football programs.”
Even Schwarz’s follow-up story left some holes:
“With this story, the Times continues to over-state the importance of the findings. Schwarz has still not spoken to the authors of the study to get their interpretation of it.”
