Wine Walk With Merril Hoge

“We went to New York to meet with [the NFL] and say ‘look, this is what we are doing. We’d like you to participate. We’d like you to make available these various people.’ And the NFL’s message was ‘sorry, we’re not going to help you.'” – Mark Fainaru-Wada

“The NFL acknowledges that repetitive trauma to the head in football… can cause a permanent, disabling injury to the brain.” – Bob Fitzsimmons

“I wish I never met Mike Webster. CTE has driven me into the politics of science, the politics of the NFL. You can’t go against the NFL. They will squash you.” – Dr. Bennet Omalu

Does football cause CTE?

“There’s no scientific evidence of that.” – Merril Hoge

A lot has been said about CTE by the media, scientists, and Hollywood but on today’s Wine Walk, Merril Hoge breaks down the CTE findings he detailed in his book, Brainwashed, and it gets a little contentious.

Was CTE responsible for the death players like Mike Webster, Terry Long, Junior Seau, and Aaron Hernandez? How much does playing football contribute to the development of CTE? Are football collisions at least partly responsible for CTE? Is the NFL taking the necessary steps to uncover the truth? We find out on the streets of NYC with an impromptu guest, who, according to Merril, likely has CTE.