NS.. ex-NFL players sue league... It's starting to make sense now (1 Viewer)

[Goatman Saint]

It was my understanding that the players get paid a lot more than average people not only because of the popularity of the sport but also because they are putting their bodys on the line.

Is that specifically spelled out in their contracts? I doubt it. They get paid a lot because the industry they are in creates a lot of revenue and not many people can do it. How many players with the ability and mental makeup of Brees are there in the world? Very few which is why everyone on this board is ready to donate a body part to help resign him. It's not because he may get an owie.

 

[Goatman Saint]

Its obviously a complicated issue. I think the only viable solution to the issue would be to setup longterm healthcare for players...That being said, I think these two comments from the ESPN article are worth repeating...

"OverendWatts-
Roger Goodell will fine and suspend James Harrison for this."

"mdpinholster-
I think they should sue the guy that held the gun to their head and made them play football professionally.

I am a military Veteran that also happens to work in healthcare now...there are some "on the job risks" involved with certain jobs.

It is called assumed and implied risk."

Correct. However, if you were an ironworker and your company doctor (remember who is writing his check) gives you medication to mask an injury, you return to work and get a major lifelong injury from falling off the building due to the way you were treated, the assumed risk arguement goes out the window.

 

[AARPSaint]

This is a good example IMHO of the kind of quality thread we're striving for on the ssf. Now back to the topic...

 

[El Caliente]

Take money out of the equation and what separates these guys from a skilled labor worker?

 

[El Caliente]

I would like to point out, the 4 guys suing all have saved their money, and are doing well after their football days have gone. This is not a cash grab by any means, but former players who can still live healthy lives suing for those who can't.

 

[State Of Affairs]

I am relatively speaking a nobody, but I have two old college friends that played pro ball and they both say that team trainers and doctors essentially threw your butt out there as long as you could answer a couple of questions, even if your ears were ringing.

Add that onto the fact that Joe Horn and other recent NFL vets are saying that they were given painkilling drugs (Toradol) that are now causing serious after-effects related to head traumas and you should be able to see that this isn't just some simple issue about players trying to get something over on the owners when they "already knew the risks." Instead it is a complex issue involving new knowledge and how to incorporate it into the evolution of the game and the game's treatment of past players.

Lol... So in addition to being forced to play football, they were FORCED to take pills????

Unless you mean they took the pills to play because they feared they would lose there multi million dollar job...

They chose to take pills, bad decision now they're trying to make money...

 

[Goatman Saint]

Not much difference at all in the two which is the basis of my thoughts on this thread.

The climate in the NFL is changing. Players are going to have change. Some don't like it. Defenders are going to have to play smarter. The rules are there. The NFL wants to protect itself from lawsuits by doing a culture change after identifying a problem, but also because they do not want their assets getting hurt. People complain about QB wearing skirts, but really, if Brees goes down what happens to the Saints Superbowl hopes? How is Houston doing this year now? The Colts? The list goes on. The healthier you keep your players, the better games you have the more people watch your game and buy your stuff. The NFL is not dumb.

The argument for personal responsibility will not hold up in court. You have players who are injured going to the doctor. The doctor treats them so they can play. There is the implied trust of a doctor knowing what he is doing and that they will help you. Without knowing the ins and outs of the case, I'm sure that s the stand. They knew that the game was tough. They go to the doctor. Doctor makes them better. They go play and get injured worse. If I'm sitting ont he jury and that case is being presented to me, I fall on the player's side.

 

[State Of Affairs]

Sue every corporation and huge business at every opportunity. Big business doesn't have the public interest or welfare in mind. They don't care about their rank and file employees. Their only concern is cash money hand over fist.

(mod edit)

Sue them - they do harm - make them pay. They don't pay enough as it is.

The ignorance lies with people who blame everyone else for their bad decisions. I'm not much into politics but buy ur comments. I can see why it turns into such a heated debate. It has nothing to do with politics, my parents told me to think for myself and earn my way, yours obviously told you to look for handouts and never take responsibility for your actions if you can blame someone else... AND THEN CALL THEM IGNORANT!! Those companies earned that money by taking advantage of our free enterprise society and you sound jealous... It's not big business job to take care of you or care about you!!! They provide a product or service and you have a choice to purchase or use that product or service.. If they lie or hurt you because of they're deception, YES! Make em pay but other then that, you are not they're responsibility or mine or anyone else.

You get into a sport and hang on long after you should have gotten out because you want and probably NEED the big payday because you over spent your money making potential anywhere else and instead of saying "if I have to take these pills or shots to do my job, I should go into another profession" they keep hurting thrmselves for a huge check.

YOU make the decision to play again after a head trama, take pills to numb the pain so you can keep playing etc etc THEN blame everyone else for your decisions...

I cannot for the life of me understand how people can argue that point.. I realize there are circumstances and exceptions but in general, there is no argument.. You chose to put yourself in harms way for money. Live with your choices..

Can u imagine if military people sued because they thought boot camp would train them to not get hurt or killed??

What about strippers suing the clubs for corrupting them physiologically and emotional trama. How were they to know taking their clothe off for strangers for money would make them gold digging degenerates with drug n alcohol problems.

What about coal miners? Who would have thought that inhailing coal for 12 hours a day could lead to lung cancer or being a mile underground could be dangerous.

Where does it stop bro??? Why don't we all just sue for everything and then we could be like a socialist society.. We'd all have the same, the bums n losers can sue to have the same as the smart, achieves who work hard.. We'd all be happy

 

[FFT22]

I suppose the players would rather play touch football and accept 1/100th of the current salary scale? And then the league would dissolve and no one would watch. Everyone wins and they can all go home. Ludicrous. It's an implied risk/reward relationship, and always has been.

For everyone that thinks like this, just one question

Do you think Steve Gleason would have played football if he had been told he would contract ALS before age 35 b/c of football?

There is no implied risk of serious brain damage that eventually leads you to suicide. No implied risk of ALS. No implied risk of having the brain of an 80 year old when you're 50. These are not risks that anyone would take.

If you can't see that, you're crazy. Lawsuits are not the problem - they are exposing the problem.

 

[FFT22]

The ignorance lies with people who blame everyone else for their bad decisions. I'm not much into politics but buy ur comments. I can see why it turns into such a heated debate. It has nothing to do with politics, my parents told me to think for myself and earn my way, yours obviously told you to look for handouts and never take responsibility for your actions if you can blame someone else... AND THEN CALL THEM IGNORANT!! Those companies earned that money by taking advantage of our free enterprise society and you sound jealous... It's not big business job to take care of you or care about you!!! They provide a product or service and you have a choice to purchase or use that product or service.. If they lie or hurt you because of they're deception, YES! Make em pay but other then that, you are not they're responsibility or mine or anyone else.

This is pure babble. No one made a decision to suffer brain damage. It happened because of football.

 

[clow1220]

I don't care if you guys know drew brees personally!!! You are very ignorant if you think these spoiled athletes should be able to sue due to health reasons attributed to playing football. They get paid very well and it is there responsibility to plan the rest of their life after the game. As I sit here typing i am doing it with one hand and i can barely use my left hand due to an IED explosion in Iraq and have to wear a hearing aid at the age of 30 for hearing loss associated with explosives. I have applied for disability through the VA dept and only get a measly 15% while I made pennies to serve my country for 10 years and was medically released, while these clowns play for about the same amount of time and make more in a year or two than i will make in my life. I love my SAINTS. They put a smile on this broken soldiers face every week, but c'mon man. You cant tell me that any person with even a pinch of intelligence doesn't know that repetitive head trauma will cause issues.

Oh and Lets kill those Dirty Turds

 

[Complex Kid]

Can u imagine if military people sued because they thought boot camp would train them to not get hurt or killed??

Haven't soldiers sued for unknowingly to them being exposed to chemicals ?

Suing for getting killed by the enemy? No. Suing because the government you where serving knowingly put you at risk with something that is preventable? Acceptable. I think that applies here. Football players expect to tear ACL's and break arms. They don't expect not to be able to remember their children's names in their 40's.

 

[FFT22]

I don't care if you guys know drew brees personally!!! You are very ignorant if you think these spoiled athletes should be able to sue due to health reasons attributed to playing football. They get paid very well and it is there responsibility to plan the rest of their life after the game. As I sit here typing i am doing it with one hand and i can barely use my left hand due to an IED explosion in Iraq and have to wear a hearing aid at the age of 30 for hearing loss associated with explosives. I have applied for disability through the VA dept and only get a measly 15% while I made pennies to serve my country for 10 years and was medically released, while these clowns play for about the same amount of time and make more in a year or two than i will make in my life. I love my SAINTS. They put a smile on this broken soldiers face every week, but c'mon man. You cant tell me that any person with even a pinch of intelligence doesn't know that repetitive head trauma will cause issues.

Oh and Lets kill those Dirty Turds

Listen, I'm not trying to argue with you, but the former players don't get anything if they did not play for a certain amount of time. Only under the most recent CBA did health benefits kick in for many of them. Sure, they made money when they played, but nothing even close to what guys are making right now, and certainly not enough to provide for some of the long term health issues they have.

You made a courageous choice to fight for your country at the risk of death and serious injury. I applaud you for that. They decided to play a sport. I don't think the two should be analogized in any way, shape or form, and I mean that as a compliment to you.

 

[State Of Affairs]

The nfl is going to lose this case and they know it. Look at the facts and it's obvious. Playing in the nfl causes damage to the body and brain. That is accepted as fact. By employing team doctors that hand out medication so that players can play thereby ignoring injuries or medicating to get through with known potential harm going to happen is an open and shut case. The nfl knows this.

As far as personal responsibility there is going to be the arguement made that they will lose their job if they do not keep playing with an injury or be pressured by the setting to continue to play for the good of the team.

You make a good point, the players will probably win and we can kiss football goodbye!!! No employer will assume that kind of risk...

I'm trying to relate this but football, off the top of my head, is the only team sport that is this violent. Boxing and cage fighting are the other two that I can think of but they're independent businesses...

Saying that makes me wonder... These football players would not quit playing football if there was no recourse.... They simply see a way to get free money after the fact and this will destroy football..

What a mess we have.