Elks: Edmonton Eskimos Part 4: Playoffs

[Gord]

they should title this article "former CFL players want the league to go bankrupt"
Besides demanding $200 million worth of aggravated and punitive damages, lawyers are asking a judge to award general and special damages.

http://www.tsn.ca/former-players-file-200m-lawsuit-against-cfl-1.300462

 

[oXo Cube]

200 Million

 

[Gunnersaurus Rex]

200 Million

Too funny. That's more than the Eskimos, or any other CFL club, have paid their players in salaries in 40 years combined.

 

[Replacement*]

The figure is high but the CFL has failed in doing something about blatant vicious head shots for years resulting in countless concussions, injuries, even broken necks. As fans of the Esks, who have had more than their share of very serious and career and nearly life ending injuries. Jason Tucker to name the most known.

Needs to be remembered this is a class action suit on behalf of the countless known traumatic injuries that are greatly impacting the rest of players lives. Although I do agree the figure is high. But keeping in mind class action suits are usually in MultiBillion buck sought amounts. Part of the litigation is setting the bar high to elicit out of court settlement of lesser, but still generous amounts. The CFL has done this to itself.

I like the CFL. But damn straight I want it to be a safer and less dirty game(and it has been for decades) and this is the only way that leagues ever take this kind of thing seriously. If this results in less instances of a hushed crowd waiting to see if some player can still move after a 30minute delay because of players, officials, and the league not getting it than its worth it to me.

 

[Gord]

The figure is high but the CFL has failed in doing something about blatant vicious head shots for years resulting in countless concussions, injuries, even broken necks. As fans of the Esks, who have had more than their share of very serious and career and nearly life ending injuries. Jason Tucker to name the most known.

Needs to be remembered this is a class action suit on behalf of the countless known traumatic injuries that are greatly impacting the rest of players lives. Although I do agree the figure is high. But keeping in mind class action suits are usually in MultiBillion buck sought amounts. Part of the litigation is setting the bar high to elicit out of court settlement of lesser, but still generous amounts. The CFL has done this to itself.

I like the CFL. But damn straight I want it to be a safer and less dirty game(and it has been for decades) and this is the only way that leagues ever take this kind of thing seriously. If this results in less instances of a hushed crowd waiting to see if some player can still move after a 30minute delay because of players, officials, and the league not getting it than its worth it to me.

why not sue all the pop warner leagues then, high school teams and colleges? why just the CFL? it's a failure from the ground up. not just a failure of the CFL.

besides. this isn't the NFL with their untold billions.
let's say they won, and got the 200 million plus all the general and special damages. you've likely just succeeded in shutting down the league, and ending up with nothing.
I don't think they deserve a generous out of court settlement. all they should be asking for and all the should be getting is a proper medical plan to support their needs after the hitting they've taken in all levels of football. (it wasn't just the cfl that did it to them)

 

[blueandgoldguy]

why not sue all the pop warner leagues then, high school teams and colleges? why just the CFL? it's a failure from the ground up. not just a failure of the CFL.

besides. this isn't the NFL with their untold billions.
let's say they won, and got the 200 million plus all the general and special damages. you've likely just succeeded in shutting down the league, and ending up with nothing.
I don't think they deserve a generous out of court settlement. all they should be asking for and all the should be getting is a proper medical plan to support their needs after the hitting they've taken in all levels of football. (it wasn't just the cfl that did it to them)

If the league knowingly lied to the players or withheld information regarding concussions like the NFL (as presented in the Frontline documentary a little over a year ago) than there is probably grounds for the lawsuit. Maybe it leads to a settlement just as the NFL settled with the players last year. $10 million? 20 Million? CFL would be able to afford that.

