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SPOR T S
Knockout blow
continued from page 11
the mounting evidence of the long-term effects of
repeated head trauma, was it their responsibility
to shield the players from these risks, or to make
them aware of them? Would it not be fair that
those who profited from the players’ participation
in the sport and their resulting injuries be made
to compensate them?
On the flip side, one can easily see an argument that such players voluntarily assumed such
risks or even contributed to them by refusing to
wear a helmet or a visor, once such technology
was made available. A true cynic may even view
the lawsuits as mere opportunism on the part of
the players, seeking to supplement their retirement income at the expense of the highly successful leagues that once employed them.
Whatever view one takes of the lawsuits, one
thing is certain. The years of providing entertaining and (sometimes) profitable “old-time
hockey” and “smashmouth football” have caught
up with two of the continent’s most prominent
sports leagues. The NHL and NFL are about to
have their bells rung.
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