This may sound heartless, and not too sympathetic. But I have a huge problem with people who do or participate in anything knowing all of the risks, with their eyes wide open and then cry foul when they are forced to suffer the consequenes. Whether they're smokers who are suffering because of a life long addiction, or former professional football players who have brain injuries due to excessive head trama, they knew the risks. That does not mean that the afflicted should suffer because they either miscalculated or totally ignored the level of risk. After all life happens, and we've all made bad choices. The question is, when our choices result in disaster, should we be compensated.
The NFL has reached an agreement with more than 4,500 players to settle its concussion related lawsuits for a whopping $765 million. The plaintiffs in the suits had claimed the NFL failed to adequately protect them from concussions and other head injuries, actively concealing the prevalence of those injuries from both NFL players and the public. The settlement would also protect the NFL against admission of wrongdoing or further discovery of internal NFL files. Although as far as I'm concerned this particular stipulation in the settlement is an absolutely clear indication of wrongdoing.
Recent technology has diagnosed widespread brain trauma in NFL players, but the league has maintained that safe, legal play shouldn't result in brain damage. At the same time, helmet technology has struggled to keep pacewith the NFL safety claims, and many of the lawsuits had unearthed embarrassing number fudging in concussion-reduction studies undertaken by the league. The current settlement is the result of months of mediation between players and the NFL, but the terms are still tentative, awaiting approval by the presiding judge.
Given the facts, the NFL does have a level of culpability, and should PAY.
PR
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