 

[Replacement*]

why not sue all the pop warner leagues then, high school teams and colleges? why just the CFL? it's a failure from the ground up. not just a failure of the CFL.

besides. this isn't the NFL with their untold billions.
let's say they won, and got the 200 million plus all the general and special damages. you've likely just succeeded in shutting down the league, and ending up with nothing.
I don't think they deserve a generous out of court settlement. all they should be asking for and all the should be getting is a proper medical plan to support their needs after the hitting they've taken in all levels of football. (it wasn't just the cfl that did it to them)

The CFL allows more blatant shots and for guys to get absolutely annihilated out there in the name of entertainment. With even CFL commercials about it. Its a brand that has entirely embraced the "wipe out" kind of hit where somebody just gets smoked and often involving a headshot. Its also a league that never adopted such thing as fair catch rule in the name of player safety.

The CFL brand is wild and wooly and it allows a lot of ongoing blatant infraction that it shouldn't. It wants to be an exciting brand, and I get that but often times it seems like a lot of miscreant players end up here and always have. Theres little respect shown for player safety in the CFL either by the league or its players.

In anycase all leagues will be impacted sooner or later Gord. This is the new age reality that gladiator type sports are most susceptible to class action suit. Really any pro league, any sport that continues to put their player membership in the way of egregious and ongoing signicant harm is going to be seeing class action suits. The world is changing.

 

[harpoon]

I would say that if you choose to participate in a sport that requires hard physical contact (football, hockey, rugby) or a sport that requires you to wear a helmet in case of melon meets immovable object scenarios (skiing, racing of all kinds, mountain biking) then you have accepted the risks involved when you went out and bought the appropriate/required protective gear.

No chance we can create enough rules to make everyone safe given the speeds, weights, forces involved. Playing football is inherently dangerous. I agree with whoever said a fair catch rule is necessary, just like I agree with just making the obvious icing calls in hockey before someone kills themselves trying to beat a call. Even those changes aren't near enough to account for the million ways you can get brain damage playing sports.

The gentlemen in question were professional athletes. They knew the score. They had the opportunity to enrich themselves by risking their bodies. That's what most pro sports is these days. And they sure a hell should have had insurance up the wazoo. It may sound harsh, but I'm no more in favor of these guys getting $500 million than I am smokers in Ontario (who willingly smoked) getting $500 million.

But hey, so few are still accountable for their life choices these days.

 

[Gord]

I agree they willingly took the risks, but they still should have had health care coverage of some kind. the league could contribute a set amount of money for each year a player is in the league, perhaps.

 

[Replacement*]

I would say that if you choose to participate in a sport that requires hard physical contact (football, hockey, rugby) or a sport that requires you to wear a helmet in case of melon meets immovable object scenarios (skiing, racing of all kinds, mountain biking) then you have accepted the risks involved when you went out and bought the appropriate/required protective gear.

No chance we can create enough rules to make everyone safe given the speeds, weights, forces involved. Playing football is inherently dangerous. I agree with whoever said a fair catch rule is necessary, just like I agree with just making the obvious icing calls in hockey before someone kills themselves trying to beat a call. Even those changes aren't near enough to account for the million ways you can get brain damage playing sports.

The gentlemen in question were professional athletes. They knew the score. They had the opportunity to enrich themselves by risking their bodies. That's what most pro sports is these days. And they sure a hell should have had insurance up the wazoo. It may sound harsh, but I'm no more in favor of these guys getting $500 million than I am smokers in Ontario (who willingly smoked) getting $500 million.

But hey, so few are still accountable for their life choices these days.

I would agree with the perspective if this were not a league that pretty much takes a blind eye to DB's, Linebackers literally hurdling themselves with all their force directly at somebodies head. Not even attempting to hit another part of the body, and not inadvertently hitting helmet but aiming at helmet. With some players doing this so frequently its not accident. Or players cut blocking at line of scrimmage or breaking another players arm at line of scrimmage.

Its that the abuses are so blatant, and so obviously not effectively dealt with that you pretty much know that whenever an extremely abusive player enters the league that player will be allowed to engage in mayhem for as long as their career permits. This unfortunately is a particular aspect of the CFL and it is nothing new.
The CFL as I mentioned even markets itself as a sport with out of the blue hammering of players as in the "what if Tennis was played this way" commercials the aired as recently as last season. With a guy serving being completely annihilated by a linebacker freight train. That's an attempt at humor, its also exhibit for product marketing and WHAT they are marketing as brand.

