​The Dan Le Batard Show
Last week, former Pro Bowl running back Chris Johnson appeared on Good Morning America to reveal he has been diagnosed with ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease. Johnson told co-anchor Michael Strahan, via a speech-to-text device controlled by his eye movements, that there is no ALS in his family and that doctors believe he has sporadic ALS, which accounts for the vast majority of cases. The news of the 40-year-old’s prognosis and the rapid progression of the disease shocked social media and the NFL world.
Longtime sportswriter Jeff Pearlman watched the GMA interview and expressed frustration at the lack of media discussion about a potential link between football and ALS. In a TikTok video, he said, “We know from studies that there’s a correlation between playing football and ALS. NFL players are more likely to end up with ALS than the general population. It’s a known fact.” He criticized Michael Strahan for not mentioning the issue, asking, “How many times has Good Morning America brought this up? Zero.” He added, “It is so f*cking irresponsible and grotesque. Chris Johnson is dying and told his story on national TV, and Strahan, in my view one of the great cowards on TV, sits there and acts as if this isn’t happening, acting heartbroken, without acknowledging the ties between football and ALS, presumably because he’s paid not to.”
The next day, veteran sports host Dan Le Batard supported Pearlman on his show, arguing Strahan, who also works as an NFL analyst for Fox, owed the audience and the sports world a discussion about the broader issue. “Michael Strahan has a responsibility to ask some football-related questions, and he didn’t,” Le Batard said. “It’s too uncomfortable to watch. You can’t enjoy that moment the same way when these athletes are fading from their peak to an early death.” He pointed out that the interview features a notable former athlete, not an ordinary ALS patient, and that omitting football’s possible role leaves a gap in the conversation. “If you pose the question, you fill the void in the interview by simply asking whether football played a part.”
On Friday, Le Batard welcomed Pearlman to his show, and the two continued discussing why they believed it was crucial to challenge the NFL and its media to address this topic. “Dan, you and I were raised as journalists in a field that’s becoming increasingly focused on SEO over substance.”