American football is in very, very serious trouble.

SouthwestSteel · Joined: 08 Jan 2008 Posts: 1290

This is a fairly detailed article, and whether we like it or not there are major legal battles ahead:

http://brucekrasting.blogspot.com/2012/06/americas-coming-depression.html

turtle28 · Posted: Mon Jun 18, 2012 11:41 am Post subject:

Most of it is this guy's opinion. It remains to be seen. I don't think the ramifications of these lawsuits will be quite as bleek as he makes them out to be. There will just be more changes to rules and more time off for players who receive concussions.

There will also hopefully be funds set up that players and teams must contribute to for their future retirement and retirement health care. All of these things should have happened already.

I do not think this lawsuit will mean the end of Football as well know it. I do think that it will lead to more awareness and better care for retired NFL players though.
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Dracula58 · Joined: 20 Nov 2007 Posts: 2689 Location: Columbus Ohio

treat88 · Joined: 03 Mar 2006 Posts: 5951

At some point in the very near future the NFLPA is going to have to include waivers in contracts based on the fact that the medical data regarding CTE is now available and players are aware of the risks prior to participating.

The players are going to have to bear the forward going risks once the league settles the retrospective issues.

The retired players suits will cost the league some $$$, no doubt. I don't think they are the death knell of the league...not even close.
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turtle28 · Posted: Mon Jun 18, 2012 1:33 pm Post subject:

Dracula58 · Joined: 20 Nov 2007 Posts: 2689 Location: Columbus Ohio

SteelKing728 · Joined: 23 Aug 2008 Posts: 10874 Location: Pittsburgh

I don't think we are looking at the end of football as we know it.

But players must be smarter with their money. You can have millions of dollars, but you should still save it. Don't blow all your money or "help out" all your friends. Be thoughtful of your family's needs as well.

The NFL will lose money. If they take the proper steps by tweaking the rules, take ultimate care with concussions, and maybe do something with the helmets (I don't know what they do. Helmets cannot prevent concussions) then it won't be as bad.

and really, players have to understand its a violent game, but if the NFL takes all the right steps into protecting players, then they can't be pointing fingers. No one will guarentee you perfect safety. If your looking for that, then don't play sports.
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SouthwestSteel · Joined: 08 Jan 2008 Posts: 1290

There are enough players in the pipeline for the NFL . . . for now. But nobody in this thread is discussing the ramifications of lawsuits on the lower tiers, i.e., pee-wee through college football. When I posted it I gave it the title American football, not the NFL, and for a good reason. The NFL is just a part of a greater liability issue that is gaining momentum.

While earning one of my graduate degrees I took international law. And I was very struck at how litigious American society is compared to say, Japan. We have about 10 times the number of lawyers per capita!

When you hear various NFL players saying they would not want their sons to play football, this will only add to the cha-ching sounds already thundering in the ears of a subset of lawyers.

I hope it doesn't head this way, but I wouldn't be at all surprised if some schools at various levels of competition start to drop football due to extreme liability concerns. As a parallel, such concerns take their toll on the medical profession, and even for those of us who teach wilderness survival. And having people sign waivers has failed to protect individuals in actual court cases.

In everyday life, every year hundreds of new laws come into effect, and most of us know nothing about them, until we are in violation. This is a reflection of how much an explosion of laws, lawsuits, and never ending legislation has begun to strangle Americans. Some of these laws are wise, but many are a reflection of an increasing Nanny-state mentality. The NFL is quite likely to be impacted by these larger and over-arching trends . . .