Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

The NFL’s paltry concussion settlement

Sleight-of-hand sports

For the NFL walking dead, checking in with multiple brain injuries, a million bucks is only the beginning.
For the NFL walking dead, checking in with multiple brain injuries, a million bucks is only the beginning.

College football is here, and all the barnacles that hang from that cash cow’s underbelly are feeding. Let’s take a look at the football newspaper of record, USA Today.

Friday’s edition featured six sportswriters picking week 1 winners. Follows are their first three nominees.

Alabama vs. Virginia Tech. Lookie here, all six pros pick Alabama to win. Hmm, the Vegas line has Alabama as 21-point favorites. Perhaps picking Alabama is not an impossibly difficult choice?

How about Ohio State vs. Buffalo? Hey, once again, all six USA Today sportswriters pick the same team, Ohio State. What does Vegas say? Ohio State is a 34-point favorite. Perhaps picking Ohio State is something my dog could do?

Sponsored
Sponsored

Finally, Oregon vs. Nicholls State. You guessed it, everyone picked Oregon. Funny, Oregon is favored by 59 points.

Only because you want it, let’s find out how our panel did. By golly, Alabama, Ohio State, and Oregon won! Oh, magical prophesies come true!

In that same spirit the Box will offer a pick. General Electric will take in more revenue this quarter than the El Cajon franchise of In-N-Out Burger. Bet on it!

In harmony with the above are NFL contracts. One reads, “...signed a seven-year deal for $130 million.” Actually, the player can only count on money for the season he’s playing and his signing bonus. Everything else is IF. But, it’s rarely written that way.

Which brings us to the NFL concussion settlement. Media reports say there’s a $765 million settlement between the NFL and players provided, as expected, U.S. District Judge Anita Brody approves.

This year the NFL is expected to amass $10 billion, making $765 million less than 10 percent of one year’s revenue. But, as in the case of player contracts, those numbers don’t tell the story.

There are 4500 players involved in the lawsuit. A settlement of $765 million works out to $168,000 per player. But, you and I know it’s never that simple. For example, the settlement actually covers 18,000 former NFL players, and different injuries will get different amounts of money, but let’s ignore all that for the moment.

Grantland journalist Bill Barnwell writes, “In actuality, the league is putting aside a paltry $10 million for research and education, $75 million for baseline testing of each player involved with the lawsuit, and then $675 million as compensation for players or family of players who ‘suffered cognitive injuries.’”

Well, $675 million is still a fat check. Works out to $144,000 per player.

Players don’t get the $144,000 in a lump sum. The money is distributed over a 20-year period. Half to be paid out in three years, the other half to be paid out over 17 years. The NFL is making $10 billion in yearly revenue, projected to be $25 billion by 2027. But, let’s suppose the NFL’s revenue stays flat at $10 billion a year, and let’s suppose there is zero inflation for the next two decades. Journalist David Tigabu, commenting on how much money the NFL will take in over the next 20 years, writes, “...the $675 million figure being distributed to the players through this settlement amounts to .34 percent of the NFL’s total projected revenue over this period.” Less than one-half of 1 percent.

In return, the NFL all but shuts down future litigation and admits no guilt. Payouts won’t be divvied up and handed out. There will be categories and conditions, such as the age of the player, how many years in the NFL, diagnosis, and so on. And payouts are capped. Alzheimer’s disease gets up to $5 million. Chronic traumatic encephalopathy up to $4 million. Dementia up to $3 million. That’s top of the line, best case. Most players won’t see anything near that. For players there will be hoops to jump through, evidence to provide, actually getting the money, much less enough money, in one’s hand will, I’m predicting, be as gut-wrenching as it is with any nitpicking, loophole-looking, customer-hating insurance company.

Three years ago I had vascular surgery to clear plaque from my left carotid artery (the big artery running up the side of your neck). It’s not setting a broken arm, but it’s not a heart transplant either. About 150,000 carotid endarterectomies are done ever year. According to Harvard Medical School, for experienced surgeons, bad outcomes are in the range of one to two percent. I had the operation and spent one night in the hospital. In and out within 24 hours. The bill was $103,000. For the NFL walking dead, checking in with multiple, long-term brain injuries, a million bucks is only the beginning.

NFL as beloved institution in one hand, one-half of 1 percent in the other.

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Gonzo Report: Three nights of Mission Bayfest bring bliss

“This is a top-notch production.”
Next Article

Wild Wild Wets, Todo Mundo, Creepy Creeps, Laura Cantrell, Graham Nancarrow

Rock, Latin reggae, and country music in Little Italy, Oceanside, Carlsbad, Harbor Island
For the NFL walking dead, checking in with multiple brain injuries, a million bucks is only the beginning.
For the NFL walking dead, checking in with multiple brain injuries, a million bucks is only the beginning.

