Logical Reasoning Posted May 27, 2012 Share Posted May 27, 2012 Football is an incredibly violent sport. A sport that is won through attrition to an extent. Each one of the eleven players has to win an individual battle on every play and collisions are a huge part of it. To blame the NFL the way Joe D does seems wrong and his message, frankly, is becoming boring. As sympathetic as I am to his present-day issues, there is not one commissioner prior to Goodell who understood the damages to the brain that would come. I actually believe that the steps that Goodell has taken with respect to head-shot penalties, less time in the offseason, and continued research on helmets will help. The suit by the 1700 or so players has no merit. Joe D said that he was addicted to the sport that he played and there are many who have been playing since they were very little. I would be in support of some sort of long term care/disability plan via trust that would help players that have such issues as well as a transitional fund to allow help in a movement to another stage of their lives in either an occupational or psychological way. Joe D is an alum of the team I have followed since I was a young boy and I would support him in any way but there are times when you can support someone by showing them the reality of their situation. These realtities aren't always pleasant. Football is a multi-billion dollar industry today and there is a financial debt that todays' players owe to the pioneers like Joe D, but the complaints of those pioneers to the present brain issues have no merit in a courtroom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toshiero Posted May 27, 2012 Share Posted May 27, 2012 Football is an incredibly violent sport. A sport that is won through attrition to an extent. Each one of the eleven players has to win an individual battle on every play and collisions are a huge part of it. To blame the NFL the way Joe D does seems wrong and his message, frankly, is becoming boring. As sympathetic as I am to his present-day issues, there is not one commissioner prior to Goodell who understood the damages to the brain that would come. I actually believe that the steps that Goodell has taken with respect to head-shot penalties, less time in the offseason, and continued research on helmets will help. The suit by the 1700 or so players has no merit. Joe D said that he was addicted to the sport that he played and there are many who have been playing since they were very little. I would be in support of some sort of long term care/disability plan via trust that would help players that have such issues as well as a transitional fund to allow help in a movement to another stage of their lives in either an occupational or psychological way. Joe D is an alum of the team I have followed since I was a young boy and I would support him in any way but there are times when you can support someone by showing them the reality of their situation. These realtities aren't always pleasant. Football is a multi-billion dollar industry today and there is a financial debt that todays' players owe to the pioneers like Joe D, but the complaints of those pioneers to the present brain issues have no merit in a courtroom. And that is what the Judge and appellate courts will tell them. Assumption of risk is a real B word. Also just because you helped the start of the league, it didn't become as popular as it is until the 90's well past his time. Also some information was with held, but the NFL puts a ton of money into the retirement system as is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BiggieScooby Posted May 27, 2012 Share Posted May 27, 2012 Look at all the people who smoked cigarettes in the 1950s before the Surgeon General announced they are bad. The construction workers who were exposed to asbestos before we found out its bad. To say they have no merit and therefore no case is a gross miscalculation. My bet, they are awarded a 10 billion settlement. That's 1700 players at $588,000 per player or the equivalent of one years salary in today's salary cap for a veteran. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RealityCheck Posted May 27, 2012 Share Posted May 27, 2012 Joe D like many made sacrifices for his team and is paying the price. Anyone who knocks the current players for trying to get every penny they can get out of the NFL is a genuine fool. For those sympathizing with Joe D as do I can you imagine 20 years from now what condition the modern players will experience as they are much bigger and faster than the previous generations? Getting shot up with copious amounts of todays anti-inflammatories comes with a cost too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tcali Posted May 27, 2012 Share Posted May 27, 2012 I think all the people who grew up in Lackawanna and the southtowns in the 1970s and before should sue the US Govt and NYS Govt and Erie County for allowing bethlehem steel to pollute the area--causing all the future respiratory problems and cancer/emphysema etc. there used to be an inch or more of grime every day on peoples cars down there that they'd have to wash off.people were breathing that stuff. I'd say that lawsuit is worth 1 trillion dollars.--Lets see..400,000 people affected x 588,000--- about a quarter trillion...plus penalties Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRAWNDO Posted May 27, 2012 Share Posted May 27, 2012 Look at all the people who smoked cigarettes in the 1950s before the Surgeon General announced they are bad. The construction workers who were exposed to asbestos before we found out its bad. To say they have no merit and therefore no case is a gross miscalculation. My bet, they are awarded a 10 billion settlement. That's 1700 players at $588,000 per player or the equivalent of one years salary in today's salary cap for a veteran. That probably would be very bad for the NFL considering total revenues in 2010 were 9 billion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Senator Posted May 27, 2012 Share Posted May 27, 2012 Here's what Joe D said at an event in Lockport yesterday... Joe D said the word "concussion" was never even used while he grew up playing football in Detroit, where he went on to become an All-American at Michigan State before being drafted by the Bills in 1973. "When we played, they didn't call it a concussion. They said, 'You got dinged,' " DeLamielleure said. "And when you felt a little better, you went back in the game." DeLamiellure said for these and other reasons, he's been a vigorous proponent of more research into head injuries and for better pensions for retired players and he expressed dissatisfaction with the NFL's Player's Union on these matters. Joe D said he makes just $1,104 a month from the players' retirement fund. "That's pretty bad," he said. Then he said, "And Drew Brees is still a little piece of crap!" Link - Joe D's in the house Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tcali Posted May 27, 2012 Share Posted May 27, 2012 at least the NFL actually can pay its pensions out of real money--unlike govt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Logical Reasoning Posted May 28, 2012 Author Share Posted May 28, 2012 (edited) I'd like to see your opinion if YOU were on the short end of that stick... I believe there was a genuine lack of awareness of the concussion issues when Joe D was