NFL And Courts Rescind Max Cap On Concussions Lawsuit, Kevin Turner Present On Capitol Hill

((HT: Kevin Turner Foundation))

The NFL agreed to remove the US$675 million cap on damages in the 20,000 concussion-related claims put forth in a lawsuit against the league since it was widely thought that the money would run out sooner than all affected could receive their part of the settlement.

The settlement is designed to last at least 65 years and cover retired players who develop ALS, dementia or other neurological problems believed to be caused by concussions suffered during their playing days.

The original settlement was:

$675 million for compensatory claims
$75 million for testing and
$10 million for medical research and education.

The NFL would also pay an additional $112 million to the players' lawyers

That cap is gone, but there is a formula that involves math concerning a plaintiff's age and severity of illness.

At the same time in Washington DC, something called the "Senate Aging Committee" met to figure out how to examine the long-term impact of sports-related brain injuries. Former WWE'er Chris Nowinski was scheduled to speak during the hearings.

But he wasn't the only one...

Here's the speech on Capitol Hill by Craig Sanderson- speaking for former Alabama running back Kevin Turner and the Kevin Turner Foundation

Post by The Kevin Turner Foundation.

Turner was quoted once the settlement was figured out:

"The compensation provided in this settlement will lift a heavy burden off of the men who are suffering," he said in a statement. "I am also personally comforted by the knowledge that this settlement is guaranteed to be there for any retired player who needs it."

Full disclosure: OSG Sports supports the Kevin Turner Foundation and others suffering from ALS

Congress interested in investigating NFL Bounties

Sen. Richard Durbin (D) Illinois

Really?

The government body that can barely agree on the time of day or if water is wet wants to investigate a problem in a professional sport?

Sorry, we generally don't like interjecting our political thoughts when it comes to sports, however, that appears to not be the case of Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois.

We say that there at least 1 or 2 more important things for the "Esteemed" body to spend their time with.

Durbin would like to convene the Senate's judiciary committee to find out more about the "Bounty" system the New Orleans Saints used to employ and got in a whole lot of trouble with. He wants to know if the other major sports do anything similar.

The short answer to that should be: "None of your damn business".

And that answer is not to belittle what the Saints did. It was wrong, they knew it was wrong and are now suffering because of it. We also aren't naive enough to think it might be something no other teams do.

That is why the leagues have discipline.

Once again, the Senate, Congress or any other political branch should keep their collective noses out of it. It quite honestly is not any of their business.

And even if it were, whichever side of the aisle (Durbin is a Democrat), is for it...the other would be completely against it, whether it was right or wrong. So anything they could potentially do, would never actually happen anyway. Heck, they can't agree on a budget, why would they agree on something like this?

And that folks, in a nutshell (or sentence), is why the country is stuck in first gear and why big businesses, such as the NFL can do whatever they see fit.