The issue of concussions suffered by former NFL players is growing to be a major headache to the NFL Commissioner’s office and Roger Goodell. There are some 4,200 ex-players are now involved in the current lawsuit before U.S. District Judge Anita Brody. The numbers being tossed around range from millions to billions of dollars and no one knows where it will all end.
Central to the case being presented by the players are the old NFL films which are being presented as promoting and glorifying violence on the playing field. David Frederick, attorney for the players, accused the league of concealing the emerging science about concussions over several decades.
In 1994 the NFL established the Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Committee to study the issue of concussions happening to players both during games and during practices. Note that they used the word “mild” before mentioning traumatic brain injury… so it seems like they were qualifying the issues from the get-go. David Frederick told the press, “the commissioner’s office set up a sham committee designed to get information about the neurological risks, but, in fact, the committee spread misinformation.”
There are around 12,000 former NFL players alive today and about 4,200 are involved in this litigation. They complain of battling from dementia, depression or Alzheimer’s disease and find fault with the league rushing them back onto the playing field before they were properly checked out after suffering an injury. Many are concerned with developing problems and want their health better monitored.
A few of the ex-pro football stars, including Pro Bowler Junior Seau have committed suicide and speculation is that frustration over their previous and debilitating injuries that no one wanted to address.
In an attempt to take the onus off of the league and put it onto the teams and players, NFL lawyer Paul Clement insisted that the individual teams bear the chief responsibility for health and safety under the player’s collective bargaining agreement. He said, “The one thing constant throughout is these agreements put the primary role and responsibility on some combination of the players themselves, and the unions and the clubs.” Oh really, the players themselves should take on the responsibility for getting concussed during a game?
It’s those old NFL Films that are the most incriminating to the league. Head hits and “getting his bell rung” were included on every single highlight reel presented.
