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via National Confidential

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In a pre-Super Bowl interview on Sunday, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell refused to acknowledge that the game of football had any role in the brain injuries suffered by numerous players who are suing the league.

CBS host Bob Schieffer asked Goodell if he would let his son play football after President Barack Obama recently told The New Republic that he would have to "think long and hard" before letting his son play football.

"Absolutely," the NFL commissioner insisted. "I have twin daughters just like the president, and I'm concerned when they play any sport. The second-highest incidents of concussions is actually girls soccer. So what you have to do is to make sure the game is as safe as possible. In the NFL, we're changing the rules, we're making sure the equipment is the best possible equipment, we're investing in research to make sure we can address concussions, not just to make football safer at the NFL level, but all levels in other sports."

"Do you now acknowledge that there is a link between the game and these concussions?" Schieffer pressed, noting that widows of NFL players had urged him to ask the question.

"That's why we're investing in the research," Goodell replied without fully answering the question. "So that we can answer the question, what is the link? What causes some of the injuries that our players are still dealing with? And we take those issues very seriously."

"For years the league would not acknowledge, really, that there was a connection," Schieffer pointed out. "You now acknowledge that there is a connection?"

"Well, Bob, again, we're going to let the medical individuals make those points," Goodell dodged. "We're going to give them the money, advance that science. In the meantime, we have to do everything we can to advance the game and make sure it's safe."

In fact, studies have shown that contact sports like football are linked to concussions, and NFL players are at a higher risk for Alzheimer's, ALS, abnormal brain proteins and depression.

Last year, more than 2,000 former professional football players filed a lawsuit accusing the NFL concealing information about the link between concussions and long-term brain injuries. And the family of former linebacker Junior Seau is also suing the league, alleging that his suicide was linked to concussions sustained while playing the game.

But for his part, Goodell insisted on Sunday that his organization had no role in concealing the risks of concussions.

"In fact, we're all learning more about brain injuries, and the NFL has led the way," he declared. "We started a concussion committee back in the mid-90s with the players' association to study these issues and advance science. We're obviously now learning more and more, and we're investing more and more. And I think that's going to lead to answers, even outside of brain injury, even to brain disease."

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The 2012 campaign season and a year of high-profile shootings have resulted in big profits for one of America's top firearms companies.

Smith & Wesson Holding Corporation announced on Thursday that sales had spiked 48 percent in its second fiscal quarter of 2013, setting a record of $136 million.

"The increase was led by continued strong sales across all of the company's firearm product lines, including M&P™ branded products, such as pistols, modern sporting rifles, and the recently launched Shield™ pistol designed for concealed carry and personal protection," the company said in a statement.

Smith & Wesson also predicted year-over-year growth of 30 percent for the remainder of the 2013 fiscal year.

Stop Handgun Violence founder John Rosenthal told Current TV's Elliot Spitzer on Wednesday that gun companies were making record profits because lobbying groups like the National Rifle Association had been successful at making sure that the industry was largely unregulated.

"The dirty little secret is that the NRA loves high-profile mass shootings," Rosenthal explained. "The more gun violence, the better. The more fear, it causes people to buy guns, more profits for the gun industry. And then they funnel it into intimidating Democrats into submission. And then they fund the Republicans and the Republicans just roll over."

In 2012 alone, there have been mass shootings at a spa in Georgia, Oikos University in California, a cafe in Seattle, a theater in Colorado, a Sikh temple in Wisconsin and a sign factory in Minnesota. Most recently, NFL football player Jovan Belcher shot his girlfriend, Kasandra Perkins, and then killed himself in Kansas City.

Texas gun store owner Jerry McCall told WOAI last month that firearm sales were a “madhouse” on Black Friday because President Barack Obama was re-elected and people were stocking up to prepare for the Mayan-predicted “doomsday.”

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Fox News host Dana Perino engaged in some victim blaming on Wednesday when she declared that women who had suffered from violence should "make better decisions."

The conservative hosts of Fox News' The Five on Wednesday continued their week-long effort to defend gun culture in the wake of a murder/suicide involving NFL football player Jovan Belcher and his girlfriend, Kasandra Perkins, by claiming that "bedding" and vehicles were more deadly than guns.

"This isn't an issue about gun control," co-host Kimberly Guilfoyle insisted. "This is an issue about domestic violence and a man who had a troubled past; had a history documented of being, unfortunately, sadly, abusive to women; an inability to be able to control his temper and his emotions; a lack of impulse control."

