Ricky Williams on Football and Concussions

By Ta-Nehisi Coates

There's a lot to chew on regarding the interview below with Ricky Williams and Dan Le Batard. I generally find Williams to be utterly fascinating, and an idiosyncratic thinker. I think he's pretty wrong about the science behind CTE, and moreover, about how science works, in general. That we now know that many aspects of science from a century ago were wrong, is a feature of science, not a bug. Science is a method, not an ultimate answer.

But beyond that, I think Williams gives some insight into a how a football player at his level almost has to think. There's an element of "not wanting to know" at work in this interview (I think he actually says that at one point.) that verges on denial. And yet I think what Williams says in the beginning--that it really is about the player--has some truth to it.

Anyway, just thoughts. Check out the video.

This article available online at:

http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2012/05/ricky-williams-on-football-and-concussions/257353/