Players sue NFL over "Substituting player health for profit"

[SPTO]

Quote: Originally Posted by p_rushing

Maybe the NFL will throw them some money to make the story go away.

The NFL seems very recalcitrant about this whole thing, not just this story but anything to do with the retired players is met with a brick wall of silence. I do think you're onto something here as I can definitely see the ol' "money will solve everything" tactic being used.

[wwharton]

Quote: Originally Posted by p_rushing

The pain killers stuff from the team trainers may not really be illegal. If the team has a doctor at the stadium, they could easily stay they talked to the doctor and they said to give them this. The doctor then writes the script and you never really have to see the doctor. It works like that in a hospital where a nurse may call the doctor and say the patient is having this issue and they say give them this drug. The script gets written behind the scenes. Now I'm sure they probably weren't following the laws though and if they were getting scripts, they where getting them after the fact. Plus they were giving them way too many pills which is not legal now, not sure about the past. With it being in the past, I'm not sure what the players are expecting from the lawsuit. The players are admitting to participating in illegal drug trade, which I'm sure are a whole bunch of felonies. I think the only thing that will come from it will be that the NFL puts more control in place. If they put more controls in though, I'm sure the NFLPA won't like that as they probably will need more tests or make it extremely hard to get meds from the team. Maybe the NFL will throw them some money to make the story go away.

I think the biggest issue is these players trusted experts (team doctors) who were either lying to them directly, or not being completely honest... or just telling them to take stuff knowing there were long term effects but not sharing that information with the players.

Players put their health in the hands of these doctors who have been more motivated to find ways to keep players on the field than care about what that would do to them years later.

[p_rushing]

I agree with that, but I'm sure the NFL will say we already paid out a huge amount for all medical issues for retired players.

[jasontoddwhitt]

I guess Playmakers and Any Given Sunday (and to a lesser extent Varsity Blues) were hitting closer to home than people wanted to give them credit for.

[wwharton]

Quote: Originally Posted by p_rushing

I agree with that, but I'm sure the NFL will say we already paid out a huge amount for all medical issues for retired players.

But they haven't done anything to curb the shady practices of team doctors. I think the bulk of the retired players are thinking about themselves but this is also an issue about the NFL going forward.

[p_rushing]

Ditka was on Mike & Mike and had great points and I feel most likely the same.

Basically he said that he took stuff, pills & shots before the games, but he always asked them for something so he could play. He wanted to be on the field and the only way he could was the meds. He said he didn't know if it was right for the team/doctor to give him the meds, but he was the one asking for them.

That's how I feel. The players want to be on the field and will ask for those meds. Sure the team/doctors should advise them on the risks and make sure they aren't taking too many, but its the same thing as concussions. Players want to be on the field and will do what they can to stay there.

[mestevo]

Quote: Originally Posted by p_rushing

Ditka was on Mike & Mike and had great points and I feel most likely the same. Basically he said that he took stuff, pills & shots before the games, but he always asked them for something so he could play. He wanted to be on the field and the only way he could was the meds. He said he didn't know if it was right for the team/doctor to give him the meds, but he was the one asking for them. That's how I feel. The players want to be on the field and will ask for those meds. Sure the team/doctors should advise them on the risks and make sure they aren't taking too many, but its the same thing as concussions. Players want to be on the field and will do what they can to stay there.

Doctors have an ethical responsibility that supersedes winning a football game. Asking for drugs doesn't make it right, just as letting a concussed player determine if they should be able to go back in isn't something that is allowed either.

'Same thing as concussions' ...lol. Yeah, I'm sure that's what the plaintiffs are hoping a trial or settlement offer will concede, as that's already costing the NFL probably north of a billion dollars.

[Sportsforever]

I saw Dan Marino has now sued the NFL over concussions…I thought the NFL had already payed out the concussion suit, didn't they?