Specifically, the players are alleging:
1. The NFL illegally and unethically supplied players serious pain medications, including addictive opioids, and NSAIDs such as torodol.
2. The NFL did so for financial gain, in order to keep them in competition rather than allowing them to rest and heal.
3. The NFL “fraudulently concealed” the dangerous side effects of the drugs from players.
3. The illegal prescription of these painkillers has led to dangerous medical conditions later in life, including painkiller addiction, stage 3 renal failure and high blood pressure.
More than 500 other former players have signed on to the lawsuit, which was filed today in U.S. District Court in San Francisco, according to lawyers representing the former athletes. They are looking to make the case a class action lawsuit. (read more)
Thursday, May 22, 2014
Fusion: Former-NFL Players File Lawsuit Against the NFL Alleging Illegal Use of Painkillers By The League
"Another summer, another class-action lawsuit against the NFL. This time, eight former NFL players—Richard Dent, Jim McMahon, Jeremy Newberry, Roy Green, J.D. Hill, Keith Van Horne, Ron Stone, and Ron Pritchard—filed a class-action lawsuit alleging that the NFL supplied them with illegally prescribed painkillers throughout their careers, which led to medical complications such as addiction later in life."
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16 comments:
17 year old HS junior, 5-9, 270 pounds, already redshirted, thigh and calf bones becoming splayed from the weight and abuse. Told to bulk up if he wants to get into a good Div 1 program.
College sophomore now, sitting out the year with stress fracture, on pain killers and his back spasms need steady regimen of muscle relaxants.
College junior, jumping to pros.
Reserve lineman, playing little because of the injuries he brought with him.
Let go after 3.5 years, the median length of time someone plays in the pro leagues. Wishes he had a degree.
Does not feel beholden to the NFL for the chance to play and become rich and famous.
The question isn't whether this lawsuit will succeed.
The question is what took so long.
Hard to believe that players didn't know what they were taking or the long term consequences.
They wanted the glory and the money, so they took the chance.
Nonetheless, the practice of using painkillers and addictive drugs to keep players on the field probably should be stopped and lawsuits are probably the only way to do that.
I agree w/ ST. Both sides are culpable.
Painkillers in the NFL?
NFW!
It's OK for everyone to take pain killers - except Rush Limbaugh.
Keith Van Horne only took painkillers so he could bear banging Eleanor Mondale.
Or, as Rush would say "WHAT?"
Hard to believe that players didn't know what they were taking or the long term consequences.
You've apparently never spent time around football players if you think they're down with medical science and question what authority tells them to do.
I'm torn on this issue. The players knew damn well what they were doing. The team doctors did as well.
Whatever happens, the lawyers get paid, so I'm happy.
You've apparently never spent time around football players if you think they're down with medical science and question what authority tells them to do.
I was an all-conference high school football player for 4 years. Not a high level, to be sure.
Even on that level, coaches were trying to wangle players to stay on the field despite serious injuries.
By the time I was a sophomore in high school, I'd suffered several serious concussions and I knew that it was stupid to take the challenge from my coaches to play through those injuries.
What would Vince Lombardi say?
Those guys are supposed to play with pain.
Or is that just Rambo?
Yeah, ST, and how many did play through the injuries? Ever been around big time college athletics? I have. Those guys aren't exactly going to start the next Google, not the vast bulk of them.
And most people will do whatever a doctor tells them to do, regardless of the person's background. People just tend to assume that doctors aren't going to do any harm. Something about an oath, I believe.
The Chargers team doc is reportedly the worst one. The local San Diego paper did an expose on some of the shit he's pulled. Guys who should have been in the ER sent back out.
The NFL is going to turn into boxing. Its hard to imagine now, because it is so popular, but I remember when the Ali-Frazier fight was the biggest thing in sports.
ARM .... you are right. I lost interest of any kind in football, college or pro, a couple years ago. Just. Became. Boring. And v-e-r-y obviously juiced to the ultimate degree. Pain killers are the least of their problems. Just ask Lyle Alzado.
Oh, wait...
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