Another Concussion Lawsuit

I guess that former Detroit Lions running back Jahvid Best missed the big concussion lawsuit that was in the news recently. Over 1,200 former NFL players were part of that lawsuit. They even had a settlement. Then they didn't. Then they debated some more. It's generated quite a bit of attention. Best must have missed all of that. He's brought his concussion lawsuit against the NFL. Maybe being the lone wolf will get him noticed more.

Jahvid Best filed suit against the league in Wayne County, Michigan alleging that the NFL was aware of the risks of head injuries suffered by players but didn't do enough to protect players from getting them. Best also named helmet manufacturer Riddell as a defendant in the suit. He's seeking unspecified "economic and noneconomic damages." The Detroit Lions are not part of the suit because Best has a separate workman's compensation claim pending against the team.

Best's history of concussions started while he was playing football at Cal. The most significant of his two noted concussions at Cal involved diving for a touchdown against Oregon St., being spun into the air to a height of about ten feet, and landing on his head on the Memorial Stadium turf. It was a pretty scary sight. The resulting concussion ended his Cal football career. Next stop, Detroit and the NFL. Best entered the NFL with a pretty significant concussion history. He has to accept some of the responsibility for continuing to play football. Despite the dollars of a first round contract, no one forced Jahvid Best to take his chances with the violence of the NFL.

I think that the NFL has done a horrible job of taking care of their former players. These are the players that formed the game that is a runaway hit today. The NFL Players Association has shown even less love for these players. The NFLPA really turned their back to their older brothers. I agreed with the big lawsuit simply because it is forcing everyone that's getting rich now to do what they should have been doing all along. I've never understood how the league could honor all of the former greats at the Pro Football Hall of Fame inductions in August and then ignore them until the next photo shoot. It was a joke. The NFL should have felt obligated to share the wealth from the moment that they started getting wealthy.

I also think that the players have to accept some of the responsibility for the injuries that they suffer while playing football. Jahvid Best said that the NFL was aware of the risks of head injuries. No shit. Everyone has been aware of the risk of head injuries in football. That's why there's been some form of a helmet in football for about a century. A recent poll of 320 NFL players showed that 85% would play in the Super Bowl with a concussion. The football players have to accept some of the responsibility.