Last thing NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell wanted was for the Super Bowl to end with people talking about concussions. It’ll be a long time before we know whether Von Miller‘s relentless pursuit and vicious hits actually caused Carolina’s Cam Newton any brain damage. But the post-game narrative was all about football and Beyonce — not an article on CTE to be found, really.
In other words, Roger Goodell won the Super Bowl. The commissioner avoided having the league’s main headache become the game’s main story. The Super Bowl lead-up couldn’t avoid the CTE discussion, with prominent revelations about Ken Stabler and speculation about O.J. Simpson. But a good game — with no head injuries — coupled with Beyonce’s controversial half-time tribute to the Black Panthers ensured that the post-game was all about social justice, race and the Denver defense. Those are subjects Goodell usually has answers for.