"I'm glad you brought that up," Perino remarked. "On the same day that Jovan Belcher committed this crime, there was a man who beat his wife with a baseball bat and killed her. Okay? He wasn't a pro football player, he doesn't drive a Bentley, didn't make millions of dollars. But on the same day -- that's why I think talking about the gun culture so-called issue is actually a copout and not dealing with the real issue about mental health, anger management and domestic violence."

"Can you name me one person you know that saved their lives by a handgun?" liberal co-host Bob Beckel asked.

"Bob, I think that skirts the issue that women are victims of violence all the time," Perino replied.

"Should have guns," co-host Greg Gutfeld interrupted.

"Or maybe make better decisions," Perino added.

"Why don't we just strap a gun on everybody and walk around the street?" Beckel quipped.

"It'd be safer," co-host Eric Bolling asserted.

"Beautiful!" Gutfeld exclaimed.

(h/t: Media Matters)

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Eric Bolling continued more of his typical union bashing on Fox & Friends this Friday when he went after the newly returned locked out NFL referees. It seems he and Kilmeade are having a hard time understanding why the crowds are happy to have those dirty, communist, union thugs back on the field.

KILMEADE: Can you believe a situation where referees get standing ovations? Cats and dogs living together...

BOLLING: Was there any blown calls? Did they get booed...

KILMEADE: They made a couple of and people booed because the home crowd wasn't happy with them, but that's normal. But I just can't believe people were looking at the referees -- the cameras were on them the whole game -- there was a huge standing ovation when they came in.

BOLLING: I'm booing them. I'm booing the whole referee thing. I'm booing.

KILMEADE: Why?

BOLLING: Because they're unions. This is more union thuggery going on.

I'd like to see Bolling and Kilmeade paid what they really deserve for regurgitating this crap on a daily basis, which is sub-minimum wage with no benefits. Sadly, they've both got that wingnut welfare coming in from Uncle Rupert to compensate them for their hackery.

h/t Media Matters

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Jon Stewart returned from vacation this Tuesday night and responded to the article he read at the Huffington Post where Fox News chief Roger Ailes went after Stewart for admitting he's a "Socialist" and wouldn't do well without Fox. What we got in response was Stewart doing a really good job of explaining why being called a Socialist should not be a pejorative.

As far as not having enough material for his show if Fox did not exist, I'm sure Fox existing makes his job as a comedian easier, but as long as we've got wingnut politicians who are on the air either at the other networks or on C-SPAN spouting nonsense from the House or Senate floor, I don't think Stewart is in danger of running out of new material that's ripe for mockery any time soon.

After having a bit of fun with his "scenario" about what actually happened during that meeting with Ailes, Stewart went on to explain just what he meant by his remarks and what he considers "Socialism" such as protecting things like Social Security and Medicare.

He also took some shots at Republicans for pretending the health care law, or "Obamacare" is that dreaded "s- word", Socialism:

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This one seems really dumb as the National Football League seems to be saying Chrysler infringed on its copyright of "Halftime." Another odd thing about this is that there are plenty of other versions still to be found at YouTube, but the official one at the YouTube Chrysler channel was taken down.

(EDIT: It's working now, probably after someone with some clout rectified the situation.)

Marketwatch has some details and reaction to the ad.

The Clint Eastwood ad during the Super Bowl — catch it here because it’s been blocked by YouTube after the NFL alleged a copyright infringement — could be viewed as a simple celebration of the recovery of bankrupt Chrysler. But the political overtones were easy to see as well: “Halftime in America” could be interpreted as a rallying call for a second term for President Barack Obama, who pushed ahead with a bailout of Chrysler and General Motors (read more on GM’s financial results on WSJ.com) despite objections from Republicans, including his likely presidential opponent, Mitt Romney.

“Saving the America Auto Industry: Something Eminem and Clint Eastwood can agree on,” tweeted Dan Pfeiffer, the White House spokesman. Added David Axelrod, Obama’s chief strategist: “Powerful spot.” Filmmaker Michael Moore was a bit more direct (and apologies for the Twitterese): “Your sermon seemed 2 b a call 2 give O his ‘second half.’”

The former Republican mayor of Carmel, Calif. wasn’t universally loved. “WTH? Did I just see Clint Eastwood fronting an auto bailout ad???” said Michelle Malkin, the conservative blogger. “I think Clint Eastwood’s credentials as a conservative have been overrated for some time,” added David Limbaugh, the brother of Rush and himself a conservative author.

