Former NFL Players Object to CTE Benefits Cutoff Date for Incentivizing Suicide

On Friday, February 27, ten former NFL players objected to the revised settlement proposed in the long-running NFL concussion injury litigation.

The objectors, dissatisfied with the recent amendments made February 13, mainly take issue with the “arbitrary cutoff date” for players’ families to receive benefits when a player dies with CTE. Originally the plan was to pay $4 million in benefits to the families of players who died with CTE prior to July 7, 2104. Under the most recent proposal, the cutoff date for …

March 1, 2015 Litigation / NFL

Judge Overturns NFL Arbitrator’s Denial of Peterson’s Appeal

U.S. District Judge David Doty found that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell had no authority to retroactively apply the NFL’s new policy and that NFL arbitrator Henderson “simply disregarded the law of the shop and in doing so failed to meet his duty under the [Collective Bargaining Agreement signed on August 4, 2011].” The judge remanded the case to follow further proceedings under the rules of the collective bargaining agreement.

Peterson had been suspended until at least by April 15 pursuant to the new personal conduct …

February 27, 2015 NFL / Trademark

“I’m just here so I won’t get fined” Trademarked by Lynch in Response to Fans

Last week, Seattle Seahawks star running back Marshawn Lynch filed a trademark of the now-household phrase “I’m just here so I won’t get fined,” which he popularized during Super Bowl XLIX media day.

Marshawn Lynch has had a storied history with the media, giving reporters little to nothing worth printing during interviews. Some say it is selfish for him to withhold his opinion from his fan base, and some say it is unfair to force the football player to speak about the game. Either …

February 26, 2015 NFL / Trademark

Lawyers for Redskins Put Different Spin on Trademark Case

The Redskins filed a motion to overturn the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board’s decision to cancel the team’s trademark because it infringes on freedom of speech rights and “unfairly singles the team out.”

The lawyers for the team argued that the cancellation decision “unfairly singles out the Redskins for disfavored treatment based solely on the content of its protected speech, interfering with the ongoing public discourse over the Redskins’ name by choosing sides and cutting off the debate. This the U.S. Constitution does not tolerate.”…

February 23, 2015 Concussions / NFL

NFL Concussion Suit: Further Changes to Settlement Agreement

Both the plaintiffs and the NFL amended the tentative settlement plan in the NFL concussion suit again in response to U.S. District Court Judge Anita Brody.

Early in February, Judge Brody issued an order that contained recommendations to “enhance the fairness, reasonableness and adequacy” of the proposed settlement agreement. The parties had until Friday to address her five concerns.

First, Judge Brody urged to expand the provision that only counted NFL playing seasons in calculating eligibility of players. The revised agreement credits a half-season for …

February 9, 2015 NFL

Oakland Raiders Victorious in Age Discrimination Lawsuit

On Wednesday, February 4, the Oakland Raiders were named victor in an age discrimination lawsuit brought by two former scouts claiming they were fired with discriminatory intent.

Oakland Raiders national scout Bruce Kebric and director of college scouting Jon Kingdon brought the age discrimination lawsuit after they were fired back in 2012. When longtime owner Al Davis died in late 2011, his son, Mark Davis, took control of the franchise. Davis hired Reggie McKenzie as general manager, and the two set their sights on ending …

February 4, 2015 Concussions / NFL

Judge Says NFL Concussion Settlement Needs Changes

On Monday, February 2, Judge Anita Brody of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania denied the proposed class action settlement agreement reached between the NFL and thousands of former NFL players suing the league for concussion related injuries.

The lawsuit alleges that the NFL intentionally downplayed the risks of concussion-related injuries & their long-term effects on cognitive decline. In august of 2013, the NFL and over 4,500 players reached a settlement amounting to $765 million. The settlement has been a point of contention over the last …

February 3, 2015 NFL

Years Later, Testing Reveals Mosi Tatupu Had CTE

More than four years after his 2010 death, the family of Mosi Tatupu learned that the former New England Patriots running back suffered from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE). CTE is a degenerative brain disease linked to repetitive head injuries such as those sustained by football players.

Tatupu was a fan favorite among Patriots fans during his thirteen season career with the team. It’s no surprise either; he was loved by teammates, was always smiling and developed his own fan section – “Mosi’s Mooses.” Yet, his …

January 16, 2015 Intellectual Property, Copyright, and Trademark / NFL / Trademark

US Gov’t Joins Fight Against “Redskins” Trademark

On Friday, January 9, the United States Department of Justice filed a notice of intervention with the Eastern District of Virginia to intervene in the lawsuit between Washington’s football team and the Native American group, who successfully petitioned to have the team’s trademarks revoked.

The lawsuit stems from a June ruling by the US Patent & Trademark Office that revoked six of the Washington football team’s trademarks as the term “Redskin” was determined to be disparaging to a substantial amount of Native Americans during the …

January 15, 2015 NFL

Bears Cornerback Tim Jennings Arrested: DUI, Speeding

Chicago’s Tim Jennings was arrested on Wednesday in Georgia for driving under the influence and speeding as well as reckless driving (you can learn more from Louisiana Speeding Ticket Lawyer and how they handle cases such as this). Initially, he was stopped for driving 99 mph in a 65-mph zone. Jennings reportedly told the officer that he was late for a parent-teacher conference. Then the arresting officer “noticed a strong odor of alcoholic beverages and began a DUI investigation. Ultimately, Jennings was charged with …