Bringing a comparison to NHL hockey if I've agreed to play hockey I've agreed to play the sport. I haven't even I'm a Sedin, agreed to have someone like Brad Marchand rabbit punch me six times after a whistle looking to bully me and this being completely allowed.

 

[harpoon]

I would agree with the perspective if this were not a league that pretty much takes a blind eye to DB's, Linebackers literally hurdling themselves with all their force directly at somebodies head. Not even attempting to hit another part of the body, and not inadvertently hitting helmet but aiming at helmet. With some players doing this so frequently its not accident. Or players cut blocking at line of scrimmage or breaking another players arm at line of scrimmage.

Its that the abuses are so blatant, and so obviously not effectively dealt with that you pretty much know that whenever an extremely abusive player enters the league that player will be allowed to engage in mayhem for as long as their career permits. This unfortunately is a particular aspect of the CFL and it is nothing new.

Bringing a comparison to NHL hockey if I've agreed to play hockey I've agreed to play the support. I haven't even I'm a Sedin, agreed to have someone like Brad Marchand rabbit punch me six times after a whistle looking to bully me and this being completely allowed. Theres parallels there that you probably recognize.

Hey hey ease up there man. We can't have anyone disparaging Marchand's masterful ownage of the Sedins that year. That was probably the year Vancouver could have won it. Maybe even should have won it. But they failed because they let a guy like Brad Marchand run their show like a bunch of little girls. Given the many smirking bushwhackers the Canucks have generated over the seasons, and the gutless brand of hockey they are so well known to play, I found it entirely fitting that a little twerp like Marchand would be their downfall. We should be thanking that guy that we never have to hear Van fans bragging about their SC. No Stanleys for Van city ever. That's my motto.

But sorry, I probably should have refrained from commenting on the football thread because its honestly been a decade since I watched a CFL game so I have no idea if all the head hunting is as bad as you say. I mean you are making it sound like blatant intent to injure happens frequently. And I would obviously agree that is pretty bad. Just out of curiosity, when you keep referring to the league, are you suggesting that the CFL is more prone to this sort of violent head hunting than the NFL?

I think the over the top hits that you mention are the crux of the problem in violent games. There's always going to be the crazy guys out there who are playing right at the edge. They get caught up in the moment and you can't expect them to let up every time. If I recall you are a pretty big Raffi Torres fan, and they don't come much closer to the edge than that guy. He probably calls it finishing his check and eliminating the man. Some people take the eliminating thing seriously. And I can bet that if you ever played sports like hockey or football, and are honest with yourself, there was at least a time or two that you were the guy delivering the borderline hit, and you knew it, but it was a big game, and the guy was a dick, so you didn't let up at all and just leveled him.

Can't legislate that out of the game or we may as well drop the can and let girls play too. I feel sorry for people who got messed up in the CFL, NHL etc and agree with Gord that there should absolutely be some mandatory pension/health care type program whereby guys with long term, expensive issues can get help. Still disagree with the lawsuit.

 

[Replacement*]

Hey hey ease up there man. We can't have anyone disparaging Marchand's masterful ownage of the Sedins that year. That was probably the year Vancouver could have won it. Maybe even should have won it. But they failed because they let a guy like Brad Marchand run their show like a bunch of little girls. Given the many smirking bushwhackers the Canucks have generated over the seasons, and the gutless brand of hockey they are so well known to play, I found it entirely fitting that a little twerp like Marchand would be their downfall. We should be thanking that guy that we never have to hear Van fans bragging about their SC. No Stanleys for Van city ever. That's my motto.

But sorry, I probably should have refrained from commenting on the football thread because its honestly been a decade since I watched a CFL game so I have no idea if all the head hunting is as bad as you say. I mean you are making it sound like blatant intent to injure happens frequently. And I would obviously agree that is pretty bad. Just out of curiosity, when you keep referring to the league, are you suggesting that the CFL is more prone to this sort of violent head hunting than the NFL?