playing. I think the NFL was more in growth/survival mode and they made changes to the Deacon Jones head-slap and some other rules to reduce head injuries so there were efforts to mitigate the damages to players and the costs weren't known. Edited May 28, 2012 by Just Jack removed politics Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuffMuff Posted May 28, 2012 Share Posted May 28, 2012 More than half these guys dont even put thier helmet on correctly. Or wear knee pads,etc....But I do think the older regulars should have better benefits, maybe full medical. But I dont feel sorry for ya, fall back on that FREE 4yr degree if you cant take it in the NFL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheZone78 Posted May 28, 2012 Share Posted May 28, 2012 (edited) Joe D is a bitter whiner suffering from nothing from entitlement mentality. Nobody forced him to play professional football, he took the risks. I feel bad that so many have health issues later in life and even brain trauma, but I'm sorry Joe D, every time you point the finger at somebody else you have three pointing back at you. Edited May 28, 2012 by Just Jack removed politics Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malazan Posted May 28, 2012 Share Posted May 28, 2012 The older players are suffering, but it's not about *if they are suffering*. The question is, "Did the NFL know the impact of concussions and disregard it?" What new players deal with for the most part is up to them. They've been greedy fools that have ignored these type of issues for top max dollar contracts. The NFLPA and by extension the players again have chosen again and again for *max* dollars instead of safety. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tcali Posted May 28, 2012 Share Posted May 28, 2012 (edited) I'd like to see your opinion if YOU were on the short end of that stick... ?? I believe there was a genuine lack of awareness of the concussion issues when Joe D was playing. I think the NFL was more in growth/survival mode and they made changes to the Deacon Jones head-slap and some other rules to reduce head injuries so there were efforts to mitigate the damages to players and the costs weren't known. Edited May 28, 2012 by Just Jack removed politics Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirtbag Posted May 28, 2012 Share Posted May 28, 2012 Football is an incredibly violent sport. A sport that is won through attrition to an extent. Each one of the eleven players has to win an individual battle on every play and collisions are a huge part of it. this sentiment seems logical and well reasoned. the rest of your post, not so much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spiderweb Posted May 28, 2012 Share Posted May 28, 2012 (edited) ?? Edited May 28, 2012 by Just Jack removed politics Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Logical Reasoning Posted May 28, 2012 Author Share Posted May 28, 2012 The older players are suffering, but it's not about *if they are suffering*. The question is, "Did the NFL know the impact of concussions and disregard it?" What new players deal with for the most part is up to them. They've been greedy fools that have ignored these type of issues for top max dollar contracts. The NFLPA and by extension the players again have chosen again and again for *max* dollars instead of safety. Completely agree. It would have interesting to note if during the last collective bargaining, any discussion of long term disability and/or permanent health insurance were discussed or post-football transition. If it was not brought up, than shame on the NFLPA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Jack Posted May 28, 2012 Share Posted May 28, 2012 Keep the EPA/Politics out of this discussion or it will be closed/moved to PPP. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DreamOnDan Posted May 28, 2012 Share Posted May 28, 2012 (edited) ?? so true so so true, live it everyday... Edited May 28, 2012 by Just Jack removed politics Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uncle flap Posted May 28, 2012 Share Posted May 28, 2012 (edited) The older players are suffering, but it's not about *if they are suffering*. The question is, "Did the NFL know the impact of concussions and disregard it?" What new players deal with for the most part is up to them. They've been greedy fools that have ignored these type of issues for top max dollar contracts. The NFLPA and by extension the players again have chosen again and again for *max* dollars instead of safety. To the question of the NFL knowing the impact of concussions - disregarding information is different than actively engaging in a campaign of misinformation. Despite all the relatively new research and data regarding the long term effects of suffering multiple concussions, I don't think it is a novel idea that getting hit in the head repeatedly is not good for you. While the medical understanding is far better and more detailed, the basic idea of protecting one's brain is not some recent revelation. I wouldn't expect the NFL at any time to discourage potential employees (read: assets) from participating by painting a picture of a brain-damaged retirement. Especially when it seems the risks of injury are apparent. Maybe not to the extent that they are understood now, but as I said before, did people really think that getting hit in the head had no effect? Players in all eras must have assumed some risk on their own. Now if the NFL were actively telling players and prospects that the conventional wisdom is wrong, and that for example, the helmets that they wear completely eliminate the risk of concussions, or even that the helmets are safer than they actually are, that IMO would be a basis for litigation. That may in fact be what has transpired, but I think some of the players - not saying Joe D - are naive in saying they had no idea of the risks (or the potential extent of those risks) involved in playing a collision sport. Lastly, I know it's easy to spend other people's money, but I think the owners and players should find a way to truly take care of these former players - not because of a legal obligation, but because they have the means to do so and it seems like the right thing to do (helping the less fortunate, and in a way paying tribute to your predecessors). If you think about it, the $ comes from the fans, and isn't that what the fans want? I know I seemed to contradict myself, but in short what I'm saying is that whether or not the NFL is at fault (in a legal or moral sense) regarding player health, I can't understand why the NFLPA and owners can't come up with a way to further compensate these players when the league is practically printing money. Edited May 28, 2012 by uncle flap Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meathead Posted May 28, 2012 Share Posted May 28, 2012 ive spent a little time with joe d when i was a guest a couple times in the seneca suite. the guy acts like hes got some issues, he alternates between being friendly and funny and a surly self absorbed jerk. kind of unnerving to be honest. i dont know his real personality, after all i was around him probably a total of two hours, which isnt much of a sample, but he doesnt always do himself favors with his own behavior Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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