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Bill Maher had another great New Rules segment tonight with his comparison between the economic models embraced by the NFL and MLB and those of the Democratic and Republican parties.

You can say this doesn't necessarily apply to a lot of conserva-Dems, and I'm sure Bill would agree, but the analogy between liberal and conservative economic ideologies is spot on.

MAHER: So it's no surprise that some 100 million Americans will watch the Super Bowl next week. That's forty million more than go to church on Christmas. Suck on that Jesus! It's also 85 million more than watched the last game of the World Series and in that is an economic lesson for America, because football is built on an economic model of fairness and opportunity. And baseball is built on a model with the rich always winning and the poor usually have no chance.

The World Series is like the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills; you have to be a rich bitch just to play. Where as the Superbowl is like Tila Tequilla, anyone can get in. Or to put it another way, football is more like the Democratic philosophy. Democrats don't want to eliminate capitalism or competition, but they would like it if some kids didn't have to go to a crummy school in a rotten neighborhood, while others get to go to a great school, and their dad gets them into Harvard. Because when that happens, achieving the American dream is easy for some and just a fantasy for others.

That's why the NFL literally shares the wealth. TV is their biggest source of revenue and they put it all in a big Commie pot and split if thirty two ways. Because they don't want anyone to fall too far behind. That's why the team that wins the Superbowl in the next draft, picks last, or what the Republicans would call “punishing success.”

Baseball... baseball on the other hand is exactly like the Republicans. And I don't just mean it's incredibly boring. I mean their economic theory is every man for himself. The small market Pittsburgh Steelers go to the Superbowl more than anybody. But the Pittsburgh Pirates? Levi Johnston has sperm that will not grow up and live long enough to see the Pirates in a World Series. Their payroll is forty million. The Yankees is two hundred and six million. The Pirates have about as much chance of getting to the playoffs as a poor black teenager from Newark has of becoming the CEO of Halliburton.

That's why people stop going to Pirate games in May. Because if you're not in the game, you become indifferent to the fate of the game and maybe even get bitter. That's what's happening to the middle class in America. It's also how Marie Antoinette lost her head. So you kind of have to laugh that the same angry white males who hate Obama because he's “redistributing wealth” just love football; a sport that succeeds because it does just that.

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When President Barack Obama praised the NFL's Eagles for giving quarterback Michael Vick a second chance, it was inevitable that the pundits at Fox News would feign outrage.

But no one could have predicted that one Fox News host would go as far as to call for Vick's death.

"President Obama -- it has been confirmed by the White House -- called the owner of the Philadelphia Eagles and during the course of their conversation, thanked him for giving Michael Vick a second chance," Fox News' Tucker Carlson reported Tuesday while filling in for Sean Hannity.

"Now, I'm a Christian. I've made mistakes myself. I believe fervently in second chances but Michael Vick killed dogs and he did it in a heartless and cruel way and I think, personally, he should have been executed for that," he continued.

"But the idea that the president of the United States would be getting behind someone who murdered dogs, kind of beyond the pale," Carlson said.

Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie told Sports Illustrated's Peter King Monday that Obama called him and was passionate about Vick's comeback.

"He said, 'So many people who serve time never get a fair second chance,'" Lurie said. "He said, 'It's never a level playing field for prisoners when they get out of jail.' And he was happy that we did something on such a national stage that showed our faith in giving someone a second chance after such a major downfall."

White House spokesman Bill Burton clarified that Obama "of course condemns the crimes that Michael Vick was convicted of, but, as he's said previously, he does think that individuals who have paid for their crimes should have an opportunity to contribute to society again."

Burton also said that part of the reason for Obama's call was to talk about alternative energy plans for Lincoln Field, where the Eagles play.

Carlson wasn't the first Fox News host to be be upset by the president's actions.

"The criticism is to specifically praise giving Michael Vick this kind of a chance in some way excuses, perhaps, what Michael Vick did or sends some sort of a message to people that it's not that bad," Fox News host Megyn Kelly worried.

Filling in for Keith Olbermann on MSNBC Tuesday, Sam Seder pointed out that while Obama didn't excuse what Vick did, President George W. Bush did excuse I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby after he was convicted in the Valerie Plame case.

"Tell me if I'm wrong here," Seder asked sociologist Dr. Michael Eric Dyson. "In the media, at least, it seems to me that there appears to be two standards for two different crimes and for two different presidents."

"You're absolutely right," Dyson said.

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November 17, 2009 CBS David Letterman

Tonight's Top Ten: Top Ten Signs Your NFL Team Owner Is Nuts