I think the over the top hits that you mention are the crux of the problem in violent games. There's always going to be the crazy guys out there who are playing right at the edge. They get caught up in the moment and you can't expect them to let up every time. If I recall you are a pretty big Raffi Torres fan, and they don't come much closer to the edge than that guy. He probably calls it finishing your check and eliminating the man. Some people take the eliminating thing seriously. And I can bet that if you ever played sports like hockey or football, and are honest with yourself, there was at least a time or two that you were the guy delivering the borderline hit, and you knew it, but it was a big game, and the guy was a dick, so you didn't let up at all and just leveled him.

Can't legislate that out of the game or we may as well drop the can and let girls play too. I feel sorry for people who got messed up in the CFL, NHL etc and agree with Gord that there should absolutely be some mandatory pension/health care type program whereby guys with long term, expensive issues can get help. Still disagree with the lawsuit.

For clarity I don't like the Canucks and tactics they employ obviously. But the Sedins happen to play there. By and large they aren't the issue. The issue preceded them in Vancouver with a stupid level of play and the obvious Bertuzzi incident. Using your assertion Moore probably didn't deserve that even if he played like a **** at times. The point being though that no hockey player signs up to be run down from behind and tomahawked in the skull. Yet it happened. By an NHL that has had countless players do similar or worse and in instances that have nothing even remotely to do with hockey. Unless hockey involves Mcsorley clobbering somebody over the head with their stick.

Yes, the CFL is worse and some contributing factors are size of field, more open space, no fair catch, until recently no rules designed to protect the receiver, not sufficient rules to protect the QB, etc. Oddly the CFL protects punters well, which is positive, but hasn't done nearly enough to protect other players.

My concern with the CFL is that some member teams actually seem to like to recruit overtly dirty players who play in the league for years and who are largely not dealt with by the league. As cited BC had a player that simply put an Eskimo in an arm bar hold and broke his arm right at the line of scrimmage. This known agreed state of facts. Simply decided to break his arm. (The player was still playing in the league last season). Which of course the Eskimo wasn't prepared for because its NOT part of football. Its those kinds of excessives that prevent me from agreeing with you on this one. I don't line up on line of scrimmage expecting somebody to intentionally break my arm, cut out my knee or put in a choke hold. Not what I'd sign up for. That might be an impending new MMA sport but it isn't football.

Maybe I'm off on this and partly i'm just losing interest in the CFL which is kind of sad. Seems like some of the best players most worth watching are getting injured out there and missing lots of games. Maybe because WC womens cup is in Edmonton I have little particular interest in the CFL season this year. Just disaffected and plan on enjoying the outdoors and if attending a few games comes out of that cest la vie. I like Jones/hervey but theres a turnstyle nature to lineup changes here that is hard to view. I develop attachment to players and they're chronically gone. I accepted Fred sTamps being gone, and I knew he would be, but it doesn't feel the same now. If Reilly goes down injured now I think my connection with the club is tenuous currently.

 

[joestevens29]

I would say that if you choose to participate in a sport that requires hard physical contact (football, hockey, rugby) or a sport that requires you to wear a helmet in case of melon meets immovable object scenarios (skiing, racing of all kinds, mountain biking) then you have accepted the risks involved when you went out and bought the appropriate/required protective gear.

No chance we can create enough rules to make everyone safe given the speeds, weights, forces involved. Playing football is inherently dangerous. I agree with whoever said a fair catch rule is necessary, just like I agree with just making the obvious icing calls in hockey before someone kills themselves trying to beat a call. Even those changes aren't near enough to account for the million ways you can get brain damage playing sports.

The gentlemen in question were professional athletes. They knew the score. They had the opportunity to enrich themselves by risking their bodies. That's what most pro sports is these days. And they sure a hell should have had insurance up the wazoo. It may sound harsh, but I'm no more in favor of these guys getting $500 million than I am smokers in Ontario (who willingly smoked) getting $500 million.

But hey, so few are still accountable for their life choices these days.

Too much logic in this. I can maybe see guys from the earlier years when guys didn't know about concussions, but once the mid-90's came along it's not like people didn't realize that it could end a person's career and have lingering health effects. You get the guys that on purpose played with no fear as they didn't have the skill set to stick around, but now they cry wolf?

