NFL 2014 Season Thread

[Ben Kenobi]

I'm not sure how they came to the conclusion that pain-killers were risk free. If they were not required to use them and this was 'approved usage', then I don't see how they have a case. They can argue 'coercion' all they want, but unless the Bears said they had to take it or lose their job, the Bears are not responsible. Bottom line, If you're putting stuff in, you need to research it yourself.

[-Jrabbit]

There's a reason they're suing the league and not the individual teams. The NFL is a money machine, and I think it's reasonable to expect them to put teeth to their public claim that they care about the health of their athletes. The plaintiffs want to make this a class action, and they have another 400 players lined up to join if the suit gains that status.

Some of the alleged specifics are obviously more in the realm of medical malpractice, like Van Horne not being told he had a broken leg and playing on it pumped full of painkillers for a full season. Prescription drug distribution by trainers - people without medical degrees - is also an obvious problem. Like any industry, NFL football needs to prove it is a responsible corporate citizen. Encouraging your employees to risk premature renal failure or painkiller addiction, even if they DID warn them, is still kind of uncool. They think they can prove the league knew the risks, and I wouldn't bet against them.

It's their little way of saying, "Hey, lots of us are broken and it wasn't just concussions."

[Ben Kenobi]

"Hey, lots of us are broken and it wasn't just concussions."

Lots of people are broken. Doesn't mean their employer should be responsible for their care. Do you think the 50 year old millworker is going to receive compensation for chronic pain? No, what will happen if they are lucky is they end up on disability. If they are unlucky, they have to quit working and survive on whatever savings they have.

I know plenty of people like this, and their lifetime earnings won't approach what these players make.

[-Jrabbit]

Did I say the players deserve to win? No.
I said, "I wouldn't bet against them."

Unlike a mill owner, the NFL has made a big public to-do about how they've always supported player safety. It's become a banner for significant rule changes in recent years. Their feet are being held to a fire of their own making.

[Ben Kenobi]

Unlike a mill owner, the NFL has made a big public to-do about how they've always supported player safety. It's become a banner for significant rule changes in recent years. Their feet are being held to a fire of their own making.

So what's the league to do? Ban painkillers to protect the health of the football players? We both know that's not going to happen.

[Sava]

The league could at least follow proper medical protocols.

[Ming]

The TEAMS could at least follow proper medical protocols.

FIXED

As already pointed out by JR, it's obvious why they are suing the league instead of the teams. It's also much more fan friendly to sue the big monster instead of the teams people love.

However, it wasn't the league handing out the drugs... It wasn't the league implying they had to take them... It was the teams and individuals members of the staff.
Sure the NFL has all the money and is a true sucker when it comes to player safety, but who are the real culprits here?

[Imran Siddiqui]

Did I say the players deserve to win? No.
I said, "I wouldn't bet against them."

Unlike a mill owner, the NFL has made a big public to-do about how they've always supported player safety. It's become a banner for significant rule changes in recent years. Their feet are being held to a fire of their own making.

Indeed. I can see a major settlement being in the works so the NFL can spare itself some embarrassment.

As Steve Young said in that famous halftime conversation, as long as the fans are watching, the NFL doesn't really care about player safety. Things which actually show that to be true are things that tend to really embarrass the league.

[Sava]

FIXED

As already pointed out by JR, it's obvious why they are suing the league instead of the teams. It's also much more fan friendly to sue the big monster instead of the teams people love.

However, it wasn't the league handing out the drugs... It wasn't the league implying they had to take them... It was the teams and individuals members of the staff.
Sure the NFL has all the money and is a true sucker when it comes to player safety, but who are the real culprits here?

Suing the league is completely appropriate... especially if they are alleging that some sort of league-wide cultural issue contributed to problem.

Organizational culpability is a thing. Otherwise, they'd be suing individual doctors.

Team protocols stem from the overall league protocol... and are largely consistent across the league.

So yeah... the LEAGUE (the group containing all the teams) should follow proper medical procedure.

I don't understand what you are trying to do with your argument by trying to make it all about teams instead of the league.

Whether or not the player will be or should be successful? I can't say.

[Ben Kenobi]

Uh, not all teams follow these lax protocols. If they sue the league than all the teams get fined rather then DA BEARS.

[-Jrabbit]

Don't use the present tense; it's irrelevant. We're talking about history here; these guys played 20 to 40 years ago. It was nothing like today's NFL, where all teams -- and many players -- have specialized medical staffs.

[Ben Kenobi]

these guys played 20 to 40 years ago. It was nothing like today's NFL

So then let Da Bears take care of their former players.

[Ming]

Team protocols stem from the overall league protocol... and are largely consistent across the league.

When you had a team breaking the rules and offering up bounties, who suffered?
I think it would be very hard to PROVE that the league protocol was to allow the illegal distribution of drugs. (Notice I said prove)

I don't understand what you are trying to do with your argument by trying to make it all about teams instead of the league.

I think it is all about the teams and their medical (or lack of) staffs. It would be far easier to prove that they were dispensing drugs.

But as JR and Imran point out, the NFL will probably roll over, pay yet another big settlement to make it go away... Just to prove "THEY CARE".

Again, just because many (if not all) the teams were doing it, doesn't mean the League is responsible. It was the teams dispensing the drugs.

[Demonbinder]

I remember many years (mostly in '70's) where the Bears doctors made bad decisions on player treatments and to all accounts gave out some drugs that certainly didn't help the players who, at the time, had to trust the medical staff. As Ming pointed out back in the day the players didn't have anyone else to go to.

I agree with Ming that the league probably will decide to pay off those players to make it go away.

[Sava]

When you had a team breaking the rules and offering up bounties, who suffered?

I wasn't aware that the lawsuit focused on the actions of one team.