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Concussions, Professional Sports, and Conflicts of Interest: Why the National Football League’s Current Policies are Bad for Its (Players’) Health

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Correspondence to Daniel S. Goldberg J.D., Ph.D.(c)..

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Goldberg, D.S. Concussions, Professional Sports, and Conflicts of Interest: Why the National Football League’s Current Policies are Bad for Its (Players’) Health. HEC Forum 20, 337–355 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10730-008-9079-0

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