1-Man’s Opinion on Sports-Tuesday “NFL-vs-Lawyers-CTE Lawsuit-Who Do You Believe?”
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“NFL Lawsuits-Who Do You Believe”
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Lawyers-Agents. Some good. Some bad. Some with reputations. Many disliked.
That totally sums up today’s situation in sports, with guys who represent players.
But it’s not fair to hit them all with pain with a broad stroke brush.
Lawyers in Washington and Boston are preparing for another fight, this with the once powerful NFL, over the fallout from the CTE-Concussion lawsuit.
The Boston Globe is reporting that 15-lawyers, representing the bulk of the most badly brain damaged or deceased NFL players, are asking the Minnesota judge in the concussion lawsuit, to intercede and sanction the NFL for doing business the way the NFL has done business in matters like this.
You know the old saying as the players filed massive lawsuits against the league…”Delay-Deny-Hope You Die”.
The lawyers are charging the same thing is happening again, this despite the NFL’s pronounced settlement gift of 865M to settle the last concussion lawsuit.
It’s been two years since the deal was signed between the league and the players lawyers, granting payments to players sufferering from cognitive brain damage, Alzheimers, Parkinsons disease, Depression, MS and more brought on by undiagnosed or diagnose-treated concussions.
As part of the settlement there are payments to the families of deceased players, dead from suicidie, who were suffering too.
The glaring numbers via autopsies of deceased NFL-CFL and college players, whom autopsies were performed, flash in neon lights.
110–of-111 players autopsied at Boston University had CTE, the Tau protein buildup in the brain, that led to depression, decision making issues, and ultimate death, many via suicide.
And now the lawyers have gone back to the judge, saying the NFL continues to stonewall ailing players, is late in making payments, or overwhelms families and players with documents upon documents before examination.
This scoreboard tells a story. There have been (1,736) claims filed by severely ailing players or families in the two years since the settlement was made. Only (156) claims have been paid.
The governing board has refused to pay 200-claims. Some 214-claims have been rejected outright..
Of those suffering the worst, from demential, only 6-of-1,169 claims have been paid.
The lawyers say the NFL doctors have slowed the process to a crawl, with delays, appeals, requests for more documentation, and denials.
The judge has been asked to remove the entire panel of decision makers and insert independent, non NFL-affiliated people, to the process.
I write this thinking of the horrors of the death of Junior Sean, just a group of years ago. I write this as legendary quarterback Jim Kelly lies in critical condition after 12-more hours of mouth cancer surgery. I write this think of wheelchair imprisoned Saints linebacker Steve Gleason, with ALS.
I write this thinking of wives and sons and families dealing with a husband or father who has no ability to control his life, his emotions, his fate, because of the games he played every Sunday wearing the colors you rooted for.
The NFL says they need to do due diligence on each claim. They don’t want every kicker, who ever had a headache, thinking he should get a 4M payday.
The lawyers are screaming, the ailing players are hurting. And the flashing neon light says just 156 players out of 1,736 claims have been paid out.
You tell me, who you believe?
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