College football is here, and all the barnacles that hang from that cash cow’s underbelly are feeding. Let’s take a look at the football newspaper of record, USA Today.

Friday’s edition featured six sportswriters picking week 1 winners. Follows are their first three nominees.

Alabama vs. Virginia Tech. Lookie here, all six pros pick Alabama to win. Hmm, the Vegas line has Alabama as 21-point favorites. Perhaps picking Alabama is not an impossibly difficult choice?

How about Ohio State vs. Buffalo? Hey, once again, all six USA Today sportswriters pick the same team, Ohio State. What does Vegas say? Ohio State is a 34-point favorite. Perhaps picking Ohio State is something my dog could do?

Sponsored
Sponsored

Finally, Oregon vs. Nicholls State. You guessed it, everyone picked Oregon. Funny, Oregon is favored by 59 points.

Only because you want it, let’s find out how our panel did. By golly, Alabama, Ohio State, and Oregon won! Oh, magical prophesies come true!

In that same spirit the Box will offer a pick. General Electric will take in more revenue this quarter than the El Cajon franchise of In-N-Out Burger. Bet on it!

In harmony with the above are NFL contracts. One reads, “...signed a seven-year deal for $130 million.” Actually, the player can only count on money for the season he’s playing and his signing bonus. Everything else is IF. But, it’s rarely written that way.

Which brings us to the NFL concussion settlement. Media reports say there’s a $765 million settlement between the NFL and players provided, as expected, U.S. District Judge Anita Brody approves.

This year the NFL is expected to amass $10 billion, making $765 million less than 10 percent of one year’s revenue. But, as in the case of player contracts, those numbers don’t tell the story.

There are 4500 players involved in the lawsuit. A settlement of $765 million works out to $168,000 per player. But, you and I know it’s never that simple. For example, the settlement actually covers 18,000 former NFL players, and different injuries will get different amounts of money, but let’s ignore all that for the moment.

Grantland journalist Bill Barnwell writes, “In actuality, the league is putting aside a paltry $10 million for research and education, $75 million for baseline testing of each player involved with the lawsuit, and then $675 million as compensation for players or family of players who ‘suffered cognitive injuries.’”

Well, $675 million is still a fat check. Works out to $144,000 per player.

Players don’t get the $144,000 in a lump sum. The money is distributed over a 20-year period. Half to be paid out in three years, the other half to be paid out over 17 years. The NFL is making $10 billion in yearly revenue, projected to be $25 billion by 2027. But, let’s suppose the NFL’s revenue stays flat at $10 billion a year, and let’s suppose there is zero inflation for the next two decades. Journalist David Tigabu, commenting on how much money the NFL will take in over the next 20 years, writes, “...the $675 million figure being distributed to the players through this settlement amounts to .34 percent of the NFL’s total projected revenue over this period.” Less than one-half of 1 percent.

In return, the NFL all but shuts down future litigation and admits no guilt. Payouts won’t be divvied up and handed out. There will be categories and conditions, such as the age of the player, how many years in the NFL, diagnosis, and so on. And payouts are capped. Alzheimer’s disease gets up to $5 million. Chronic traumatic encephalopathy up to $4 million. Dementia up to $3 million. That’s top of the line, best case. Most players won’t see anything near that. For players there will be hoops to jump through, evidence to provide, actually getting the money, much less enough money, in one’s hand will, I’m predicting, be as gut-wrenching as it is with any nitpicking, loophole-looking, customer-hating insurance company.

Three years ago I had vascular surgery to clear plaque from my left carotid artery (the big artery running up the side of your neck). It’s not setting a broken arm, but it’s not a heart transplant either. About 150,000 carotid endarterectomies are done ever year. According to Harvard Medical School, for experienced surgeons, bad outcomes are in the range of one to two percent. I had the operation and spent one night in the hospital. In and out within 24 hours. The bill was $103,000. For the NFL walking dead, checking in with multiple, long-term brain injuries, a million bucks is only the beginning.

NFL as beloved institution in one hand, one-half of 1 percent in the other.

Comments
Sponsored

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Gonzo Report: Goose may have indie vibes, but they’re still a jam band

Fans turn out in force for show at SDSU
Next Article

Tijuana sewage infects air in South Bay

By September, Imperial Beach’s beach closure broke 1000 consecutive days
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader