NFL, players reach proposed $765M settlement of concussion-related lawsuits

PHILADELPHIA –  The NFL and more than 4,500 former players want to resolve concussion-related lawsuits with a $765 million settlement that would fund medical exams, concussion-related compensation and medical research, a federal judge said Thursday.

The plaintiffs include at least 10 members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, including former Dallas Cowboys running back Tony Dorsett. They also include Super Bowl-winning quarterback Jim McMahon and the family of Pro Bowl linebacker Junior Seau, who committed suicide last year.

Many former players with neurological conditions believe their problems stem from on-field concussions. The lawsuits accused the league of hiding known risks of concussions for decades to return players to games and protect its image.

The NFL has denied any wrongdoing and has insisted that safety has always been a top priority.

Senior U.S. District Judge Anita Brody in Philadelphia announced the proposed settlement Thursday after months of court-ordered mediation. She still must approve it at a later date.

The settlement likely means the NFL won't have to disclose internal files about what it knew, when, about concussion-linked brain problems. Lawyers had been eager to learn, for instance, about the workings of the league's Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Committee, which was led for more than a decade by a rheumatologist.

Via: Fox News

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NFLPA files grievance in attempt to recoup Aaron Hernandez's bonus money

The NFL Players Association has filed a grievance on behalf of former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez in an attempt to force the team to pay $82,000 in offseason workout bonuses.

The Patriots cut Hernandez on June 26, the day he was arrested on a first-degree murder charge in the slaying of acquaintance Odin Lloyd. Hernandez was indicted on that charge and multiple weapons charges last week. He has pleaded not guilty and is being held in a Massachusetts jail without bond.

Hernandez will be arraigned in Fall River (Mass.) Superior Court on Sept. 6 at 2 p.m., a spokesman announced Tuesday.

Hernandez signed a $40 million contract extension in 2012, which included standard bonuses for offseason workouts. He earned $82,000 in bonus money for attending offseason activities with the Patriots from April to June while recovering from shoulder surgery. That money had not been paid when Hernandez was arrested and his contract terminated.

The NFLPA issued a statement Monday afternoon in which it said the union has filed the grievance to ensure the league isn't able to withhold money from other players in the future.

HERNANDEZ'S INNER CIRCLE: It might just help him beat murder rap

"On behalf of all players, it is our responsibility to protect the rights in the collective bargaining agreement. We are not tone-deaf to what the allegations are in this case, but for the benefit of all players, there are important precedents here we must protect," the NFLPA said in the statement sent to USA TODAY Sports.

Via: USA Today

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Forget The ‘Fearsome Foursome’: The NFL’s Top Players Are Being Sacked By Tax Liabilities; At Home & Away

With the NFL’s regular season set to begin next week, players around the league anxiously await the arrival of their first big game check of the season.

For many rookies, who collect signing bonuses well before the season begins, their first check signifies what they hope to be a profitable and prosperous career on and off the field.

This season’s NFL rookies, however, will be shocked to find out that the earnings for their first few games might as well be handed over to tax collectors – a fact of which veteran players are all too aware.

For players earning over $1 million in base salary per season, their federal income tax rate is 39.6 percent.

Add with the additional 3.8 percent Medicare surtax levied with the passage of the Affordable Care Act – “Obamacare” – that’s a combined top marginal federal income tax rate of 43.4 percent. With that in mind, care to guess how many games they have to play to pay off the tax collectors?

The answer is a whopping seven games. That’s one game shy of half the regular season just to pay federal income taxes.

And that’s before factoring in state income tax liabilities for home games and “jock taxes” for away games.

Depending on where the team is located and which teams they play this season, players could easily see their earnings for over half the season handed over to the various state and federal tax collectors.

Via: The Daily Caller

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NFL Political Donations Favor GOP

Political donors connected to the National Football League have donated more money to Republicans than Democrats according to a recent tally from the Sunlight Foundation.

According to the report, team employees, including players, owners and staff, have donated over $1.5 million for this election cycle. But Republicans received nearly three times as much from donors associated with football teams as did Democrats.

Eleven of the NFL team owners favor Romney, according to FEC campaign records – compiled by Business Insider’s Walter Hickey in September. These donors have donated directly to Romney’s campaign or through the Republican National Committee.

Chief among the Romney supporters is Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross who has donated $100,000 to the pro-Romney super PAC, Restore Our Future, $20,800 to the Republican National Committee, $5,000 to Romney’s Free and Strong America PAC and $2,500 to Mitt Romney.

New York Jets owner Woody Johnson has donated $58,200 to the Republican National Committee this year, $2,500 to Mitt Romney and $5,000 to Romney’s Free and Strong America PAC. Johnson is one of the Romney campaign’s finance co-chairs.

Members of the Bidwell family, owners of the Arizona Cardinals, have donated over $154,000 to the Republican National Committee and $4,500 to Romney.

Via: The Examiner

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SPOKESWOMAN: OBAMA TOO BUSY FOR DEBATE PREP

Today, aboard Air Force One, traveling press secretary for the Obama campaign Jen Psaki doubled down on the Obama team strategy of playing down expectations for next week’s debate with Mitt Romney. She explained to the press:

The President will have some time to prepare, and he’s been doing some studying.  But it is certainly less than we anticipated because of the events in the Middle East, because of his busy travel schedule, because of just the constraints of governing.  So it is less than we originally planned.

I will just take this opportunity to say that Mitt Romney on the other hand has been preparing earlier and with more focus than any presidential candidate in modern history -- not John F. Kennedy, not President Bill Clinton, not President George Bush, not Ronald Reagan has prepared as much as he has.  So there’s no question that he will have a lead on how prepared he is.

Wait just a second. President Obama is saying he’s been doing less debate prep than he normally would have because of events in the Middle East? Because of the constraints of governing?

Really?

Which events would those be? Events like the murder of our Libyan ambassador, which prompted busy busy Obama to deliver a slapdash address, then blow off all strategizing for a fundraiser in Vegas? Events like the takeover of our embassy in Tunisia by al Qaeda, which precipitated an appearance on David Letterman?

What kind of governing has precluded Obama from debate prep? Governing, like the wonderful job he’s done on that Libyan investigation, which he’s largely blown off to hang with Jay-Z and Beyonce? Governing, like shunning Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but finding time to be self-proclaimed “eye candy” on The View? Governing, like presiding over a massive economic inflation just before an election, but finding time to comment on the crucial issue of football referees?

Via: Breitbart

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Ryan Compares Obama to an NFL Replacement Ref

Republican Vice Presidential candidate Paul Ryan said Tuesday in Ohio that NFL replacement referees reminded him of President Obama on the economy, "if you can't get it right, get out."

NFL replacement referees are under fire for repeatedly blowing calls and mismanaging games this season… a controversial call made at the end of the Packers-Seahawks game last night actually cost Green Bay the game. 

Ryan also joked that the NFL refs worked part-time in the Obama administration's budget office, "they see the national debt clock starring them in the face, they see a debt crisis and they just ignore and pretend it didn’t even happen. They are trying to pick the winners and losers and they don’t even do that very well.”

PAUL RYAN: "I gotta start off on something that was really troubling that occured last night, did you guys watch that Packer game last night? Give me a break! It's time to get the real refs!

You know, it reminds me of President Obama and the economy! If you can't get it right, it's time to get out!

I have think that these refs work part time for President Obama in the budget office!

They see the national debt clock starring them in the face, they see a debt crisis and they just ignore and pretend it didn’t even happen. They are trying to pick the winners and losers and they don’t even do that very well.”

 Via: Fox News

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LA CONFIDENTIAL: MAYOR VILLARAIGOSA COVERS UP $400M TAXPAYER BOONDOGGLE

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who also ran the Democratic National Convention, has now embroiled himself in a scandal of epic proportions with taxpayer dollars. Villaraigosa and staff negotiated a deal with Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) to build a football stadium in downtown Los Angeles. The price tag for the taxpayers: almost $400 million in debt, supposedly to be repaid by AEG. The stadium will be built on land currently occupied by the Los Angeles Convention Center. Los Angeles, as you may recall, doesn’t have a football team.

Sounds like a typical stadium boondoggle.

