75 NFL retirees sue league over concussions

[Auggie]

AP / Wednesday, July 20, 2011

FULL STORY: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2011/07/20/sports/s083729D68.DTL#ixzz1SlUAJDrm

Their claim: The NFL concealed information about the danger of concussions for decades -- suing for negligence, fraud and liability. Good luck -- fraud is very difficult to prove.

Athletes know football is a dangerous sport. And studies show early signs of brain trauma can be found in high school players, so it's not confined to just playing professionally.

I'm 100% behind retirees having adequate health coverage to care for their playing injuries, including dementia. I think their efforts should be targeted here.

On edit: The possibility exists this is strategy to bring the plight of retirees front and center during labor negotiations. If that's the case and results in better health coverage (even if it isn't), then I can get it.

[Redbear]

1. It will be very interesting to see what evidence they will find

Yes, football is dangerous, but I have played it and watched it for 40 years and it was only in the last 5 or so years that it has become general knowledge that concussions lead to dementia, etc.

If it is true that the NFL knew about this many years ago and just never told anybody, they may have some liability.

[joeybee12]

2. I'd believe the NFL knew longer than most of us...

The NFL is a company and all companies are slaves to the bottom line, if such knowledge affected their bottom line, they'd hide it. Should be interesting to see if anything does indeed come out of this.

[Elwood P Dowd]

3. Former 49er All-Pro center Forrest Blue recently passed away in a nursing home.

He was 65 and had been suffering from dementia for over 15 years. His daughter had to put him in a home in Carmichael, California two years ago because he couldn't dress or feed himself. She is sending his brain to Boston University for research.

Forrest was a really nice guy. I talked to him a few times when he was playing college ball (65-67). Forrest kept in top physical condition even in retirement. He was a giant of a man in his day (6-6 and about 265 was big for a center back then), but his brain started going by the time he was 50.