MarkAF43 Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 I guess what I don't understand is it's not that they took them they are complaining that they did not understand the consequences. Certainly in the 80's and 90's it was well known that they were addictive and had other side effects. If they had perscriptions they came with a printout that listed them. But if the team gave the pills out, not so much. But that kinda implies that the team gave them out every 6 hours or by the handful. I guess back then it would not surprise me. (North Dallas Forty) . IMO it comes down to preying on the weak. they knew these players wanted and needed to play or they would be replaced, so it was easier to get them to buy in when they knew the other option was to be out of the league. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. WEO Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 (edited) IMO it comes down to preying on the weak. they knew these players wanted and needed to play or they would be replaced, so it was easier to get them to buy in when they knew the other option was to be out of the league. The players who brought the suit were hardly weaklings struggling to keep their jobs.Let's say that they all had some team doctor's prescription for every player. Why would that matter? Do you think these guys would not have sued if the team's Dr. Feelgood was the one dispensing the pills? Of course they would still sue.And what if the teams offered NO pain medicine of any kind and the players were not able to continue to play, and thus cut. Would they be better off now? Broke (sooner) but maybe a bit more healthy? Edited May 21, 2014 by Mr. WEO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkAF43 Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 The players who brought the suit were hardly weaklings struggling to keep their jobs.Let's say that they all had some team doctor's prescription for every player. Why would that matter? Do you think these guys would not have sued if the team's Dr. Feelgood was the one dispensing the pills? Of course they would still sue.And what if the teams offered NO pain medicine of any kind and the players were not able to continue to play, and thus cut. Would they be better off now? Broke (sooner) but maybe a bit more healthy? I wasn't saying the players were weaklings who struggled to keep their job, what I was saying is that it is easier for the team to prey on the mindset that players have that if they aren't playing due to injury well then, wink wink nudge nudge, we may need to find someone who can stay healthy. If a player develops that mindset, then it's very possible they cave to whatever the team suggests to get them back on the field. In hindsight, which is always 20/20, of course they will sue, I was just giving my opinion that the owners had all the control, and if the players really stood up to them, it could've resulted in them becoming unemployed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RealityCheck Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 The majority of people could care less about the health of these players. They are a disposable asset to the team, and they are a disposable source of entertainment to the fans. In the court of public opinion, they will be found guilty of partaking in a culture that the average American desk jockey will never understand, nor have the capacity to empathize with. Yes, be the man that gives it up for his team and fans at all costs, and when you get hurt or crippled, hit the bricks. At least we can agree that opiates in the name of financial gain and a shot at the playoffs is acceptable. Children need to make note of this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. WEO Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 I wasn't saying the players were weaklings who struggled to keep their job, what I was saying is that it is easier for the team to prey on the mindset that players have that if they aren't playing due to injury well then, wink wink nudge nudge, we may need to find someone who can stay healthy. If a player develops that mindset, then it's very possible they cave to whatever the team suggests to get them back on the field. In hindsight, which is always 20/20, of course they will sue, I was just giving my opinion that the owners had all the control, and if the players really stood up to them, it could've resulted in them becoming unemployed. Stood up to them how? By refusing to take the pain killers? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkAF43 Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 Stood up to them how? By refusing to take the pain killers? yes, and saying I'm hurt, I'm unable to play. Instead of being handed a bucket of pills and take them so that they can play Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hplarrm Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 I'm sure the NFL was really forcing it on them This is just as ridiculous as the concussion lawsuit which numerous players joined just to get their name mentioned and to try and cash out. Gary Cobb is a former LB who now works in radio in Philly and is running for some type of office. When he joined the lawsuit he said he suffered from memory loss but when questioned by his competitor about how he would handle office with his condition he said he doesn't have a condition or suffer from memory loss. He back peddled by saying he at times suffered memory loss but doesn't anymore How ridiculous is that This sounds like confirmation that he is mentally addled. If his testimony were consistent this would be a demonstration he is mentally fine! It seems reasonable that a court of fact would determine whether the employer has taken actions for which there should be compensation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fingon Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 This lawsuit is why the NFL shouldn't test for marijuana. Handing out prescription pills to your players opens you up to liability, and taking weed off the banned substance list doesn't. These players need some way to relieve their pain, and addictive opiates aren't the answer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K-9 Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 My question is, what does Drew Brees think of this lawsuit? GO BILLS!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RealityCheck Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 This lawsuit is why the NFL shouldn't test for marijuana. Handing out prescription pills to your players opens you up to liability, and taking weed off the banned substance list doesn't. These players need some way to relieve their pain, and addictive opiates aren't the answer. I am with you 100% on this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbb Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 I'm sure the NFL was really forcing it on them This is just as ridiculous as the concussion lawsuit which numerous players joined just to get their name mentioned and to try and cash out. Gary Cobb is a former LB who now works in radio in Philly and is running for some type of office. When he joined the lawsuit he said he suffered from memory loss but when questioned by his competitor about how he would handle office with his condition he said he doesn't have a condition or suffer from memory loss. He back peddled by saying he at times suffered memory loss but doesn't anymore How ridiculous is that Maybe he forgot that he had a memory problem? It's like last year's headlines about Joe D having brain damage - and then hearing him talk eloquently about it that day on GR. