NFL concussion settlement leaves out too many players, critics say

[Auggie]

AP / 10-14-14

PHILADELPHIA — New concerns are being raised about the proposed NFL concussion settlement, although only a small fraction of the nearly 20,000 retirees are expected to opt out of the deal by Tuesday’s deadline.

They would be left to sue the NFL on their own over claims the league hid known concussions risks for many years. The NFL expects about 6,000 former players to be diagnosed with at least moderate dementia and qualify for an award.

SNIP

The proposed settlement pays millions to young retirees dealing with severe neurological disease, and an average $190,000 to older men with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia.

However, former players exhibiting rage, depression or mood disorders would get nothing. Several leading brain researchers link those behavioral problems to repetitive head injuries, and believe the men might be dealing with the brain decay known as CTE, or chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Currently, CTE can be diagnosed only after death.

MORE: http://www.sfgate.com/sports/article/NFL-concussion-settlement-leaves-out-too-many-5822929.php

NFL teams equally divided more than $6 billion in revenue last season, mostly from TV rights. The league can certainly do better than this. (http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/11200179/nfl-teams-divided-6-billion-revenue-according-green-bay-packers-financials)

[ProfessorGAC]

1. Hey, I Had A Concussion. Do I Count?

Of course, it had absolutely nothing to do with football, but they can use my name on the lawsuit anyway. Ok by me.

Kidding of course. Concussions are rough. It took me over a week to get over the one i had and the doctors called it a mild concussion. I have no idea how long it would take to get over a severe one, let alone the third or fourth severe one.