Head Games

“In seven years since the settlement opened, the NFL has paid out nearly $1.2 billion to more than 1,600 former players and their families — far more than experts predicted during settlement negotiations. The league points to these figures as evidence of the settlement’s fairness. But behind the scenes, the settlement routinely fails to deliver money and medical care to former players suffering from dementia and CTE, a Washington Post investigation found, saving the NFL hundreds of millions of dollars, if not more.” WaPo (Gift Article) investigates how the NFL has handled it concussion payouts in the years since they reached a settlement with players. The Concussion Files. It’s been interesting to see the impact that the concussion revelations have had on the sport. Participation at the youth level has diminished somewhat. But the NFL is bigger than ever, and the upcoming Super Bowl will certainly set viewership records.