ESPN’s Robert Smith criticizes “Concussion” for its portrayal of Dave Duerson

Robert Smith, who was a running back with the Minnesota Vikings and is currently an ESPN analyst, isn’t mincing words about the new movie “Concussion.” Smith served on the NFL’s disability board which is run jointly by the league and its players union. Also serving on the board with Smith was the late Dave Duerson who is portrayed in “Concussion” as uncaring and whose lack of sympathy to former Philadelphia Eagle Andre Waters led to his suicide.

The move shows Duerson telling Waters, “Got a headache? See a doctor,” and in the next scene, Waters commits suicide.

Duerson’s family and friends aren’t happy with this portrayal and Smith went to Twitter to blast “Concussion” and its producers on the way it showed Duerson.

#ConcussionMovie smears Dave Duerson and all of us who serve or served on disability board. Filmakers are cowards to lie about a dead man.

— robert smith (@Robert26Smith) December 26, 2015

It's illogical, nonsense to attack former players on that board. We care for every player and case we hear. We follow the law as fiduciaries

— robert smith (@Robert26Smith) December 26, 2015

I worked with Dave on board- angers me his family being put through this after all they've suffered. Causes aren't worth sacrificing truth

— robert smith (@Robert26Smith) December 26, 2015

They aren't getting my money. Watch the PBS documentary League of Denial, you can buy it for 1.99 on @YouTube https://t.co/oVJpSBW15E

— robert smith (@Robert26Smith) December 26, 2015

I'm going to do a Facebook post on the Mike Webster case tomorrow. Media people have been repeating lies about that case for too long.

— robert smith (@Robert26Smith) December 26, 2015

Mike Webster is the Pittsburgh Steelers center who was one of the first diagnosed with CTE and received medical benefits from the NFL through the actions by the disability board. Smith later posted a lengthy Facebook post about Webster’s portrayal in the media.

Duerson himself committed suicide with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest so his brain could be studied for CTE.

Concussion director Peter Landesman admits there may have been some stretching of the truth in the movie and told the New York Times that the film is not a documentary. Pro Football Talk goes even further by stating that Duerson’s portrayal in the movie came as the dead cannot be defamed.

It will be interesting to see how Concussion does as it has opened all over the country now and how Duerson’s family will proceed going forward.

[Pro Football Talk]