 

[OilerPensfan97]

they should title this article "former CFL players want the league to go bankrupt"
Besides demanding $200 million worth of aggravated and punitive damages, lawyers are asking a judge to award general and special damages.

http://www.tsn.ca/former-players-file-200m-lawsuit-against-cfl-1.300462

That is so ridiculous. How on Earth do they figure they win that?

 

[oilers4life5]

Jon White is out for the year! Crap!! Who can we pick up?

 

[Beerfish]

Jon White is out for the year! Crap!! Who can we pick up?

I commented the other day on the esksfans board that we had a ridiculously low number of RB's and DB's in camp compared to other positions and that it was a worry.

Losing White is a huge blow because he was a beast last year. Having said that, there is no other position around in which really good players can be replaced in a hurry than RB.

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

they're dropping like flies at training camp...holy crap

 

[Gord]

Jon White is out for the year! Crap!! Who can we pick up?

really? ouch.
that one hurts. what's the injury?

edit: crap. I see now.

The Edmonton Eskimos said on Monday that running back John White will miss the entire season after he ruptured his left achilles tendon during practice

 

[guymez]

really? ouch.
that one hurts. what's the injury?

I heard it was a torn achilles. Sometimes that injury is career altering.

Very bad news.

 

[oXo Cube]

Damn that sucks for White.

Hope he takes his time and makes a full recovery.

 

[Replacement*]

they're dropping like flies at training camp...holy crap

Man its getting harder and harder to gather up interest in this season. Probably due to my excitement for Womens WC but Eskimos this year, I'm not feeling it somehow. Surprised actually.

Also thought it was poor form, astoundingly bad actually, to have fan day scrimmage at the same time as Team Canada was playing the opening match of the WC attended by 53K people. Really Esks make it any other day. Another in a long list of recent black marks by the org. A gesture that makes me wonder what planet this club is on.

Not to mention TC being all the way in Spruce Grove anywhere where no realistic public transit is available for families that even wanted to go. Sorry, but really. Starting to loose a fan here.

 

[Soliloquy of a Dogge]

Unfortunately White will never be the same. I can't recall one RB ever coming back from a ruptured achilles and displaying anything close to their lateral ability, first cut or explosiveness that they displayed prior to it.

What a shame. He reminded me of 2002 John Avery... but better.

 

[guymez]

Unfortunately White will never be the same. I can't recall one RB ever coming back from a ruptured achilles and displaying anything close to their lateral ability, first cut or explosiveness that they displayed prior to it.

What a shame. He reminded me of 2002 John Avery... but better.

Ironic you should bring up John Avery.
IIRC an achilles injury ended his career far too soon.

The Esks had better have a solid plan 'B'.

 

[AJGass4]

I saw that scroll across the bottom of the screen last night and thought, Oh for F sakes!

Why does our team continually get injured before we even play a damn game.

 

[Gord]

Man its getting harder and harder to gather up interest in this season. Probably due to my excitement for Womens WC but Eskimos this year, I'm not feeling it somehow. Surprised actually.

Also thought it was poor form, astoundingly bad actually, to have fan day scrimmage at the same time as Team Canada was playing the opening match of the WC attended by 53K people. Really Esks make it any other day. Another in a long list of recent black marks by the org. A gesture that makes me wonder what planet this club is on.

Not to mention TC being all the way in Spruce Grove anywhere where no realistic public transit is available for families that even wanted to go. Sorry, but really. Starting to loose a fan here.

I have to disagree with you on this one, and I've been one of the biggest complainers about how I feel the esks have ruined their image in the last few years.

despite how big the event is, not everyone is into the world cup or into soccer. should the whole city come to a stop because of the event? I don't think so.

and what are the esks supposed to do about training camp? they had to leave their home field for the world cup. it's not like to could move training camp to the city for one day to make it convenient for transit takers. it is what it is.

you're complaining for the sake of complaining this time.

again, as cool as the world cup is, there are many people like me who don't consider an event as the same time as a cup game a big deal at all. a million people in this city and not all of them want to watch the world cup.