Studdard joins the Concussion Suit

[GEM]

http://kdvr.com/2012/06/01/former-broncos-lineman-suing-nfl/

Here is what I don't get. In the video his lawyer states that there was a study that came out back then that showed that there were long term effects from football related concussions. How come none of these players took that into consideration and quit the game of football. I mean there has to be some personal accountability.

[Chef Zambini]

does the concussion suit come with a matching helmet?
ironic that the NFL ahs been so pre-occupied with what the players wear, yet they failed to equip them with the best head protection !

[Chef Zambini]

GEM the NFL did studies and with-held and suppressed those findings! their contract with riddel superceded any independant studies and findings that pointed to safer helmets made by other manufacturers.
The NFL adopted a head in the sand mentality torwards the problem.
Players are also culpable, thay all played a decade of contact football, long before the entered the NFL.
its all still ugly, it may bring our beloved game to its knees, at least now they will be required to wear pads for that section of their bodies.

[chazoe60]

I hate these kind of lawsuits. Give me a break, you mean you didn't know bashing your head against things for a liveing would be bad for you?

[Chef Zambini]

yes, implied inherant risk, however... when the NFL tells you what helmet you must wear and they have data that clearly shows they did NOT select the safest helmet, they have a big problem.
..and when their medical advisors tell them players that are cuncussed should be automaticly removed from the game and the following weeks activities and they initialy ignore those findings and reccomendations, again they have a big problem.

[OrangeHoof]

I do have sympathy because I've argued since the first wave of paralyzed players that the technology for safer helmets existed but the NFL wasn't interested because the helmets wouldn't look as fierce. Then Mark Kelso of the Bills wore the "Great Kazoo" helmet in the 90s with an extra padding layer and I asked "why doesn't everyone use one"?

http://www.profootballhof.com/UserFiles/image/Kelso-Helmet.jpg

So, clearly the NFL was negligent but couldn't it also be argued that someone who gets paid far above the wages of an average working stiff has already been duly compensated for the dangers he has placed himself under - at the time and in the future? Surely every player knows the physical dangers involved in taking the field. Why is a lifetime of brain damage be any worse than a lifetime of arthritic knees and aching joints?

This is ultimately a money grab by former players and I think a lot of it has to do with the league and the NFLPA refusing to share retirement benefits with the past generations of retired players. In addition, how does one quantify things like memory loss and brain trauma? Like a sore back, how much of it is real and how much of it is simply a ploy? You really can't know.

Plus, how much of this is actually football-related? A lot of people develop mental dysfunctions who never played football and never suffered a head injury and some football players seem to live long, generally healthy lives. How do you prove that it was football that caused the damage?

[vettesplus]

i really hope this lawsuit settles for 100's of millions of $$$$ to these players. jmo!!!!

[vettesplus]

not when you are being told by the league that you are wearing the best equipment available when the league new better!!!!

[Al Wilson 4 Mayor]

yes, implied inherant risk, however... when the NFL tells you what helmet you must wear and they have data that clearly shows they did NOT select the safest helmet, they have a big problem.
..and when their medical advisors tell them players that are cuncussed should be automaticly removed from the game and the following weeks activities and they initialy ignore those findings and reccomendations, again they have a big problem.


That's a good point, and one the NFL is not going to be able to side step. They have clearly prioritized endorsement deals over player safety.

There's also the issue of players being forced to play with concussions. The education with football coaches in America is pretty bad. I've seen it first hand at the high school level with the concussion my son suffered last week during summer camp. There has been a "suck it up" mentality with coaches, and it's an archaic one that unfortunately didn't end with the 1950's. It's still fairly common today.

I'm not saying my son's coach made him play with a concussion, but it's kind of surprising no one on the staff figured out there was a problem, especially after he told them he was dizzy. Several hours later when we're on our way to the emergency room and he can't even put his shoes on the right feet, there was clearly a problem. I can tell you as a parent that I would have rather been taking him to the hospital for a broken arm.

[Nomad]

People wonder why Goodell and the Safety Committee is coming up with all these new rules.

