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2,000 ex-NFL players file suit against league

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    NFL accused of concealing dangerous effects of hard hits

  • Duration 6:09
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The NFL now faces the biggest lawsuit of its kind -- player concussions plaintiffs argue that the league misled them about the effects of tough hits on the football field.

Associated Press is reporting more than 3000.

Plaintiffs joined this -- a lawsuit filed earlier this day.

More than 2000 of them are former players lawyers call this -- master complaint combining dozens of related suits against the NFL.

They accuse the league of turning a blind -- the safety risk even glorifying the most violent hits.

Which doctors say -- permanent brain damage.

The NFL the -- denies that it ever misled anybody.

For some context here the players association reports the average life expectancy for an NFL players 58 years.

Overall the average American man lives almost two decades longer 76.

Trace Gallagher in the West Coast news of this afternoon the NFL already cracking down on -- it's right.

Yet the league isn't stated year old ship that -- you gotta protect players against head to head hits in there imposing fines and even penalties like suspensions and this hit on Colt McCoy by James Harrison this got him a one game suspension that they're trying to stop right here look.

The lawsuit alleges the NFL has known about these dangerous hits for years yet they have glamorize them.

And in some case even compensated that was.

So how do you tell a guy hey maybe you should lay off and not hit as hard when if you do hit as hard and you are as feared in defense is.

Are better because of the what you hit.

You might be paid more.

Of course a lawsuit comes in the wake of three high profile former players committing suicide.

Chargers Junior -- the -- -- and and the Atlanta Falcons rate -- link all three shot themselves in the chest.

Their brains are being studied for brain damage you know one of the plaintiffs seeking here trade.

Well they want the NFL to be able to monitor all veteran players to see if they have any kind of brain ailments and they also want the NFL to pay for that treatment but the NFL says this lawsuit.

Is counterproductive saying and I'm quoting here.

It stands in contrast to the league's many actions to better protect players.

And advance the science and medical understanding of the management and treatment of concussions.

Whatever happens in court pro football will never be the same but experts believe the fans are okay with that was.

I think the fans they wanna see the big hits they wanna see the big tackles but they also want to see their legends they -- -- walk and -- at the age of sixty and seventy.

-- -- -- cases you have these veterans and you know there are some of the most extreme cases where these players.

Are committing suicide because they can't live with the head injuries in the trauma and the other and there are some legends who can't even walking get out of bed at night.

Doctors say two players running head to head at twenty miles per hour -- the same forced 18100 pounds of four ship that's about the same as a tigers.

Bite.

Wow Joyce Gallagher in the Los Angeles thank you the legal panels and former prosecutor -- his legal analyst Arthur -- Dolly is the only one.

That's -- -- attorney and I talked to our legal analyst Mercedes Colwin is the beautiful what it's so Mercedes.

You don't if this is awful I mean don't -- I'm not trying to diminish what -- these people far from it but you don't think this is going anywhere.

I think there's a huge defense here and it's called a collective bargaining agreement the players have an agreement with the NFL and that agreement controls everything.

Player safety their salaries.

And rules regarding safety in fact the NFL says women and CB AA says.

You get to choose -- you surgeons are you every team has or certified or so -- so if there's an injury.

They're the ones that certified the return to play for these players the NFL has nothing to do with it and by the way the -- says.

If the NFL players association is upset about some of the safety issues there's a whole complaint procedure talk this about it we can change the rules.

And at the end note of this emotion is going to be that's being crafted to dismiss all -- -- same.

-- we can change these rules -- this complaint procedure and ultimately it's the player who chooses the doctor.

And their doctors are the ones come -- -- Europe -- plan.

So now you're in front of a judge in eastern district of Pennsylvania federal court and the plaintiffs presumably -- gonna come up with documentation shepherd.

That shows that the NFL knew.

That teaching players.

-- especially defensive players go for the -- Head dead conduct -- contact if you don't -- in the head you're gonna be benched they knew.

They knew that that was gonna cause people to live twenty years less and yet they sat on it.

They didn't disclose that there will be an enormous amount of pressure on a federal judge in Pennsylvania to just dismiss this case.

Based on some collective bargaining agreement procedural.

Poppycock.

Nah that's just but you would you go to some big -- huge law firm shippers and judge procedurally speaking this and then you have a statistic that you just put up there that you of these guys limits when he -- less.

If it's -- it it they should show the NFL knew that.

They had to show conspiracy which they have been able to show you know as a litigator when you say conspiracy you better tell us who these co conspirators are you better give us -- you can't just say there's a huge conspiracy by the NFL to disguise all this.

It can't they do not even even there to talk about those entries the players are having discussions and there are lots of laws that protect those discussions between players and their doctors.

And it's they're doctors who are certifying them to come forward and frankly there's all these other issues regarding the CBS and that's one of the -- want when you have actually issues but -- -- judgment.

The -- there have been cases out there repeatedly win these players are brought in cases about safety the judges have routinely sit you've got this agreement that can sit back and -- Have a -- I don't -- you know I was getting hit hard and you let me get her.

You let me get.

You get hurt you can't get hurt what about the penalties that that the market went up but -- Don't see on the book that you use your helmet you really can't get to -- -- in the nineteenth place -- 1987.

I had my.

Called -- appears to clean water and owners slapping that happened.

I don't let them all races and -- on around you made out.

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