Except that it turns out that AEG is being sold, which means that the group that will perform the contract with the City of Los Angeles is not the same as the group that negotiated the contract. Here’s where it gets truly ugly: Villaraigosa knew about the upcoming sale, and told nobody. He kept it a secret. He said nothing to Chief Legislative Analyst Gerry Miller and City Administrative Officer Miguel Santana. Members of the City Council, who will have to sign off on the deal, were kept in the dark, too.

“I’ve met with ... people who are looking to bring a football team. I'm not going to tell everybody everything we’re doing because we want a football team. And a lot of what happens here is, it’s got to be negotiated quietly,” said a frustrated Villaraigosa to the media.

Now, there is only one reason for Villaraigosa to hide the AEG sale from those who most needed to know about it. According to mayoral candidate Kevin James, that reason is simple: AEG received a sweetheart deal at taxpayer expense, which upped AEG’s sale price. Now the new buyers will have a great deal with the City of Los Angeles. And Villaraigosa will get to look like a hero for bringing the NFL to Los Angeles. Perfect for his gubernatorial run.

There’s something seriously fishy going on here. The details of the AEG deal must be examined closely, especially given the fact that Los Angeles already carries a $258 million deficit and a $27 billion unfunded pension liability.

But this is how Democrats do business. There’s a reason that Villaraigosa and Barack Obama are thick as thieves – when it comes to taxpayer dollars, they are thieves.

Via: Breitbart

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How Federal “Stimulus” Didn’t Help California’s Economy

How has the stimulus program of President Obama affected California? Have things gotten better?

We can see the answer for the whole state by looking in detail at how stimulus money was spent in Pasadena. City Finance DirectorVic Erganian said the city borrowed money at lower than normal interest rates and the funds opened the door for projects and jobs the city otherwise could not support.

Now winding down, the federal stimulus program pumped $133 million into Pasadena in 10 separate bond issues under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

The renovation of the 89-year old Rose Bowl consumed $114 million of the funding by Build America Bonds at a blended interest rate of 4.8 percent.  But the price tag for renovation has now run up to $162 million, leaving the city with a $39 million financing gap.  The Rose Bowl is a revenue generator for the local Old Town restaurant district in Pasadena, as well as for tourism and hotels.

The National Football League may consider “temporarily” locating a team in the Rose Bowl until a new stadium can be built elsewhere.  Speculation is that the Rose Bowl may well become the permanent stadium for whatever NFL team finds a home in the Los Angeles area.

And $7.4 million of stimulus money went to subsidize a 43-unit low-income senior housing project with a total cost of $17 million.  That reflects a whopping cost of $395,000 for each one-bedroom unit, or $296 per square foot of building area. The units now rent at $416 per unit per month. Market rates would be at least $1,200 a month, probably higher.

Other projects funded with stimulus funds include $4.3 million on roads; $2.8 million on employment and training programs; $2.25 million on energy efficient upgrades; $1 million on water and power infrastructure; and $908,000 to homeless housing programs.

Arguably, what the stimulus funded in Pasadena was just more luxury improvements to the Rose Bowl than could have been conventionally financed anyway, a windfall to a low-income housing developer for a financially dubious project, and a smattering of other projects that didn’t do much to generate the local economy on a permanent basis.

Via: CA Political Review

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Obama campaign says it will fill football stadium for convention’s finale

MORE BROKEN PROMISES

Team Obama promises it will fill every one of the seats in Charlotte’s mammoth football stadium Thursday night when President Obama closes the Democratic National Convention with a speech accepting his party’s nomination.

For weeks, Democrats have been concerned about filling Bank of America Stadium, home to the NFL’s Carolina Panthers. They feared a devastating image of an enthusiasm gap if Obama spoke to empty upper decks at the venue.

But the Obama campaign says it’s got it covered, and that all 73,778 of the stadium’s seats will be spoken for. The campaign also insists this success will showcase a ground operation that will help Obama win North Carolina for a second cycle in a row this November.

“We’re confident we’ll be full,” Jen Psaki, the traveling Obama press secretary, told The Hill late last week. “We have a great ground operation in North Carolina and we’ve registered more voters than any other state.

“Our goal is to leave North Carolina better than we came in,” Psaki added.

Obama set himself up for a challenge when he decided to recreate the image that closed his 2008 convention — an address to a packed, enthusiastic crowd at Denver’s Invesco Field.

Via: The Hill

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