Primetime said what?

If you’ve been paying any attention sports over the course of the last year or so, you have probably noticed the intense spotlight that has been placed on the issue of concussions in sports, specifically to as it pertains the NFL.

Needless to say, the issue of concussions has played a major part in the narrative of the 2012 NFL season and has at some occasions taken center stage.  The tragic death of NFL legend Junior Seau definitely had a lot to with this. He made national headlines last May when he shot himself in the chest inside his San Diego home.

Upon his death, his brain was then harvested for research and it was discovered that he suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain disease often seen in individuals with extensive histories of concussions and serious head trauma. Needless to say, that event paved the road for where we today in terms of realizing how serious of an issue concussions in sports have become.

However, not everyone feels that way.

A few days ago, as I searched the Internet looking for interesting news on NFL concussions, I came across an article featuring none other than Deion “Primetime” Sanders. According to Yahoo Sports blogger Kevin Kaduk, Sanders stated the following on an NFL Network Super Bowl pre-game show:

"The game is a safe game, the equipment is better. I don't buy all these guys coming back with these concussions. I'm not buying all that. Half these guys are trying to make money off the deal. That's real talk. That's really how it is. I wish they'd be honest and tell the truth because it's keeping kids away from our game."

He is probably referring to expansive class-action lawsuit the league now faces that involves some 4,000 former NFL players. The lawsuit accuses the NFL of downplaying the severity and long-term impact of concussions.

It was very interesting to see some backlash against the growing tide of blame and scrutiny that has caused the NFL to make some not so subtle changes to way it has marketed itself over the past few months.

To see it coming from Sanders, who is a retired Hall of Famer and considered by many to be one of the greatest players in NFL history also adds to the intrigue of this news bite. It also helps that he is one of the most visible NFL alumni, currently working as a commentator for the league’s flagship television channel.

His comments are already making waves across the sports world, so it remains to be seen what repercussions they will have, if any.