[Nomad]

does the concussion suit come with a matching helmet?
ironic that the NFL ahs been so pre-occupied with what the players wear, yet they failed to equip them with the best head protection !

If that's the case, make sure all the player's have high & tight haircuts so the helmet fits properly and have a trained, qualified personal make sure the helmet is fit tested before the player hits the field. How many times have we seen the helmet pop off and I would bet because of improper fitting not just the collision. Those mops on some of the heads don't help either.

[ShaneFalco]

If the NFL doesnt want liability, they should just let players wear what they want with their regular uniforms and not be penalized for it. Players could choose wat type of helmet, what type of pads, as long as they are not illegal or can hurt others more.

Vick was saying something about knee pads and how he would never wear them.

[Nomad]

If the NFL doesnt want liability, they should just let players wear what they want with their regular uniforms and not be penalized for it. Players could choose wat type of helmet, what type of pads, as long as they are not illegal or can hurt others more.

Vick was saying something about knee pads and how he would never wear them.

As long as the players are willing to sign a waiver stating they won't sue the NFL for future injuries or conditions that may occur after football or as a result from playing football. I don't see any of them doing so.

[ShaneFalco]

Then they should stop complaining, because it will always be someones responsibility. Might as well take responsibility for yourself or let the NFL do it where they might put entertainment ahead of safety.

[Nomad]

Then they should stop complaining, because it will always be someones responsibility. Might as well take responsibility for yourself or let the NFL do it.

Agreed! As Gem said personal accountability.

[blamkin86]

Sorry, I get that the NFL may have been able to do a better job - but that's like blaming the guy who painted the titanic deck chairs the wrong color: while factual, it's also irrelevant.

Which studies did the players pay for that contradicted the NFL mandated helmets? Also, when did the players demand the NFL change to the helmets they deemed more safe?

If I work in a factory, and don't wear steel-toed boots, I can't go say they should have told me to wear them. That's on me. Now, if they wouldn't let me wear them - OK, then it's on.

[sneakers]

Just make the player play without helmets.

[OrangeHoof]

I do wonder sometimes how differently the game would be played today if they still wore the leather helmets of the 30s with no face mask. How much would players lay off the spearing, etc. if they knew their heads were less protected?

Back in the old days of pro ice hockey, the goals were kept in place by steel pipes on the ice. Players learned to maneuver around the goal rather than crash into it. Today, they are held in place by magnets to supposedly make it safer. Result? More players crash the goal with abandon resulting in more injuries to goaltenders and defenders because the skaters no longer hold up as they approach the net because they know the goal will "give" instead of impaling the skater.

I think football might actually benefit from less protection because the players themselves would learn techniques that effectively tackle the player while protecting themselves.

[GEM]

I do wonder sometimes how differently the game would be played today if they still wore the leather helmets of the 30s with no face mask. How much would players lay off the spearing, etc. if they knew their heads were less protected?

Back in the old days of pro ice hockey, the goals were kept in place by steel pipes on the ice. Players learned to maneuver around the goal rather than crash into it. Today, they are held in place by magnets to supposedly make it safer. Result? More players crash the goal with abandon resulting in more injuries to goaltenders and defenders because the skaters no longer hold up as they approach the net because they know the goal will "give" instead of impaling the skater.

I think football might actually benefit from less protection because the players themselves would learn techniques that effectively tackle the player while protecting themselves.

They just did a tv piece on this headband that a dad created for his daughter who played soccer. On the packaging, the product guarantees 60% reduction in concussion type symptoms. One of the top concussion study doctors tested it and found it to be complete bullshit. They interviewed a group of girls who wore the headband for the first time, almost every girl came out and said that because of the headband they were able to play much more aggressively, to which the doctor got upset. The headbands, helmets and headgear do give the wearer a fall sense of safety. And I agree that if there wasn't the false sense of security, athletes would probably be a lot more careful of the use of their heads.

[ShaneFalco]

thats really messed up

[BroncoNut]

does the concussion suit come with a matching helmet?


OMG. soooo funny I forgot to laugh. Moron