By Ken Reed
After a four-year battle, federal judge Anita Brody approved a $1 billion NFL concussion settlement agreement earlier this week.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and league owners are celebrating the deal.
A group of former players who are suffering from the effects of football-induced brain trauma (including Parkinson’s and Lou Gehrig’s disease), and their families, are happy to soon be receiving some money from the settlement, even if it’s less than they wanted, or deserved.
“What matters now is time, and many retired football players do not have much left,” said plaintiff Kevin Turner, a former New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles running back who has Lou Gehrig’s disease.
For younger players, including those still active, and fans of football, justice and transparency, the deal reeks.
First of all, the average individual award will be only $190,000. This for a league that has annual revenues of close to $10 billion.
Second, part of the deal is that the NFL will never have to disclose what it knew about the risks of chronic brain trauma and concussions and when it knew it. For that reason alone, the NFL comes out in good shape.
Unfortunately, the general public won’t know the details of a possible NFL coverup on the concussion front. Perhaps more importantly, parents of young football players will be denied some information regarding the risks of having their children participate in tackle football.
— Ken Reed, Sports Policy Director, League of Fans
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