Former NFL Players Suing League Over Concussions

75 former players are suing the NFL, claiming that the League withheld information about the dangers of concussions for decades.

The lawsuit contends that the League has known about the dangers of concussions since the 1920's, but only formally acknowledged them in 2010, when they became a focal point for the NFL.

The NFL established a Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Committee in 1994 to conduct an on-going investigation into concussions, and promoted for the years the notion that concussions don't cause any long-term ill effects for players.

This seems to be interesting timing, considering how close the NFL lockout is to being over, with final voting on the new Collective Bargaining Agreement expected to be conducted in the next few days.  A former players group came forward in the past few weeks to protest a lack of involvement in the new CBA, but they are being included now in the final negotiations.

One of the major negotiating points for both sides is the amount of money to devote to the Legacy Fund, which will be used to fund pensions and health benefits for retired players.