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Jim McMahon, 6 others sue NFL over concussions
CBS News ^ | 8/20/2011 | Staff

Posted on 08/20/2011 3:24:33 PM PDT by Scanian

(CBS/AP) PHILADELPHIA - Six former players and one current player have sued the NFL in Philadelphia over the league's handling of concussion-related injuries, the first potential class-action lawsuit of its kind.

The players accuse the league of training players to hit with their heads, failing to properly treat them for concussions and trying to conceal for decades any links between football and brain injuries.

The plaintiffs include two-time Super Bowl champion Jim McMahon, who has said he played through five concussions but now frequently walks around "in a daze" and forgets why he entered a room.

The suit accuses the NFL of negligence and intentional misconduct in its response to the headaches, dizziness and dementia that former players have reported. The suit, filed Wednesday, seeks medical monitoring along with funds to pay for the care of injured players.

NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said the league had not yet seen the lawsuit but would vigorously contest any such claims.

(Excerpt) Read more at cbsnews.com ...


TOPICS: Health/Medicine; Sports
KEYWORDS: concussions; headinjury; lawsuits; misconduct; negligence
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1 posted on 08/20/2011 3:24:36 PM PDT by Scanian
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To: Scanian

“forgets why he entered a room”

Yeah? Is he over 50?


2 posted on 08/20/2011 3:27:13 PM PDT by nuconvert ( Khomeini promised change too // Hail, Chairman O)
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To: Scanian
....and forgets why he entered a room.

..wait till he gets into his 60's and finds the TV remote in the front seat of the car.....dat'll stump him

3 posted on 08/20/2011 3:28:00 PM PDT by Doogle ((USAF.68-73..8th TFW Ubon Thailand..never store a threat you should have eliminated))
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To: Scanian
Hey Jim, are you sure it wasn't the Car Accident that did it, or maybe too many Super Bowl "shuffles?"
4 posted on 08/20/2011 3:28:03 PM PDT by IllumiNaughtyByNature ($1.84 - The price of a gallon of gas on Jan. 20th, 2009.)
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To: Scanian
The NFL has been totally cavalier about players "getting their bell rung" for years, as have lower level coaches. Some of them seem to think it's a joke. The neurological effects of concussion have been well known. The case for negligence is strong.
5 posted on 08/20/2011 3:28:50 PM PDT by hinckley buzzard
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To: Scanian
This won't go away.

One persons solution was to go back to leather helmets!
His reasoning is that heads would not be used as weapons any more, and less injuries would happen as a result.

6 posted on 08/20/2011 3:29:27 PM PDT by HereInTheHeartland (I love how the FR spellchecker doesn't recognize the word "Obama")
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To: Scanian

McMahon’s problem is going to be proving he wasn’t messed up in the head before he entered the NFL.


7 posted on 08/20/2011 3:30:27 PM PDT by RichInOC (No! BAD Rich! (What'd I say?))
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To: Scanian

I’m happy if I can still remember what I’m looking for after I find my glasses.


8 posted on 08/20/2011 3:32:21 PM PDT by gorush (History repeats itself because human nature is static)
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To: RichInOC

So maybe they oughta have thought about that before excepting millions of dollars? Ya think?


9 posted on 08/20/2011 3:32:31 PM PDT by Mmogamer (I refudiate the lamestream media, leftists and their prevaricutions.)
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To: hinckley buzzard

Well said.


10 posted on 08/20/2011 3:33:42 PM PDT by Travis McGee (www.EnemiesForeignAndDomestic.com)
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To: nuconvert

52 tomorrow.


11 posted on 08/20/2011 3:33:42 PM PDT by Cheburashka (Blade Runner was set in 2019. Except for the flying cars and replicants we're right on schedule.)
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To: HereInTheHeartland

Good strategy on leather helmets. How many concussionsa with rugby players? I played for 10 years and you could tell who the the newbies were. Thet would always lead with their head but only their first practice. They learned how to tackle after that.


12 posted on 08/20/2011 3:35:15 PM PDT by lp boonie (Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment)
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To: HereInTheHeartland

I agree with the leather helmet theory.

Those of us who are old enough to remember them-—or even to have used them-—also recall that concussions were rare and “spearing” tactics and leading with the head were much less common.

Have a look at YouTube videos which feature “Old time football” and the difference in tackling technique is striking. Players “wrapped up” and there was very little “collision” type tackles compared to what we have today.


13 posted on 08/20/2011 3:35:29 PM PDT by Scanian
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To: HereInTheHeartland

Good strategy on leather helmets. How many concussionsa with rugby players? I played for 10 years and you could tell who the the newbies were. Thet would always lead with their head but only their first practice. They learned how to tackle after that.


14 posted on 08/20/2011 3:35:37 PM PDT by lp boonie (Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment)
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To: hinckley buzzard; 4everontheRight; ABG(anybody but Gore); Abbeville Conservative; akorahil; ...

Isn’t it a voluntary assumption of a known risk?


15 posted on 08/20/2011 3:36:42 PM PDT by Perdogg (0bama got 0sama?? Really, was 0sama on the golf course?)
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To: Cheburashka

Then forgetting why he entered a room is just the beginning.

All kidding aside, I know concussions are serious and multiple concussions can certainly lead to permanent problems.


16 posted on 08/20/2011 3:36:48 PM PDT by nuconvert ( Khomeini promised change too // Hail, Chairman O)
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To: hinckley buzzard

I will go a step further and say this could be the eventual deathnell of the sport as we know it. Negligence or not, concussions will happen in football — a lot. As public awareness grows I see high schools giving up the sport and many parents not letting their children play. I played small time HS football, but even then I remember having a throbbing headache every night after practice or game.


17 posted on 08/20/2011 3:36:55 PM PDT by dinoparty
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To: hinckley buzzard

I will go a step further and say this could be the eventual deathnell of the sport as we know it. Negligence or not, concussions will happen in football — a lot. As public awareness grows I see high schools giving up the sport and many parents not letting their children play. I played small time HS football, but even then I remember having a throbbing headache every night after practice or game.


18 posted on 08/20/2011 3:37:14 PM PDT by dinoparty
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To: Doogle

Yes no kidding!


19 posted on 08/20/2011 3:40:03 PM PDT by Dem Guard (Obama's 57 States = The Organization of The Islamic Conference (OIC).)
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To: lp boonie
With the players continuing to get faster and stronger; but not the human skull; something needs to be done.

It seems like the concussion thing is very real. Sad to read about some of these former players condition.

20 posted on 08/20/2011 3:40:10 PM PDT by HereInTheHeartland (I love how the FR spellchecker doesn't recognize the word "Obama")
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