NFL demands retraction of Times article on player concussions

I really cant imagine the NFL lawyers can be so dumb as they have been in this case and in deflategate -- I'm guessing its more like Goodell (Kraft's boy) is telling his lawyers 'you need to respond and keep responding' and these are the best they can come up with with such little facts on their side

Froob said:

How'd the tobacco industry get roped into this?

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I think it is best explained in the original New York Times article, I have re-provided the link below for convenience.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/25/sports/football/nfl-concussion-research-tobacco.html?_r=1

The briefest summary is that the Tobacco Industry funded and used flawed pseudo "scientific" research (questioning whether smoking caused cancer) and a host of lobbyists, lawyers, and consultants to insist that smoking didn't cause cancer and to threaten or sue those that said it did.

The article says that the NFL has funded similarly flawed research that downplayed the problem of concussions from playing NFL football and used many of that same group of lobbyists, lawyers, and consultants to downplay the risk of concussions, including the Wells / Exponent firms that worked with Big Tobacco, did the "science analysis" on the Deflategate Wells Report, and wrote the letter to the New York Times threatening to sue them if they didn't retract their article (the first post in this thread).

the NFL really is an avatar for obnoxious, smug rich suits with deep pockets who think they can do anything they want at any time. their ridiculous and laughable sense of self righteousness is utterly infuriating....they want to see themselves as holding some tradition of integrity and Americana but really its just a bunch of clueless, dishonest fools who reveal themselves as the clowns they are a little more with every passing day.

they covered up human misery and broken people with bum science and want to cry foul when the world finally sees what levels they went to hide the truth from their consumers and players

and they have the gall to talk about 'integrity' around ball pressure

these people should be tarred and feathered in public, that organization stinks from top to bottom, its a parasite living off the heart and talent of the players that serves no valuable purpose other than to arrange schedules.

voluntarysaftey said:

I really cant imagine the NFL lawyers can be so dumb as they have been in this case and in deflategate -- I'm guessing its more like Goodell (Kraft's boy) is telling his lawyers 'you need to respond and keep responding' and these are the best they can come up with with such little facts on their side

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I, also, used to think it was a case of them being dumb, but I don't believe that any longer. I don't think they're overly-intelligent, as a group. But, I have believed for some time that it's more arrogance and hubris with them. They believe they can get away with anything and, frankly, history has shown that they pretty much can and have. There's little, if any, reason for them to be afraid of anything or anyone. To be clear, I'm referring to the owners more than their attorneys, but I think the latter feel largely invincible, as well.