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Modern NFL Deathwatch thread

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Well my comments...

1) You would have to be dumb to not believe taking hits to the head where the organ that controls all other organ wouldn't cause any lasting problems.

2) The NFL actually has not glorified violence/big hits. ESPN, and all the commentators do. Not the NFL. Coachs in HS football (My coach did) and college schools do. Not the NFL. It isn't the NFL, but everyone out there who is apart of sports. Same can be said for any sport. Hockey? Who doesn't love an amazing side check that damages them?

3) Every sport has ... injuries of this magnitude. Rugby, Football, Baseball, Basketball, Soccer, Hockey... especially Hockey. Golf, Bowling and other sports may not be included, but that is because they do not have contact with the ball or other players often enough to matter.

4) This will not do anything. They can sue the NFL, they will settle out of court for some mediocre amount with the players and the players union. Then the NFL will just add onto the contracts a waiver to not sue them for damages they know they are getting into. People will still play. People will still watch.
 
While I agree with you guys, I can definitely see public sentiment being on the side of the Seau family. They have a compelling story to present, plus the stories of those others who offed themselves under similar circumstances. The floodgates are now open, so it could get ugly for the NFL pretty damn quick.

KT
 
Football needs drastic rule changes. One option I like is making every player an eligible receiver. Also, players need to have guaranteed contracts. A lot of players play hurt because they're under severe financial pressure to do so. I don't think it's ethical for the nfl to run a god damn meat grinder of a league and then not pay players because they're injured.

KeithTalent said:
...and so it begins

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/8872778/junior-seau-family-files-wrongful-death-suit-vs-nfl



Should be very interesting to watch how this plays out.

KT
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Good, I hope they win.
 
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The NFL certainly doesn't do anything to dissuade people from glorifying the sport, but I think the image of the game comes more from third parties than anything else. I mean I rarely if ever watch anything produced first party, but almost every day on ESPN and every week on CBS/FOX/NBC/ABC you can see big hit recaps, announcers OOHing and AAHing over them, saying things like "you can hear that hit up here!" as though it's a compliment.

Hell even on here half the posts in NFL related threads are bitching about "man this game was so much better back when" and how it's "pussified" and all sorts of belligerent proselytizing; every potential rule change is met with hostility if for no other reason than "thats not the way it's always been!". Players who make decisions of self-preservation (out of bounds to avoid a big hit, sliding, etc) are branded as soft and "questions of toughness" are raised.

The culture surrounding the game is pretty fucking stupid and does the game they allegedly "love" no favors whatsoever.
 
KeithTalent said:
...and so it begins

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/8872778/junior-seau-family-files-wrongful-death-suit-vs-nfl

Should be very interesting to watch how this plays out.

KT
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That suit is the NFL's worst nightmare come to life. Even if the NFL wins, which is likely considering that they can legitimately claim to have not understood the problem at the time, they can't make that claim anymore. The prosecution is going to pile up reams and reams of data showing how dangerous football is and it's going to force the NFL to adopt SERIOUS changes to how the game is played. They can't claim ignorance any longer and every concussion suffered in the future can be painted as willful negligence on the part of the league. Welcome to the National Two-Hand Touch Football League, it's coming.
 
I am slightly torn. On principal, as long as the players now give informed consent based on the risks as they are now understood, I honestly don't see a problem considering the salaries involved. They are free to sell their health. They are well compensated for it.

At the same time, I feel that I should feel guilty for enjoying watching it.
 
GagHalfrunt said:
That suit is the NFL's worst nightmare come to life. Even if the NFL wins, which is likely considering that they can legitimately claim to have not understood the problem at the time, they can't make that claim anymore. The prosecution is going to pile up reams and reams of data showing how dangerous football is and it's going to force the NFL to adopt SERIOUS changes to how the game is played. They can't claim ignorance any longer and every concussion suffered in the future can be painted as willful negligence on the part of the league. Welcome to the National Two-Hand Touch Football League, it's coming.
Click to expand...
The crux of the suit is that they hid knowledge. If you believe they didn't understand that in the past and that the lawsuit will fail, OK (I tend to agree). Going forward, it's known and disclosed so again they aren't hiding the fact so there's no reason to believe future suits will have merit.
 
The players know what they are getting into. They are being paid A LOT of money to go out there and risk their well being.

Our armed forces are in much greater danger and they only make like $2000 a month take home. Most of these players make that each play.

People are just being pussies and expect EVERYTHING to be safe. The world is NOT safe, you are just a pussy.
 
The players know what they are getting into. They are being paid A LOT of money to go out there and risk their well being.

Our armed forces are in much greater danger and they only make like $2000 a month take home. Most of these players make that each play.

People are just being pussies and expect EVERYTHING to be safe. The world is NOT safe, you are just a pussy.
 
Atomic Playboy said:
That's because apparently being within 12 feet of another human being on a soccer field causes the same reaction as being shot with a 50-caliber sniper rifle.
Click to expand...

lol

sniper.gif
 
Phoenix86 said:
The crux of the suit is that they hid knowledge. If you believe they didn't understand that in the past and that the lawsuit will fail, OK (I tend to agree). Going forward, it's known and disclosed so again they aren't hiding the fact so there's no reason to believe future suits will have merit.
Click to expand...

It's amazing, and not unusual, that people either don't read the links in the post or choose to ignore certain points. Which is how, as you put, it they missed the crux of the story.

The fact that the NFL knew of the dangers is the key point. In fact the NFL was so concerned they commissioned a study. And then hid the facts that repeated blows to the head were causing lasting damage.

If I take a job working in a lab and the employer knew there were toxic chemicals that would harm me, and he didn't tell me, I should be allowed to sue his ass off. In fact, it probably falls under some legal code like assault or causing bodily injury. Much like manslaughter.
 
techs said:
The fact that the NFL knew of the dangers is the key point. In fact the NFL was so concerned they commissioned a study. And then hid the facts that repeated blows to the head were causing lasting damage.
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Are you saying the NFL did hide the facts after there was a study or what that an example?
 
You guys seem to be missing the point. Now that we can test for CTE while still alive, it will soon mandate regular testing from concerned parents that will most likely resonate from the bottom up to the NFL. Since the NFL knows that regular testing is highly detrimental to its product (e.g. a superstar player could make the decision to retire before further damage is done), the product has to be changed to pass the test. Hence changes that will neuter the product to a shell of what it once was.

I don't see how this can end well, especially with lawsuits claiming that the NFL isn't providing a safe enough workplace. Even IF the player is fully aware of the CTE risks, the NFL still has to provide a workplace that will prevent it from occurring for a majority of the time, else continue to face lawsuits. Real time testing really fvcks the NFL because it provides almost real time proof of a dangerous workplace.

Oh, and I updated the OP with the Seau story.
 
highland145 said:
How long before elementary school districts are sued because they allowed football to be played?
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The they'll probably evaporate before lawsuits are filed. Once schools catch a whiff of liability they'll axe the programs.

I would consequently expect soccer to explode in popularity as an alternative, particularly with the growing Hispanic population who are an ever increasing social influence.
 
techs said:
If I take a job working in a lab and the employer knew there were toxic chemicals that would harm me, and he didn't tell me, I should be allowed to sue his ass off. In fact, it probably falls under some legal code like assault or causing bodily injury. Much like manslaughter.
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Different case, you're comparing known exposure with unknown exposure.

Taking hits is basically in the NFL's job description, plain as day. Anyone who goes into football thinking they're going to come out unscathed isn't thinking clearly to begin with. I think that's a logical conclusion based off the simple premise that "repeated stress on the body may have long term effects".
 
SP33Demon said:
You guys seem to be missing the point. Now that we can test for CTE while still alive, it will soon mandate regular testing from concerned parents that will most likely resonate from the bottom up to the NFL.
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Yeah, I have to wonder how many high schools and small colleges are going to be forced to drop football programs now. Unless your program is a cash cow like a major college it's hard to see how any schools will be able to justify that kind of legal exposure

darkewaffle said:
Taking hits is basically in the NFL's job description, plain as day.
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"Taking hits" and suffering long term brain damage are two different things. Guys go into football expecting some long term body pains and maybe some knee damage. Nobody bargains for being turned into a near-vegetable.

And what about the secondary exposure that guys with CTE can become dangers to others? Wait until the first suit alleging the NFL is responsible for something like Jovan Belcher's murder/suicide. Even if you can make the case that Belcher made his own bed and had to lie in it you can be sure that at this moment his girlfriends family is in talks with a lawyer to connect her death with brain damage Belcher suffered during his career.
 
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GagHalfrunt said:
Yeah, I have to wonder how many high schools and small colleges are going to be forced to drop football programs now. Unless your program is a cash cow like a major college it's hard to see how any schools will be able to justify that kind of legal exposure



"Taking hits" and suffering long term brain damage are two different things. Guys go into football expecting some long term body pains and maybe some knee damage. Nobody bargains for being turned into a near-vegetable.

And what about the secondary exposure that guys with CTE can become dangers to others? Wait until the first suit alleging the NFL is responsible for something like Jovan Belcher's murder/suicide. Even if you can make the case that Belcher made his own bed and had to lie in it you can be sure that at this moment his girlfriends family is in talks with a lawyer to connect her death with brain damage Belcher suffered during his career.
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Agree although the current procedure in the OP is patented so the NFL could try to cockblock it/buy it out. However, I'm sure even newer procedures will come out in the next 5 years that could standardize live CTE testing.

Agree, re: known vs unknown exposure. At what point is "known exposure to risks" (i.e. taking hits) going to include irreparable brain damage and just about imminent death? Common sense dictates that the NFL HAS to prevent this. It's on the magnitude of asbestos and cancer causality, how many companies would let asbestos removal workers not wear a suit? None due to regulations, i.e. eventually state and national regulations will most likely intercede in the case of CTE, much like other statistically high fatality risks that society protects us from.
 
Fern said:
Parents steering their kids into other sports, particularly soccer I'm hearing now, will eventual shrink the fan base of football and instead create a bigger one for soccer and other sports.
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To go off on a bit of a tangent, I've been hearing how soccer will become "big" in the US for over 30 years. It has not become big in the US and never will, at least in my lifetime. I remember arguing with a couple of my foreign friends in grad school who "guaranteed" it would be on par with the 4 major sports leagues within 10 years. That was almost 20 years ago and it isn't even close.
 
I find it interesting and darkly amusing that people all of sudden give a shit about player health and safety, given that substantial percentages of the NFL's ranks have been juicing for decades. Hell, they still don't test for HGH use. You want to cut down on concussions? Stop letting these unnatural monsters take the field.
 
Couple thoughts. I expect some changes to mitigate this a bit (recent rule changes already going this direction) and probably some equipment changes. I don't think this is the end of football as we know it... That largely depends on the outcome of these law suits. I tend to think as long as the risks are accepted the liability is accepted as well.

If this goes poorly for football imagine what it will do to boxing/MMA.
 
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