Courtesy: www.MondayNightMayhem.com
The President & CEO of The Sports Legacy Institute, former WWE superstar, & “Tough Enough” alumnus, Chris Nowinski, was one of the featured guests on this week’s live edition (01/31/11) of the award-winning Monday Night Mayhem. You can feel The Mayhem every Monday evening (at 7PM ET/6PM CT), exclusively on The Monday Night Mayhem Radio Network (www.MondayNightMayhem.com, www.AudioWrestling.com, www.iTunes.com, & www.Hybrident.tv). Join The Mayhem right now on Facebook (at www.Facebook.com/MondayNightMayhem), and follow The Mayhem on Twitter (at www.Twitter.com/FeelTheMayhem).
Chris joined The Big Mosh & “The Chairman of the Board” Todd Vincent for his exclusive interview with The Monday Night Mayhem Radio Network, which is now available in Windows Streaming Media or via the official MNM Podcast on iTunes:
Chris Nowinski/Monday Night Mayhem Interview (MNM Streaming Audio): www.mondaynightmayhemarchives.com/waxfiles/013111.wax
Chris Nowinski/Monday Night Mayhem Interview (MNM Podcast on iTunes): www.mondaynightmayhemarchives.com/jan11/013111.mp3
Interview highlights courtesy of The Mayhem’s official correspondent, Paterson from New Jersey:
Whether he believes Vince McMahon & the WWE, along with Dixie Carter & TNA have done enough in creating a greater company awareness on concussions & their impact in the professional wrestling industry, plus why he feels that TNA World Heavyweight Champion Mr. Kennedy should be credited in putting his health first before his career after suffering a serious concussion: “I’ll tell you, they have been doing a lot. I have spoken to Vince & Dixie in the past few months. With the TNA situation, it was exciting for me when I got a call from Ken Kennedy when he got his serious concussion, and he called me to ask who should he see. That’s a big culture change. No one asked him to push through it, no one asked him to not put his health first, and the fact is they even turned it into a storyline. Ken & Matt (Morgan) have been tremendous in raising awareness of this issue.”
His thoughts on the return of WWE’s “Tough Enough” & whether or not the program can gravitate towards today’s audience like it did when he was a part of the show’s first season ten years ago: “I am excited to see it come back. I think it was a missed opportunity to drawing in new fans. Wrestling is different. You don’t want to necessarily show how the sausage is made from day one, so I hope they’re clever about what they teach the wrestlers. I may actually tune in, but I think it’s a good idea to bring it back.”
The evolution of The Sports Legacy Institute over the past four years, the initial reaction he was faced with when establishing concussion research & analysis as the next chapter of his career, & the impact of the 2009 Congressional hearings into reviewing/analyzing the effects of head trauma/brain injuries suffered by current/former NFL stars: “It’s been a long road. It’s funny you mentioned the talk at St. Mary’s High School (in Buffalo, NY), because that was the first I did. Back then, people thought it was a little too aggressive and a little crazy. Now suddenly, everyone’s on board. Back in 2007 (when the SLI was founded), the world wasn’t ready for it. There was a lot of push back from everybody, whether it was athletes, coaches, all the way to the NFL. It’s just been a climb ever since. The congressional hearings in 2009 helped finally push it over the top, where the NFL finally changed their stance and has become essentially a leader on this. The world has changed, and people have bought into this.”
Much more is contained in Chris’ exclusive interview with The Monday Night Mayhem Radio Network, including his candid thoughts & comments on his much publicized fallout with Vince McMahon, whether or not he would consider being a part of a “Tough Enough” Season I reunion as part of the program’s return to television, the WWE’s attempts to increase their awareness in preventing & treating concussions, if he would have ever expected a wrestling promotion to center a storyline based around concussions, the people/organizations that were initially skeptical of his research now finally understanding its importance, the most profound thing he has learned during his time involved in the Sports Legacy Institute, his plans to continue to work with the NFL after Super Bowl XLV, plus so much more! Mayhem Nation: Stay up-to-date with Chris’ amazing work on the latest studies & treatments of brain trauma in athletes by logging on to his official website (at www.ChrisNowinski.com) and by following The Sports Legacy Institute online (at www.SportsLegacy.org & www.Twitter.com/SportsLegacy).
