DONATE
Sponsoring FReepers are contributing $10 Each time a New Monthly Donor signs up!
Get more bang for your buck!
Please Sign up Now!
Posted on 07/20/2011 8:49:31 AM PDT by Mr. Mojo
On the day that the NFL may get itself out of one court room, the league learned it may be forced to enter another.
Seventy-five former NFL players filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court this week, alleging that the league has covered up the harmful effects of concussions since the 1920s. Former Miami Dolphins wide receiver Mark Duper and former New York Giants running backs Otis Anderson and Rodney Hampton were among the litigants in the potentially explosive suit.
TMZ was the first to obtain a copy of the lawsuit. They write: The suit claims the NFL commissioned a study in 1994, titled "NFL Committee on MIld Traumatic Brain Injury" and published a report in 2004, concluding there was "no evidence of worsening injury or chronic cumulative effects" from multiple concussions.
And, the suit alleges, it was not until June, 2010, that the NFL acknowledged concussions can lead to dementia, memory loss, CTE and related symptoms. All of the players are claim they suffered injuries as a result of multiple concussions.
It's too early to tell whether this will be a blip in the NFL's legal history or signal the start of a monumental shift in the game. If the lawsuit gains any traction, it could very well be the latter.
(Excerpt) Read more at sports.yahoo.com ...
They have a chance with the libs out in LA, but from there, it’ll get bounced. No pun intended....
That’s “Ottis”. Who can tell how many of the concussions are from college or High School?
I wonder what percentage of Rugby players get concussions as opposed to NFL players, better yet, how many concussions were there back when they played with leather helmets.
Easy, the one with the deepest pockets.
Here comes flag football
Oh, there were probably plenty but who knew what a "concussion" was if it didn't involve a bomb going off? And besides, those guys played for food money and today there is that pot of gold just over there and all you need is a good lawyer to get to it.
...because they had no idea that concussions were an inherent part of life in the NFL.
Here is a settlement for them. They can work for 20% of their pay now and put the other 80% in a fund to cover their “potential” injuries in old age. That should make them happy... ;-)
How many of these players kept playing after their first concussion?
I would say probably all of them.
The next thing will be a lawsuit against the season ticket holders, helmet manufacturers and advertisers.
Can we sue the players for every losing season? Most of us watch football in a stadium we had to pay for with our tax dollars!
I remember in the early to mid ‘70s, going from the suspension trapeze type protection inside the helmet to the newer thick foam padding on the “new” Riddells. Wow, felt so nice to actually use your helmet to hit somebody. Not “spearing” mind you, but it felt more comfortable putting your entire body into a hit. Your head didn’t ring for the rest of the day after the game.
Bottom line is that the equipment sucked back in the day and the necessary improvements were made. Unfortunately, due to the equipment improvements and the development of the monster athletes of today, players hit harder and take more risks with their bodies. It’s a vicious circle that, most unfortunately, only “improved” hitting rules will be able to at least slow down, if not eliminate.
My assertion is that the helmets give players a false sense of security. You wouldn’t see so many head-first hits with leather helmets, that’s for sure.
They say that people with concussions repeat themselves a lot. They say that people with concussions repeat themselves a lot.
Closedown the NFL.
The cities can then stop building stadiums and spend that money on the highways where it belongs. College games are better anyway.
You don't think that former college athletes aren't already working on their own lawsuit?
I'm sure now that the dangers of concussions are known, all current NFL players will retire and find a safer line of work. After all, nobody, knowing the risk, would willingly risk their health for millions of dollars, right? /sarc
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.