Concussions and the Future of College Football

[DazzleVol]

I feel like I'm reading the setup to a dystopian future novel.

[goooooovols]

No way.....Eric LeGrand, he will have lifelong disabilities from his injury, possible early death from complications and loss of possible millions in NFL contracts....isn't that just as much a case for lawsuit?

[82_VOL_83]

USA Lacrosse, USA Hockey, what's next USA Football? USA Baseball? Or do they already exist?

[onefesternation]

Originally Posted by rheaco1123

As long as MONEY is coming in, there will be football!

^This. At the root of the lawsuits will still be players and former players that would not have made millions without the sport. Let's face it, the far majority would have struggled in life without sports.

I do recognize that it is a huge issue, but I think it will lead to a vast change in the equipment and rules of the game, not the game going away completely. I saw a story a while back about junior hockey leagues changing the rules and allowing less hitting. I think the answer could be there as well for football.

As damaging as it is for NFL players getting multiple concussions, think about kids getting them in grade school, while their bodies and brains are still developing. I think the rules are going to VASTLY change at that level.

[OCIVol]

Equipment changes will not prevent concussions.

[CountVolcula]

Originally Posted by bornbleddinorange

football will be around as long as america is.

I imagine the Romans thought the same about the Gladiators

[Spartacavolus]

Originally Posted by CountVolcula

I imagine the Romans thought the same about the Gladiators

then I whipped dey ass

[onefesternation]

Originally Posted by OCIVol

Equipment changes will not prevent concussions.

True, but they will help. Think about how many more concussions there would be if the players were still playing without helmets.

[Spartacavolus]

Originally Posted by onefesternation

True, but they will help. Think about how many more concussions there would be if the players were still playing without helmets.

I don't think there would be more

[CountVolcula]

Originally Posted by onefesternation

True, but they will help. Think about how many more concussions there would be if the players were still playing without helmets.

trying to make highlight films causes some of the problems

[OCIVol]

For those interested, below are a couple informative articles.

NFL Concussion Litigation

Latest concussion lawsuit cites Saints' 'bounty' program - NFL.com

[SCvol333]

I am not a lawyer and I suspect at least a couple of posters on this thread are - that being said wouldn't the liability just increase the cost of the football program?

In that case the programs that generate low levels of revenue would be unlikely to be able to incur this cost, but the high revenue generators could and would stay in operation - due to less overall competition for TV viewers this could lead the have's to have even more - further increasing their ability to cover the cost of liability insurance

where there is great revenue potential businesses take great risk - see drilling for oil in the deep ocean - is it a liability nightmare, yes, but can it make a lot of money, yes - so people still do it

Edit...I would not be surprised at all if this ends up turning high school football into flag football though

[OCIVol]

Originally Posted by onefesternation

True, but they will help. Think about how many more concussions there would be if the players were still playing without helmets.

This is entirely incorrect. The same thing used to protect against concussions or other head injuries (helmets) is the main tool used to inflict concussions.

[daj2576]

Originally Posted by OCIVol

The ol' peppercorn. You are correct, and I should've explained better. It's not that kids will not be allowed to play high school or college football, it's that the schools will no longer have football programs due to liability issues.

With all due respect, and I mean that seriously because I find this topic fascinating, I still am unclear on how this would happen.

I think, and I stress think, that the causative link is still too dubious. Even IF the litigant could get around the whole part of tort law regarding assumption of risk and inherently dangerous activities, there still is a problem with the causative chain between the injured and the universities and NFL. If anything, I could see this as being massive law suits against the equipment manufacturers IF these cases could be brought within any sort of statute of limitations.

So, unless I am missing something here are the problems, and they are large. Comparative fault: You can't sue the other player who you hit/hit you due to an assumption of risk, you could try to sue the school but again there would be either an explicit or implied assumption of risk/inherently dangerous activity exclusion, and suing the equipment manufacturer might work if you could prove that the equipment failed within a statutory time period. But, that is all theoretical, where the rubber hits the road is finding the proper venue to sue then assembling a jury.

Again, I do agree that changes will be made and equipment will get much better but I doubt that football would end in any form or fashion.

Think of skydivers, motocross racers, NASCAR drivers, etc. Those things continue, and are inherently dangerous, due to the same sorts of issues described above.

[onefesternation]

Originally Posted by Spartacavolus

I don't think there would be more

Guess we'll just have to agree to disagree there bud. If no changes were made in the last twenty years, except that players were not allowed to wear helmets, I think concussions would be the least of their problems. IMO, we'd have players either dying on the field, or on the way to the hospital.