According to TSN former players have filed a class action law suit against the CFL for $200 million dollars over the concussion brain injury cases that have risen of late in football see link on story
It's unfortunate that it has come to this as most issues could be resolved out of court but after watching the CFL last year make it's stand at the start of the year on cutting down on concussions and the number of head shots against Tiger-Cat players alone was ridiculious with Fantuz, Collaros and so on.
The CFL refs are just as much to blame because they were given the green light by the league to in force the rule and they allowed many plays to go unnoticed and of course look how long both Ti-Cat players were injured for?
Hopefully with the new rules being introduced this season we will also see better officiating??
Let me be politically correct and clarify that it involves all CFL players and anyone playing the game. If you make it mandatory in your league that their will be NO head shots that risk concussions than why did three of our players go down with head shot injuries last season???
Lets hope that the CFL has decided to take this matter more seriously and start enforcing illegal head shots on players.
It's not just head shots, when you look at some of the plays that involved concussions many were due to a players head smashing into the turf. The majority were players who were driven in to the ground. Bruce is saying that his concussion could have been prevented with a better helmet, he's talking about the $1,000 helmet.
Slimjim you're right it's not just the head shots but the pile driving of a players head into the turf or using the helmet as a battering ram. It's obvious in football why players wear helmets because it is a contact sport but contact aside the helmet could be used like weapon to seriously injure another player rather than protect.
Last season when Odell Willis from Edmonton hit Zach Collaros his feet clearly left the turf, to give Willis that extra momentum
to plant his helmet under the chin of Collaros and as a result Collaros missed seven games at the start of the season. The Ref who was right on the play made NO call, NO Flag, it was later overturned by the CFL after the game and a fine handed out to Willis instead.
I think as fans we all should be watching this season to see how the new rules take effect but also see if the CFL will enforce this rule of No head shots or other.
To me, this whole thing stinks of a cash-grab. The guys noticed that their buddies in the NFL got a huge payday so they thought they would give it a shot up north. And you, good fan, will pay the price. Even if this settles out of court, the insurance payout will be huge. And that means higher premiums for the teams and league in the future, which means higher prices for tickets, merchandise etc. If the League is successful in court, the legal bills will have the same effect on fan product pricing in the future. If the league loses, and the payout is similar to the NFL, bye bye CFL. This whole thing is lose-lose for the fans.
They played a dangerous, physical game for a living and at all times had the option to not go back on the field if they felt they were injured or concussed. After an injury, the question asked on the sideline is not "why aren't you going back in there?" but "can you go back in there?" Who bears the responsibility for that?
This is where the league has some liability. Zach was not the first and only player on this team that has been sidelined by a helmet to helmet hit that went unpenalized.
This is such a detriment to the affected team and more so the player, that a referee who clearly misses the call (as in Zach Collaros' case) should be immediately removed from service and subject to a strict review and testing of the rule book.
This problem is way too important to leave to the mercy of incompetents.
@old fan - I agree with you whole-heartedly, and would, if I may, like to expand the suspension to the length of time the injured player misses. Zach missed 7 weeks? Then Willis SHOULD have been penalized for 7 weeks as well. Something like this will probably come to pass as a result of this law suit.
@BillyDee87 - I find your comments offensive. Sure, the players were playing in a physical game, but many of those players, especially the Americans, live where they have to buy private health insurance. I'm sure you realize that they can be denied insurance for per-existing conditions; and be dropped from coverage if they don't disclose a previous injury (even if it was no fault of their own)? All the while they face the horror of living with early-onset Alzheimer's, dementia, Parkinson's, depression, chronic migraines, and constant suicidal thoughts. YOU call it a cash-grab, I call it a method to find a way to live their remaining years in dignity.
Typical. Trying to stifle debate on an issue by claiming that a point or comment for the the side of the issue YOU don't like is offencive. I'm offended by your attempt to shame me into silence. And also, I'm not in the slightest suggesting that concussions are not an issue. Nice try on the "red herring" of trying to make my position one of insensitivity. My comment was based merely on the stench of money grab that this particular suit has. And claiming that the American health care system is somehow to blame for this; Anti-Americanism and anti-capitalism rolled up into one big load of rubbish. The American health care system, including the health insurance regime, is the best, most advanced in the world and has for decades had the greatest heath care results for the sick and injured ever recorded.
How about trying to actually argue the position next time. Not go on an attempted politically correct BS campaign of "silence that which makes us feel bad." Save it for the next issue I mention that offends you because I will not be responding further to this topic. You've shown your true self and it's not worth wasting any more of my time on.
Awww, did I hurt your feelings? Did your mommy not give you enough hugs? I consider your comments as nothing but the pieces of filth they are. How DARE you accuse former players of a “cash grab” when, for many, their very LIVES may be in danger. Hypocrites like you have no place on this forum, IMHO.