The NFL’s Double Standard
(The Official NFL Concussion Poster is on the left and on the right, what it might have looked like when Dr. No was still chair of the “Mild” Traumatic Brain Injury Committee. Click on the posters to enlarge for viewing and printing.)
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This past year, we’ve seen some interesting changes as they relate to concussions and brain injuries. With the Congressional Committee going for the jugular on the seriousness of brain injuries as well as some hard-hitting media coverage from sports journalists like Alan Schwarz of the New York Times, we have to agree that there’s been serious movement in terms of acknowledging the reality of brain injuries. In Washington State, we saw the passage of Zach’s Law (named for Zachery Lystedt, a high school student who was paralyzed when he was sent back into a football game by his coach following a serious concussion). Zach’s Law sets a new standard for evaluation of concussions at the public school level that many other states are now beginning to follow. The NFL saw the departure of the co-chair of their “Mild” Traumatic Brain Injury Committee, Ira “Dr. No” Casson, and then created a new committee now re-named the NFL Head, Neck and Spine Committee. To their credit, one of the new co-chairs is a well-respected REAL concussion expert, Dr. Richard Ellenbogen, who actually hails from Seattle and was instrumental in helping to draft Zach’s Law.
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It would seem the NFL is finally – albeit reluctantly – acknowledging the existence of brain concussions and their long-term effects. Which is a good thing. One of our earlier posts covered the new posters that are now going up in locker rooms across the country alerting current players about the importance of taking concussions seriously. (Click HERE to read that earlier post.) And the NFL and the NFLPA also just released their helmet study to show the progress made in equipment improvements. We’ll never know how many drafts the Concussion poster and the helmet study had to go through to finally clear approval with the Groom Law Group and the PR Dept.
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Now we’re going to get back to the issues that matter to retired players: The hypocrisy of all of this is that retired players have been trying to point out the impact of concussions for decades and the League has done everything in its power to discredit their efforts, including denial of their full disability benefits – especially after the long-term effects of brain injuries sustained from their careers in the game. So now, the League wants to look like they’re making good by putting on a full-court campaign to show how proactive they are with concussions. Commissioner Goodell: We all want to see what you plan on doing for the retired players. And NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith: How about bringing this up in your public announcements about the CBA negotiations? If this wasn’t an absolutely perfect storm for the Union to finally stand up for ALL its members on the one issue that affects every active and retired players…
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We mentioned in an earlier post that Brent Boyd had made an analogy comparing the double standard applied to active and retired players when it comes to disability and pension benefits. We think this poster says it all when it comes to how the NFL still treats its retired players. (Click on the poster to enlarge for viewing and printing.)
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Dave Pear
July 28th, 2010 at 6:53 PM #
It seems like just yesterday when Roger Goodell was asked by a former player if he was the “Chairman of the Disability Board” and he wasn’t even sure.
Next we saw him in front of Rep. Maxine Waters at the Congressional hearings where once again, we were hearing Rogers “rhetoric” (gibberish) about all the big benefits he has put in place for retired players. Rep. Waters simply said, “It is time to remove the anti-trust exemption from the NFL.”
Nobody believes you any more, Roger.
Then we all see the Commissioner supporting quack NFL Dr. “NO’ Ira Casson to the bitter end at another Congressional hearing.
Now the Commissioner is claiming to be a leader in the concussion and brain injury ordeal in the NFL.
Roger, by your actions, you’re just another employee who happens to be paid $12,000,000 annually to do exactly what you are told to do. If not, you will be fired. A leader leads but a puppet pretends to lead while someone else is pulling the strings.
What is your plan for retired NFL players and their families who continue to suffer from these serious head injuries? What’s your plan for their broken necks, backs, hips, shoulders and brains?
I guess if this sordid mess ever went to court as a class action law suit you could say, “Look at everything I’ve done”?
Retired players will not back down until we receive justice.
And Brent Boyd brings up a very valid point: Why are retired players escorted to the back of the bus when we’re the ones who have helped expose the disability debacle that was created and designed by the Groom Law Group? And the concussion and head injury cover up?
Please don’t claim ignorance because studies dating back to the 1920′s have long proven this to be a fact.
We will continue to stand firm and seek justice from a greedy business (NFL) that continues to swindle its former employees.
Regards,
Dave & Heidi Pear
Charles T. Hennigan
July 29th, 2010 at 6:37 AM #
We’re still out here! We’re the ones who played gladly for $7,500 per year contracts; the ones who were refused agent representation by the league. Who were – and are – paid a few hundred dollars a month retirement while our current beneficiaries are paid in the tens of thousands a month. We’re the ones on whose concussions and surgeries and progressive decline in health were the fodder from which the multi-billion dollar NFL was built.