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leh-nerd skin-erd Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 (edited) I disagree, I put most of the blame on the teams. The one quote that stood out to me was the "I would come in and they would have a cup with my name on it" The NFL between this lawsuit and the concussion lawsuit is in a crap ton of trouble IMO. I would be willing to bet the painkilles players take are even more powerful, higher QTY and dosage then what it was 10-15 years ago. The quote referenced is from one of the parties to the lawsuit. This may well be true, but certainly could be out of context or an outright lie. It certainly feeds into the charicature of the greedy robber baron stomping on the throat of the little guy. I agree the NFL is in trouble with these lawsuits. The storyline is tailor made to pit the hapless guy in the trenches against bigFootball. I fall into the camp of seeing the truth a somehwhere in the middle, and wonder at a guy coming back and saying "I took 20 pills a day....look at what they did to me.". Edited May 21, 2014 by leh-nerd skin-erd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbb Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 It's like old smokers saying "we never thought it was bad for us."................Neither of my parents smoked because they knew it was bad for them - and they were born in the '20s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YoloinOhio Posted May 22, 2014 Share Posted May 22, 2014 Todd Clausen @ToddJClausen 26m Former #Bills WR JD Hill among those suing NFL over use of pain meds http://www.wgrz.com/mobile/mobile_article.aspx?storyid=9394311 … Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hapless Bills Fan Posted May 22, 2014 Share Posted May 22, 2014 (edited) Gary Cobb is a former LB who now works in radio in Philly and is running for some type of office. When he joined the lawsuit he said he suffered from memory loss but when questioned by his competitor about how he would handle office with his condition he said he doesn't have a condition or suffer from memory loss. He back peddled by saying he at times suffered memory loss but doesn't anymore Obviously, his memory loss caused him to forget he suffered from memory loss! I think the concussion concerns are real, but that's not to say that every player that signs up is truly suffering. It's like last year's headlines about Joe D having brain damage - and then hearing him talk eloquently about it that day on GR. Again, not saying everyone who says they have a problem, in fact has that problem On the other hand, helping a friend sort out her mom's affairs....mom had definite memory problems that were causing her to mess up her health and her financial affairs, but she could "hold it together" for specific events, such as when being interviewed by social workers to see if she had a memory problem....problems can be sporadic and still serious and life-affecting Bunch of crap. These guys did whatever they could to get on the field and play because they were more scared of losing their jobs. Mike Golic and his brother Bob confirmed that, and they were pluggers and not the stars of the league like some of these guys. Now if the NFL hid info about injuries, that's another story. Friend of mine was asked to sub for the team doc at a hockey game. "Stitch me up, Doc, I'm fine..none of that numbing stuff, make it quick!". Exactly so, players willing to take the risk because of love of the game, fear of losing their spot to a backup, drive to win....some combination of all those things. Some of the claims are that the team docs (team?) knew about broken bones and other abormalities (proteinuria) and didn't inform the patients (players). Not cool if true. Edited May 22, 2014 by Hopeful Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Posted May 22, 2014 Share Posted May 22, 2014 This reminds me of a case at one of my hospitals when I was an anesthesia resident, involving an attending who was a jerk. He did a labor epidural on a patient and she ended up getting a spinal headache (known complication) and claimed she was debilitated by it to the point of being bedridden. And since he forgot to fill out the informed consent part (or didn't do it), she claimed she was never told that could have happened and never would have had the epidural if she had known. Yeah, right! You could tell a woman in labor that you have a 50% chance of dying and they'd still take the epidural, never mind a potential complication with a low incidence of occurrence! In any case, the group hired a private investigator who found her dancing and playing with her kids with no problems, so she had to drop the lawsuit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C.Biscuit97 Posted May 22, 2014 Share Posted May 22, 2014 Face it. The NFL could care less about their players' health. They were trying to add more games before the lawsuits started happening. That's why I fully support each player for getting every possible penny they can. And as long as player doesn't act like a child (Jason Peters), every fan should support the players against the corporation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoSaint Posted May 22, 2014 Share Posted May 22, 2014 (edited) It's a tough spot because I think the issues can vary so much by staff, player, and injury.... I fully believe their were (and probably are) staffs that would manipulate the truth to get players to do what they wanted - and that's trouble when it's health decisions being made. That said I'm sure there were (and are) players that would attempt to run through a brick wall a second time after concussing themselves and breaking an arm the first try if they thought it could help earn a roster spot if they somehow made it through the wall. And surely there are some that just see dollar signs and are in pretty solid health. Edited May 22, 2014 by NoSaint Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marv's Neighbor Posted May 22, 2014 Share Posted May 22, 2014 Knowing that most of these guys are athletes and not scholars, where's the responsibility on the player's side? Taking huge doses of anything, without knowing what you were doing to yourself???? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rico Posted May 22, 2014 Share Posted May 22, 2014 JD Hill of all people was on the Today show this morning around 7:30 EDT, he's one of the former players now suing. I only caught a little bit before I had to leave for work, but he looked & sounded pretty good, I always liked him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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