Former NFL Players File Lawsuit Against League on Concussions

Former NFL Players File Lawsuit Against League on Concussions

abcnews.go.com

More than 2,000 former NFL players plan to file a lawsuit this morning in Philadelphia, accusing the league of concealing information linking football-related injuries to long-term brain damage.

In the biggest sports lawsuit ever, the former players allege that the "NFL exacerbated the health risk by promoting the game's violence" and "deliberately and fraudulently" misled players about the link between concussions and long-term brain injuries.

The NFL denies the claims, saying, "Any allegation that the NFL intentionally sought to mislead players has no merit."

(visit the link for the full news article)

This is a tough one to take a side on. One one hand you shouldn't be surprised of getting your brain rattled from a life time of playing football, but on the other hand if the league has been concealing information from the players then they may have a valid case on their hands.

Many of you may say "who cares they make millions of dollars each year" but football has always been dangerous and they didn't always used to make as much as the players do now days.

I don't think this case will go anywhere but if the league has been purposely hiding certain findings from the players then they deserve some sort of settlement.

This will be interesting to watch unfold.

abcnews.go.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

I don't think the players have a leg to stand on.

When you take hits year after year you know damn well there are consequences involving the brain. It's a piece of Jell-O.

I would like to see how many of these retired players that are bringing this lawsuit are facing financial difficulty. If the NFL held back information, I am unsure what to make of that, but come on, there have been players on the field who have been injured to the point of possibility of becoming brain dead, or just plain dead. There is huge risk associated with this sport, no doubt about it.

They weren't thinking about that, when they were signing those lucrative contracts. Didn't these players VOLUNTEER their brains, or did they lose them when they were playing Pop Warner?

reply to post by nuttin4nothin

Whose fault is that? Wouldn't you say they sacrificed health for money?

When and where does personal responsibility for self begin and end? Are we going to babysit EVERYONE?

reply to post by Corruption Exposed


To me this is a paradox.

I'd like to say that the lawsuit is ridiculous....however the fact that 2000 NFL players filed an erroneous lawsuit should be proof enough of brain damage, since even surmising this is a good idea shows a certain level of stupidity.

In other words by filing the lawsuit, they validate their case because only the mentally handicapped should think this is a viable course of action. If someone were to offer me a million dollars per year to bang my head against a wall all day and I were to accept, I would also be accepting the inherent risks that are involved in banging my cranium against a wall eight hours a day. The only thing the NFL concealed was the common sense that the players should have had to begin with.

If the players didnt go around asking trainers or any one hired by the NFL about the long term effects, I Dont see how they even have an argument. And in their contracts it probably stated something about it and it was upon the players to ask questions to anything they didnt understand.

If anything it can pave the way for current and future NFL players. Probably gonna soften em up lol

When all this concussion stuff broke I had the thought that the NFL would turn into flag football.

Stranger things have happened.

reply to post by Corruption Exposed


All the posts I have read so far make very good points.

But, what I would like to know is: How many (out of the number suing) have also taken steriods,or other damaging substances to improve performance, AND have also suffered concussions to the brain?

How do you factor out independent, sometimes illegal steriod use (known to cause cancers, even of the brain) from incidents of hits to the head resulting in concussions? Is it not too late, in many cases, to determine, if in fact, that player was also using steriods, growth hormones, or other damaging substances at the same time when a injury occurred?

I'm also thinking of the sheer number of retired players who have, unfortunately, given birth to disabled children over the years. I'm sure that because of what is/was in their bodies, there's gotta be a correlation there.

In a similar vein, these studies have brought more attention to the issue, because they discuss concussions among youth football players, and helmet sensors--like no knew this previously :

www.pbs.org...

www.bmes.org...



It will definitely be an interesting case to watch.

The real question is; how many players will still sign up for those millions of dollars in contracts, even when they are completely aware of the dangers. Somehow, I don't think this knowledge of future health issues will stop the hand from signing.

reply to post by artnut


I don't foresee much changing either. It's a very American thing to do.... smile and accept the risks now, blame others later. Oh well.... never much cared for the sport anyhow.