Shame on you NFL and NFLPA!
Dr. Charles Hennigan
Houston Oilers
1960 – 1966
Brent Boyd
July 29th, 2010 at 2:23 PM #
First, congrats to Dave & Robert in presenting issues the NFL purposely hides among thousands of boring pages- even some media and Congressmen give up. You have a great talent for dumbing down an issue and getting to the true point. You are truly the best at what you do.
Thanks to Alan Schwarz of the NY Times for his persistence and diligence. If you ever strapped on an NFL helmet, you owe Mr. Schwarz a debt of gratitude.
It was Alan who saw through the fanfare of the NFL’s announcements and pointed out the irony and hypocrisy — at the same time they release these great announcements, the NFL uses 100% contradictory science and BS to beat players in court!
How do we define what the REAL position of the NFL is regarding concussions? As Alan pointed out so well, at the exact time one arm of the NFL is making these grand gestures, Doug Ell/Groom Law Group along with the Disability Board are still using their same decades-old arguments to deny and prevent opening up their huge liability for the carnage that was once our brains. It was MY case being argued in District Court Baltimore, claiming still that – to this day and in spite of overwhelming evidence – to quote the NFL’s official argument “headaches, depression, dizziness (vertigo) and fatigue COULD NOT BE A RESULT OF CONCUSSIONS!” Does ANYONE believe that? Hell no! (Well, maybe DR. NO!)
The proof is what changes are being made by the NFL Retirement/Disability Board — that is, now they have admitted the real dangers of concussions, will the NFL now have to reverse their most egregious and controversial disability denials?
As Alan Schwarz tells you, at the exact time of these phony PR moves, the NFL is in court in Baltimore, fighting my disability claim – the official current position of the NFL regarding concussions is what they state in US District Court Baltimore. Folks, THE OFFICIAL STANCE OF THE NFL IS THAT CONCUSSIONS COULD NOT CAUSE HEADACHES, DEPRESSION, FATIGUE OR DIZZINESS!
Then go back and read their fancy new poster again — those same symptoms that they’re using right now to deny my claim are listed as the most “COMMON SYMPTOMS” post-concussion! Well, Roger and De, which is it? How will you each go down in history: As obstructing science or accepting that the world is round and concussions cause life-long debilitating symptoms. Just ask the wives of the ex-players!
Lawyers (professional liars )…which is it? Both positions can’t be true? How many of YOU retirees have fallen victim to this corrupt disability system? This example shows that one hand doesn’t know what the other is doing; and Doug Ell’s goal is to deny each and every request we file, using corrupt and misleading tactics to protect the NFL’s Billionaire$.
I say “NO MORE! WE’RE TIRED, AND WE DEMAND JUSTICE NOW!” So we can live out the rest of our lives with Dignity. Stay united – they can’t run from these facts if we keep the pressure on both De Smith and Roger Goodell.
Love to you all, I hope you are well
Brent Boyd
Our Facebook pages – your chance to educate the fan: We ALL need to speak up! Click HERE or Click HERE.
And, as always, my original Dignity After Football site – click HERE.
Greg Davis
July 29th, 2010 at 2:19 PM #
Dr. Hennigen,
Many thanks for your road paving that allowed me to have a career! I have seen a lot of the scars that the League-building generation has accrued. In a time before Arthroscopic surgery and advanced surgical techniques, cracking men open was par for the course. You don’t hear much about the heavier price paid by your generation simply due to the less advanced medical practices of the day. As a player rep, I sat in many meetings as the lip service of PAST, present and future were bantered about, with the focus on the present and future. I remember watching the NFL in the late 60′s and early seventies and keeping up with my heroes like Roman Gabriel, Larry Csonka, Rocky Bleier and others. I loved the Game and my heroes, the uniforms and spectacle of it all. It really has affected me getting such a long look behind the curtain. It makes me wish for those Autumn days as a kid in an Atlanta apartment when it was just my heroes and that wonderful spectacle of my youth.
Greg Davis
Atlanta Falcons, New England Patriots, Arizona Cardinals
Minnesota Vikings, San Diego Chargers, Oakland Raiders
1987 – 1998
Dave Pear
July 29th, 2010 at 9:20 PM #
Brent,
Thanks! And very well said! Hang in there and continue to stand firm against these cocksure and reprehensible impostors.
There’s a tipping point coming soon to all of this fraud that continues to be perpetrated against retired players and their families.
Their pomp continues to be wretchedly offensive!
Regards,
Dave & Heidi Pear